Fall fare
Maggie Smith writes (and provides photo):
While I'm a little forlorn about the waning supply of berries and tomatoes, I love the fall produce. For the next couple of months my house will be awash in sweet potatoes, apples, and winter squash thanks to the Arkansas Sustainability Network. I'm trying to come up with new ways to use all this good food so that I don't get bored. I made these chunky pancakes this morning by taking my regular pancake recipe and adding in a small, mostly smashed up baked sweet potato. I also added a little cinnamon, but I think they'd be equally good with other sweet spices like clove, nutmeg, or garam masala. I'd love to see what other readers have come up with to diversify the autumn menu.
Maggie filed an evening note, too, about some spring rolls.
I made spring rolls for dinner tonight in an effort to further the diversity of the fall bounty. It's roasted butternut squash, tempura portobello mushrooms, deep fried tofu, spinach, fresh basil, and rice noodles rolled into a rice paper wrapper. The basil, squash, and mushrooms were all locally grown. If you've never worked with rice paper wrappers before, it's a great way to make a quick dinner. You can buy a big package at Sam's Oriental for about a dollar, soak them individually in a shallow bowl of water until there are no more rough parts, let them dry until they're a little sticky, then wrap up whatever tickles your fancy. We dipped these in a sauce made from vinegar, sugar, tamari, oil, homemade peanut butter, and sriracha.
Comments
In the fall, I roast any vegetable that will sit still. A little olive oil, salt, pepper. Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, onion, garlic, turnips (yes, turnips), cauliflower, beets.....yum!
Posted by: EY![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 02:04 PM
Anyone know if the CAFM in NLR is still going or have they closed for the season?
Posted by: Mordy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 02:28 PM
This past Saturday was their last day at CAFM, but ASN's food club is going all winter, from what I understand, and there's a lot of overlap in the farmer's that participated in both. Check out the link on the blue name.
Posted by: mcbsmith![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 02:46 PM
I have an abundance of fresh pears on hand now due to the kindness of a neighbor who let me gather some. I made the following salad tonight to go with a tomato and corn chowder:
Pear and Cheese Salad
1 large ripe pear, sliced into thin slices (unpeeled)
Several leaves of romaine lettuce
Soft mild French cheese
Poppy seeds
Lime
Raisins
Tear lettuce leaves to cover bottom of shallow serving dish. Arrange pear slices on top and sprinkle with lime juice. Shake poppy seeds over the pears. Break cheese into pieces and sprinkle over pears. In center, pile handful of raisins. Serve.
Posted by: MuddlingThrough![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 06:49 PM
The tomato and corn chowder: I melt several Tbsp. of butter in a soup pot, and then add a chopped medium onion. When it's translucent, I add a 28-oz. can of chopped tomatoes. Add salt, pepper, a touch of nutmeg, and a whisper of cayenne and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover and turn to low heat to simmer about a half hour.
Add 2 cups milk into which you stir two Tbsp. flour, and then cut corn from three cobs to add to pot (or use about 2 cups frozen corn). Bring to boil, cook about 3 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly, and puree before serving.
Posted by: MuddlingThrough![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 06:53 PM
Just finished up with the wife and I putting up about 16 jars (various sizes) of apple butter made from apples off a tree on our property. I'm still harvesting tomatoes. Going to have to make some green tomato pickles and some relish with a bunch more.
Anybody got a suggestion for hickory nuts as our trees went Palin on us this year!
Posted by: Roger![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 08:38 PM
FYI...Jody, Robert (Willow Springs Market Garden), Val (Russian guy), and Christian will be at CAFM this weekend since they have quite a bit of bumper crop.
Posted by: zaoy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 08:42 PM
It looks like Armstead will be at CAFM this weekend, too. They say they'll have "LETTUCE, TURNIPS, GREEN BEANS, YELLOW WAX BEANS, ARUGULA, TOMATOES, PEPPERS, SWEET POTATOES, GREENS, RADISHES, SUMMER SQUASH, EGGPLANT, AND WINTER SQUASH." Yum.
Posted by: mcbsmith![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/eatarkansas/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 7, 2008 12:54 PM