[Jamestown1630]

This month: Hearty Fall Fare! and a little arts-and-crafts. Post your favorite warming Fall recipes.

(If you would like to be on or off of this monthly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message).

-JT

[outofsalt]

Brunswick Stew over an open fire. (crock pot too, but open fire is traditional Virginia cookin’)

3 cups chicken broth
28-36 ounces, weight Canned Whole Tomatoes, Cut In Half (undrained)
1 whole Vidalia Onion, Diced
4-6 whole White and/or Red Potatoes, Cut In Half
12 ounces, weight frozen Butter Beans (Lima Beans, for you Yankees)
12 ounces, weight frozen corn
4 cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken (I prefer thighs smoked or grilled ahead of time)
1/2 cup bacon (or fat back for taste)
1-½ tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt, or to taste (depends on how salty The broth is)
Pepper to taste (black, white, cayenne...)
1 tsp of paprika

Boil the tomatoes, potatoes and onions in the broth till the potatoes are tender. Remove the potatoes and squish them (not mashed, chunky is fine!). Return them to the pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Return to a boil then simmer for 3-4 hours.

Serves eight (so make extra and freeze for later)

[MomwithHope]

Happy to share this from my childhood (the 50's). Dad always used pork chops but I find them too fatty and thin so I cut up a pork loin. Drain a bag of sauerkraut and rinse, let drain for about 30 minutes. I use a 12" non stick skillet. The bigger the better. Melt about 4 tablespoons of bacon grease and the same amount of cooking oil. Season the pork with Monterey steak seasoning and brown on each side about 5 minutes. Burner just a little above medium.

After browning, set on a plate and cover to keep warm.

Dump the kraut in the skillet and add some sliced thin onion, no salt and fresh ground pepper (I like a lot)

Stir well, turn the heat up a bit and every 5 minutes or so stir again. You will want to keep your vent fan on.

Kraut will start to brown, you can turn down the heat a little. Lots of steam, but the dry kraut when sautéed this way gets sweet and goes so well with the pork.

Total browning time is about 30 minutes. Every 5 minutes I would give a stir and not let it get too brown or crispy. The volume will shrink too. When it is done, push into the center, add the juice that has collected from the pork, lay the pork on top of the kraut, cover right away, turn off the heat and let sit at least 10 minutes.

Hope you enjoy. After all these years I wanted to share this in memory of Dad. He was a really good cook. Letting it sit for the 10 minutes is vital, the pork will cook the rest of the way and if you hit it right will be just perfectly done and moist.

[mylife]

Time for chili, soup, beans..

[MomwithHope]

Getting back to hearty fall fare.... I went through my recipe cards yesterday. Picked out a few fall favorites to make. One is chicken liver pate but I use turkey livers because I have a good source of clean turkey livers.

Liver Pate

2 oz. butter
1 medium onion chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 pound chicken or turkey livers
4 oz. bacon chopped
pinch of dried mixed herbs
1 tbls. brown sugar
salt and pepper

Melt butter and fry onion and garlic until soft
add the livers and bacon, fry gently for 5-10 minutes
add the herbs, sugar and seasoning, simmer for 10 minutes then let cool
Puree in Cuisinart until smooth.
Chill and serve with hot toast

All this being said, this has always gotten rave reviews and I have been making it for over 20 years. I usually double or triple the recipe, save up some small plastic containers, like the ones herb cheese come in. I freeze the pate in containers and thaw when desired. It freezes well and I can enjoy it through the winter or give some away. I have always loved liver and liver pate, sometimes what a restaurant serves is just too light on liver flavor. So you really need to like liver to have this. If you don't like a strong liver flavor you can always add some cream cheese when pureeing. Which I never do.

[MomwithHope]

Also have this to share, took a photo of it in a doctors office magazine again many years ago. Actually had hubby take the picture as it was my pre cell phone days. This soup is amazing, right up my alley and perfect just the way it is, although I don't cook it for 6 hours, use a soup pot on the stove. I'll cook it on low for an hour or 2. I like it with or without the sour cream equally, usually have a bowl of each.