Fall Comfort Food

Fall is my favorite time of year. Not only do I love the colors and brisk weather, but most of all I love the produce. Sweet potatoes, greens, kale... so declicious, comforting, and nourishing.
Recently I have messed around with a classic southern staple, cornbread, in order to incorporate some local, seasonal produce: greens from my dad's garden. I added my dad's cooked greens, some fresh corn, onion, and cheddar cheese to my family's cornbread recipe. Although some (cough... Kevin) may say it is no longer cornbread, it is tasty. Maybe it should be called a Cornbread Casserole... whatever it's called, it's flavorful and comforting.

Suggestions: Mashing a piece with pinto beans or black-eyed peas basically makes a meal and Kevin likes melting blue cheese on top of a piece for a snack.

Greens "Cornbread" Recipe

2 c cornmeal
2 spoonfuls of flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t honey
2 c buttermilk (sometimes I use less buttermilk and use some of the greens liquid)
2 egg
1 c greens
1 c fresh corn

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated

I have a big skillet so half this if you have a smaller one.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. Stir first four ingredients together. Beat next 3 together. Add the buttermilk mixture, greens, corn and cheese to dry ingrediets and mix. Poor into heated, oiled cast iron skillet. I think it takes about 30-40 min. but I usually just pull it out when I can smell and it's browned on top. Sometimes I add shredded cheddar cheese on top and let it melt and brown about 10 min before I pull it out.

Another fall favorite of mine is a soup that was born between the marrying of my Kale, Sweet Potato Soup and Kevin's White Bean Soup. The white bean puree adds a creaminess without adding dairy. This soup is easily made vegetarian/vegan without lacking any flavor, however the last time we made it we started with ground local organic sausage, bought from a farmer in midtown. Honestly, I didn't think it added much to the soup (except more calories and fat) but it did change it up a bit.

Kale, Sweet Potato, White Bean Soup

2 T oil

2 large onion, chopped

1/2 t red pepper

6 garlic cloves, chopped

8 c sweet potato, chopped

4 c vegetable broth

5 c water

1 bunch kale, chopped

2 cans white beans (cannellini beans) - sometimes i use it's liquid in place of some of the water

1 T sage

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large Dutch oven. Saute onion. Add garlic salt and pepper, saute. Add potato, broth and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatos are soft. Gradually add kale, allowing it to wilt. Cook until tender, about 10 min. Stir in beans and sage. Cook about another 5 min. until thoroughly heated. If you have an immersion blender, blend directly in dutch oven. I like it chunky, so I only blend it until it's no longer brothy and a little creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, take out about 2 cups of soup and blend in blender, than return it back to dutch oven.

Martha Stewart, thank you

Make fun of Martha all you want, but I love getting her magazine. She (or her staff. I mean, really, woman, you can't do everything) focuses on seasonality, especially in food. Every month when I get Martha Stewart Living, I look for a seasonal recipe to use up some excess of something I have, which is often the situation. So, when the August 2008 issue arrived while I still had too many peaches from the Fruit & Berry Patch, I immediately tried this recipe. It made a wonderful local food dessert.

Peach & Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

1 stick plus 3 T unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 medium ripe peaches, skins on, pitted, and cut into 3/4" wedges
1 cup cornmeal (I used Jerry Baird's from the Market Square Farmers' Market)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. chopped fresh lavender (thank you, kind neighbors, for sharing from your garden), or 1 1/2" tsp dried
1 1/4" tsp coarse salt
3 large eggs (easy to find locally)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. Melt 3 T butter in a 10" cast iron skillet over medium heat, using a pastry brush to coat sides. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over bottom of skillet, and cook until sugar starts to bubble and turn golden brown, about 3 min. Arrange peaches in a circle at edge of skillet, on top of sugar. Arrange the remaining slices to fill. Reduce heat to low and cook until juices are bubbling and peaches begin to soften, about 10-12 min. Remove from heat.
Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, lavender, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat remaining stick of butter and 3/4 sugar with a mixer on high speed, until pale and fluffy, about 3 min. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in vanilla and cream. Reduce speed to low, and beat in cornmeal mixture in two additions.
Drop large spoonfuls of batter over peaches and spread evenly. Bake until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 20-22 min. Transfer to a wire rack and let stand for 10 min. Quickly invert cake onto cutting board or platter. Tap bottom of skillet to release peaches and remove skillet.

It's easier than it sounds, and it is delicious. I want to try with honey instead of some of the sugar to make it more local, but I'll have to wait until peach season.