Michael Smith, cooking expert
chefmichaelsmith.cacanada
(Sep.16.08)
The changing leaves and cooler weather officially mark the beginning of the autumn harvest. To find out the best ways to celebrate the season, we sat down with celebrity chef and host of Chef at Home and Chef at Large Michael Smith for a fall foods primer.
How do we make the most of the harvest season?
Focus on eating locally. It's best to seek out local ingredients and forge relationships with producers. Find farmers, farmers markets and have your voice heard. Talk to your local grocery store and ask for more local options.
How do you cook pumpkin?
Pumpkin goes well with risotto, but you can also make it into delicious soups. The easiest way to enjoy it is to just chunk it up with olive oil and seasoning and then roast it. And don't bother to peel the pumpkin - the peel is edible too.
Can you give us a good autumn recipe to try at home?
Roast Local Chicken with Apple, Onion, Rosemary Pan Stew
A perfectly roasted chicken is the essence of home cooking, especially when the chicken and its fixings are raised responsibly on a nearby farm. In the fall my family really enjoys this aromatic dish, as the chicken roasts on a bed of apples they 'melt' and form a tasty rustic pan stew that is perfect tossed with the roast chicken.
Serves four to six
4 local apples, quartered and cored
2 onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 head of garlic, peeled into individual whole cloves
salt and pepper to taste
2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup apple cider
a roasting chicken, 4 lbs. or so
Preheat your oven to 350°.
Toss the apples, onions, garlic and rosemary together in a roasting pan large enough to hold the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the cider. Season the chicken well and rest on top of the apples. Roast in your oven until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken thigh reads 180°, about 20 minutes per pound.
As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle slice and pull the meat from the carcass and toss with the apple pan stew. You may also slice the chicken and arrange it on a serving platter and serve the apple pan sauce on the side.
© Chef Michael Smith
Chef Michael Smith is host of Chef Abroad, Chef at Home, Chef at Large and The Inn Chef. He is an award-winning cookbook author, newspaper columnist, and home cook. Visit www.chefmichaelsmith.ca for more information.