celeriac fall soup

1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 shallot
1 medium celeriac/celery root
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
2 large sweet apples - peeled (I used Rosa Lee)
3 medium red potatoes - peeled
1 teaspoon jarred chicken bouillon
4 cups of water
3 tablespoons of butter
Salt to taste 

Chop celeriac, potatoes and apples into bite sized pieces. Dice shallot. 

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven. Add shallots and heat until translucent but not browned. Add fennel seeds and tarragon and warm through until fragrant. Add celeriac, potatoes and apples and stir. Add bouillon and water and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium high, partially covered, for 20 minutes or until the celeriac is mostly softened. 

Use an immersion blender to process the soup until smooth. Stir in the butter until combined. Add salt to taste.

sk's apple plum cobbler

There is no way to improve on this smitten kitchen recipe so I'm not even going to try but I do want to put it here so I know where it is for the next batch of farm apples I end up with.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup gluten free flour
1 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
3/4 cup oat milk
2 medium apples, peeled
3 small or 2 medium plums, no need to peel
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat your oven to 350°F. Place butter in a square cake pan. Place pan in oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until butter has melted. Tilt the dish to ensure it is evenly coated with butter.

Whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and stir in milk. Mix until smooth. Pour batter over the butter but do not stir, even if it looks like a puddle-y buttery mess.

Cut apples into 8 wedges, small plums into 4 wedges and medium ones into 4 to 6. Space fruit over batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and then remaining sugar.

Bake the cobbler until it is set and golden on top, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack. Serve the cobbler warm or at room temperature.

From Smitten Kitchen

fall chorizo stuffed squash

I ended up combining two recipes inadvertently and came up with something delicious.

1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeds scooped out
1 tbsp olive oil
6 oz chorizo, finely chopped
1/2 half a sweet onion
1 medium apple cut into small dice
2 tsp paprika
2 small pats of butter

Preheat oven to 450F.

Lightly oil the inside of the acorn squash.

Roast squash cut side down for 20-30 minutes, or until soft. This will vary depending on the size.

While the squash is roasting, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the chorizo and cook, stirring frequently until starting to brown, 5-10 minutes.

Add apple and onion and sauté for 5 minutes more and then remove from heat. Stir in the paprika.

When the squash are done, turn them over on the baking sheet.

Add one pat of butter to each squash half.

Divide the chorizo stuffing mixture among the squash halves, mounding it up in each.

Return the squash to the oven and roast for for 5 minutes more.

farm apple bread

I don't love baking - it's usually too fussy me. But this apple bread is delicious and easy.

2 cups peeled & chopped apple

1/4 cup melted butter (melted and cooled)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

Melt the butter and let cool. In a small mixing bowl add the eggs, vanilla extract, melted butter and applesauce. Stir until completely combined. Mix in the sugars. Stir until combined.

In a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir with a fork to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Peel and chop apples. 3 small Empire apples are about 2 cups. Chop into 1/4 inch size chunks. Add the chopped apple to the large bowl and stir.

Pour dough into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, top will be golden brown. Check that it’s cooked by inserting a toothpick in the center, once it’s done cooking the toothpick will come out clean, no dough will be stuck on it.

Allow bread to cool in pan for about 5-10 minutes. Turn upside down and remove bread loaf from pan and allow to continue cooling on wire rack.

Store covered at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Adapted from House of Yumm