CREATE - An Autumn Menu for Good Company.

The word harvest brings to mind many images: bounty, a shift in season, canning and pickling the season’s grand finale. The light and leaves change, turning golden, and the air smells sweet and earthy.

Harvest has haunted my dear chef friends with olfactory memories of stacking baled hay in old barns and with the spicy smell of onions being pulled from the earth, inspiring hot soups on cold autumn days. Apple orchards, plump with ancient varietals, beget cider, cloudy and sweet like tangy syrup. Flat fields sprawl with vines dotted with orange pumpkins.

It is nearly impossible to resist the last fruits of the season when spotting little, reddish-pink crab apples or frosted concord grapes. Meaty squashes and herb-roasted meats begin to satisfy our heartier cravings as days grow shorter and thoughts of hibernation begin to stir in anticipation of chillier evenings indoors with good company.

And when it comes to sharing a meal, I am grateful every single day that I have good company to share it with. I am surrounded by people that I can laugh for hours with, to spend an hour trying to list all the American states with (without the help of google), to play cutthroat scrabble with, to safely dive into scary conversations with, to cheer on, to lift up, to feed with an autumn feast. Thank goodness for good company.

Acorn Squash Soup with Apple, Black Garlic Slaw

Using black garlic in the apple slaw adds a fragrant umami quality that seems to marry and enhance the other flavours.

2 ¼ lbs. (1 kg) acorn squash, cut into quarters with skin on
3 cloves garlic, peeled
6 tbsp. (90 mL) olive oil
2 ¼ tsp (11.25 mL) salt
1 tsp (5mL) black pepper
2 stalks of celery, small dice
2 carrots, small dice
½ yellow onion, small dice
2 large stems of thyme
4 cups (1L) chicken stock
1 tbsp. (15mL) lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C) Drizzle acorn squash and garlic cloves with 3 tbsp. (45 mL) olive oil on a sheet and sprinkle with ½ tsp (2.5 mL) black pepper and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt. Place into the oven and roast for about 45 mins to 1 hour or until edges are slightly caramelized. Let cool to room temperature and peel the skins off the squash with a paring knife and reserve the flesh.

Meanwhile, sauté celery, onions, carrots and thyme in a large stockpot on medium low heat with 3 tbsp (45 mL) of olive oil until the onions are translucent and carrots are cooked through. Add the chicken stock and roasted squash and bring to a boil. Blend the entire mixture using an immersion blender or blender until smooth. Season with lemon juice, remaining 1 ¼ tsp (6 mL) salt and ½ tsp (2.5 mL) pepper and serve with apple and black garlic slaw.

Apple Black Garlic Slaw:
1 Pink Lady apple, julienned
¼ cup (60 mL) fennel bulb, thinly sliced
4 large cloves of black garlic, finely chopped or made into a paste
1 tbsp (15 mL) Italian parsley, roughly torn
Juice of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. Can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Would also be great on leftover pork sandwiches.

Makes 6 servings

Roasted Pork Loin with Fennel

I love a classic pork roast paired with the anise flavours of fennel is a warm and nostalgic centrepiece to this harvest supper.

1/3 cup (80 mL) sage leaves
2 tbsp (30 mL) rosemary
2 tbsp (30 mL) thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp (15 mL) fennel seeds, lightly toasted
zest of 1 lemon
2 ½ tsp (12.5 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) pepper
3.5-4.5 lbs (1.5-2kg) pork loin roast with fat cap
2 shallots, cut into halves lengthwise
1 leek, cut in 4” (10 cm) lengths and split in half
2 fennel bulbs, cut into 8 wedges
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
Butcher’s twine
½ cup (125 mL) white wine

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Very finely chop the sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic, fennel seeds, lemon zest, 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and ½ tsp (2.5 mL) pepper together until it becomes homogeneous. Untie the pork loin and spread the herb mixture onto the inside of one half of the pork loin. Top with the other half and tie again with butcher’s twine. Sprinkle outside of the pork roast with the remaining 1 ½ tsp (7.5 mL) salt and ½ tsp (2.5 mL) pepper.

