Autumn Food Ideas

[jkath]

It seems that summer and Christmas recipes are always so easy to find, but I thought this one would spark some new ideas:

What is your favorite recipe for this beautiful time of year?

[pdswife]

SOUP!!!! Soup and more soup!

[Ishbel]

Steak pie, cottage pie, shepherd's pie, venison pie... apple pie, plum pie.... richy meaty casseroles and stews. I love the autumn!

[Alix]

What is cottage pie?

Oh, and I am with you on the soup thing.

[urmaniac13]

Here it is still a little early, but one of our favourite autumn foods is chestnut... we have some nice recipes but if I have to pick one it's gotta be Mont Blanc... absolutely luscious dessert!!



Ingredients

Meringue base

• 5 egg whites
• 200g powdered sugar
• 30ml/1oz lemon juice

(alternatively, if you are not sure of making meringue, you can also use already prepared meringue, crush them and spread evenly at the base)

Chestnut filling

• 600g/1-1/3lb of chestnuts, peeled, boiled broken in small pieces
• 600ml/21oz of whole milk
• 50g/2oz of sugar
• 80ml/3oz of rum
• 50g of meringue, or if you can find them amaretti cookies, crushed

Whipped Cream topping

• 500ml/18oz Full (or Heavy) Fresh Cream
• 200g/6,5oz powdered sugar

meringue base - Whip the eggwhite. Mid way through add the powdered sugar and the lemon juice, continue on whipping until very firm. Gently spread it over a round shallow pan (like the one for pizza) which is lined by a baking paper. Bake it in the oven at 80C/175F for at least an hour, or until it is completely dry. (depends on the oven, it could take much more time)

Put prepared chestnuts in a sauce pan or large skillet, pour milk in, cover, bring to boil then let it simmer for 15 minutes. If necessary add a little more milk. Before removing from the heat add 50g of sugar, cut the heat and mix in rum and crushed meringue.

Place the meringue base on a large round serving tray. Now you will cover this with the mashed chestnut mixture. You can simply mash as potatoes, then pile over the meringue base, just like building a mountain on top of it... or for esthetic effect if you have a similar equipment, use a vegetable grinder so it will come out like thin bunch of spaghetti. Chill the whole thing in the fridge.



Before you serve it whip the fresh cream with powdered sugar, cover generously the "mountain" of chestnut with the whipped cream.

Buon Appetito!!

p.s. If you would like to prepare the whole thing with cream already on top a little ahead of time, try this method which Goodweed of the north suggested, this is to maintain the cream whipped without going down, I tried it and it works!!

Whipped Cream that remains fluffed??

[Piccolina]

What is cottage pie?

Alix, it is shepherd's pie that is made with beef, not lamb as the traditional version calls for.

I love fall food!!! Right now I'm in ultra cinnamon mode - the more the merrier. I couldn't begin to pick a favourite fall food...but I think a fantastic autumn pie or a great, homemade stuffing is pretty high up the list

[Alix]

Originally Posted by ICadvisor

Alix, it is shepherd's pie that is made with beef, not lamb as the traditional version calls for.

OK, so that means what I have been calling Shepherd's Pie for years is actually cottage pie. Cool. Thanks for the info.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Alix

OK, so that means what I have been calling Shepherd's Pie for years is actually cottage pie. Cool. Thanks for the info.

I have a ecipe from Wolfgang Puck that calls it neither Cottage or Shepherd's Pie. For him it's "Hache Parmentier"

[corazon]

Chicken Corn Chowder!

[jkath]

I'm with you guys on the soup too!

Speaking of soups, here's a really good soup thread for you to peruse:
Your QUICKEST soup recipe