Warm and Cozy Recipes to Try in Fall 2020

It’s easy to think of the fall as a time when things start to slow down. Traditionally, it marked the end of the harvest and recipes tend to get heavier, heartier, and, maybe, a little more boring.

We’ve all got an abundance of time on our hands...what better way to spend it than by trying out a few new and exciting dinner or lunch recipes with your family? To combat falling into old routines and to breathe new life into our kitchen, we’ve compiled a few of our currency favorite fall recipe ideas we’ve been itching to try this year! 

The following list of fall recipes are healthy and refreshing options to break out for your weekday meals and can easily become a family affair. Read on for these delicious recipes as well as a handful of helpful tips and tricks to help you kick off the holiday season! 

Get your appetite going with a cool autumn salad

Prep: 10-20 minutes         Cook: 0 minutes        TOTAL: 20 minutes

This refreshing and surprising mixed autumn salad will have your family coming back for seconds. Crisp carrots and seasonal apples add a scrumptious, tangy bite, while brilliant beetroots and pomegranate add a lovely pop of color to every mouthful. A light drizzle of a honey-lemon-mustard dressing adds a pleasant acerbic bite to each morsel, taking these oft-overlooked ingredients into groundbreaking territory.

Yields 4+ servings.          

You will need:

• 2 carrots
• 1 beetroot
• 2 gala or granny smith apple
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 lemon 
• 1 teaspoon mustard (we prefer dijon, but any warm, grainy mustard will do)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Wash, peel, and julienne chop your vegetables. Mix your carrots, beets, apples, and pomegranate seeds in a bowl. Set aside.
2. In a separate small bowl, combine the zest of half a lemon, about 2 tbs. juice, mustard, and honey until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture comes together into a light dressing, adding salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Drizzle dressing over vegetables and toss to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy a hearty cup of soup  

Prep: 5-10 minutes         Cook: 30-40 minutes        TOTAL: 40-45 minutes

Mushrooms are a favorite among the foraging-types, and in autumn these little morels usually abound! This creamy and fulfilling soup is made thick enough to mop up with a slice of sourdough thanks to some help from a loose roux and an immersion blender or food processor. If you can’t get your hands on forest-fresh mushrooms, storebought is fine; one thing’s certain—you’re going to want to try this rich and savory broth ASAP!

Yields 4-6 servings.          

You will need:

• 1 pound porcini mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 oz. dried chanterelle or porcini mushrooms mushroom 
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or 1 cube of beef stock concentrate 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika 
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, rehydrate your dried mushrooms by covering with warm water for about 30 minutes to an hour. Remove mushrooms, gently expressing any excess moisture, rinse, and coarsely chop. Reserve the mushroom broth by running it through some cheesecloth or a coffee filter in order to remove any grit. 
2. In a Dutch oven or similarly heavy-bottomed pot, melt your butter over medium heat and sauté your onions, garlic, and porcini mushrooms with salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika until mushrooms release their moisture. 
3. Sprinkle the flour over your mushrooms, onions, and garlic, stirring to coat.
4. Pour in chicken or vegetable stock, mushroom broth, soy sauce, or beef stock concentrate, and cream, stirring from the bottom and scraping your pan to incorporate any remaining flour. 
5. Add in bay leaves, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, allowing the soup to simmer and thicken. 
6. Fish out bay leaves from the broth, then take an immersion blender to your soup or transfer about 2 cups to a blender to puree slightly. Serve warm with bread or grilled cheese and enjoy!

Impress your guests with an effortless entrée

Prep: 5 minutes         Cook: 20-30 minutes        TOTAL: 25 minutes

Frozen premade puff-pastry makes these impressive danish pastries a heckuva lot easier to tackle on busy weeknights...or Sunday morning brunches for that matter! The combination of decadent buttery crust, sweet yet acidic Havarti cheese, briny, cured ham, and runny egg yolks are what make this fancy pastry an irresistible meal year-round. Swap out the ham, cheese, and microgreens for your favorite seasonal fall ingredients for an easy, versatile entrée that you can enjoy and remix to your heart’s content. 

Yields 4-8 servings.          

You will need:

• 2 sheets of ready-made puff pastry, thawed
• 9 small or medium eggs 
• 1 cup shredded cheese of your choosing (we chose Havarti)
• 8 slices ham (we used prosciutto) 
• Black pepper, sea salt, and fresh herbs for seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut your sheets of puff pastry into 8 equal squares, arranging them onto 2 sheet pans. Set aside.
3. Whisk one egg into a small dish to create an egg wash. Taking a knife, gently score your pastry, creating a little frame inside each. Then take a pastry brush and gently brush your egg wash around the edges of each frame, taking care not to let the egg run outside your score marks. 
4. Fill the inside of each square with a sprinkle of cheese and a slice of ham or prosciutto, taking care to create a little divot for your egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until nearly done.

• You can easily replace the meat in this recipe with a couple of your favorite low-moisture seasonal vegetables like squash, parsnips, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, or turnips.
• Remove your pastries from the oven and carefully crack an egg into the center of each. Season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and any fresh herbs of your choosing.
• Return your pastries to the oven and bake till it’s set to your desired consistency. We love runny yolks, so we baked ours for another 10-12 minutes.
• Top each pastry with a sprinkle of chives or a heaping of microgreens. Enjoy warm.

Save room for dessert

Prep: 10-15 minutes         Cook: 30-45 minutes        TOTAL: 40-45 minutes

Some people have taken to baking or knitting, writing, or starting a business during quarantine. Why not try your hand and making your own jams, jellies, and preserves with this delightful preserve made of tart persimmons.

Yields 4 medium-sized jars.          

You will need:

• 10-15 ripe persimmons
• ¼ to ½ cup lemon or lime juice
• 1-2 cups sugar

Directions:

1. Chop your persimmons, removing any stems and seeds as you go.
2. Wash 4-5 heat-safe jars in hot soapy water. In a large empty pot, add a trivet or rack, then place jars on top. Cover with water, and bring to a boil then allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove, and allow to cool.
3. Combine persimmons and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook on low until persimmons begin to release their juices.  

• This recipe uses Hachiya, but you can substitute the Fuyu varietal by boosting the lemon juice content to mimic the astringency of Hachiya.
• Using a potato masher, gently smash some of your persimmons to your desired consistency.
• Add in sugar, cooking over medium-low heat until the jam thickens.

• Test the consistency of your jam by placing a plate in the freezer and smearing a dab of your mixture onto it. Test as often as needed until you’ve reached your desired texture.
• When the texture is just right, pour your jam into your canning jars, leaving ¼” headspace before adding a lid.
• Place your jars in another water bath to boil for 10 minutes. Allow to rest in the hot water for an additional 5 minutes before removing and allowing to cool.
• Check the seals on your jars and store them in a cool, dry place. If any jars didn’t seal properly, store in the refrigerator and use immediately. Enjoy with a slice of toast or mixed into yogurt for a light dessert or breakfast treat.

 

With so much time on our hands, it’s no wonder we’ve come up with new and exciting ways to enjoy the autumn harvest! These recipes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fall recipes in 2020, and we’ll be sharing at least a few more before the year’s over!

We definitely recommend trying out the savory danishes as a quick and satisfying breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner; we know we’ll be experimenting more and more with that one!

Until next week!