Scatter fennel wedges, leeks and shallots in a roasting pan and top with the pork roast. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for about 1 ½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 115 F (68 C). Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) slices.

Arrange the roasted fennel, leeks and shallots on a plate with the pork loin slices on top. To make a jus, simmer wine in the pan and scrape the bottom until all the juices are incorporated. Serve hot alongside the pork.

Makes 6 servings

Swiss Chard Salad with Verjus Vinaigrette

Pressed from tart, unripened grapes, verjus is a gentler, more balanced alternative to vinegars or lemon juice in salad dressings. Noble Handcrafted is a wonderful one to try.

1 bunch swiss chard, rinsed and dried
½ cup (125 mL) Italian parsley, whole leaves
¼ lb (114 g) salty, hard cheese (we used Fermière by Farmhouse Cheeses from Benton Brothers Fine Cheeses)
½ cup (125 mL) roasted hazelnuts
¼ cup (60 mL) verjus
¼ cup (60 mL) fruity olive oil
½ tsp (2.5 mL) salt
¼ tsp (1 mL) black pepper

Lay the swiss chard and parsley on a large serving platter. Top with shards of cheese and hazelnuts. Whisk together verjus, olive oil, salt and pepper and drizzle on the salad before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Roasted Carrot and Apple Salad

This sweet and salty side is a contrast of flavours and textures with the addition of fresh crab apples.

3 shallots, sliced into ½ inch (1.3 cm) discs
4 cloves garlic
14 medium carrots, cut into 1-2 inch (2.5-5cm) diagonals
1 bunch thyme
4 Pink Lady apples, each cut into 6 wedges
2 ½ tsp (12.5 mL) salt
1 ½ tsp (7.5 mL) pepper
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil, for roasting
3 tbsp. (45 mL) apple cider
1 tbsp. (15 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 mL) honey
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil, for dressing
6 crab apples, halved or quartered

Preheat oven to 475 F (246 C). Toss together shallots, garlic, carrots, thyme, pink lady wedges, salt, pepper and olive oil for roasting. Lay onto a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes for until the edges of the carrots and apples are caramelized. Toss everything half way through roasting.

Makes 6 servings

Concord Grape Crostata

This flaky crust was inspired by the one from Tartine and is one of the most versatile, suitable for free-form crostatas as well as for topping a savoury chicken pot pie. The trick is to start with cold butter and not to overmix.

1/3 cup (80 mL) cold water, with 2 ice cubes
1 ½ tsp (7.5 mL) salt
1 ¼ cup (310 mL) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup (375 mL) pastry flour
½ lb (226 g) unsalted butter, cubed and frozen
6 cups concord grapes
¼ cup (60 mL) sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 mL) good vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tbsp (30 mL) whipping cream
½ tsp (2.5 mL) salt
¼ cup (60 mL) raw sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) icing sugar

Add the salt to the ice water and set aside.

Lay half of the flours on a work surface and scatter butter cubes on top. Top with remainder of the flours. Flatten and roll the butter into shards and sheets into the flour using a rolling pin. Scrape the flour back into a pile and re-roll as needed, being sure not to over mix and incorporate the flour too much.

Make a well in the centre of flour mixture and slowly pour in the ice water, bit by bit, as the flour mixture is scraped and folded on itself until all the water is roughly incorporated. Roll and fold the dough on itself a few times until it begins to just hold together. Wrap with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Toss 5 cups of grapes with the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Roll out the pastry to ¼” (6 mm) thick in a rough circular shape, transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment and pour the grapes onto the centre of the pastry. Fold the edges of the pastry towards the centre, wrapping onto the edge of the mound of grapes.

For the egg wash, whisk egg, cream and salt. Brush onto the top of the pastry. Sprinkle the raw sugar liberally over the egg wash and bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for at least 10 minutes and dust with icing sugar to serve.

Makes 6 servings