Fall comfort. Chicken and dumplings.

It's the last day of August and the humidity is off the charts. There certainly is no hint of fall in the air in the Berkshires. However, there are other clues. The milkweed pods are out and the leaves are crunching beneath my feet. And here and there you see a splash of orange in the trees. 

These are also warning signs. Everyone should take cover soon because the pumpkin season is approaching. You will soon be inundated with everything pumpkin. In the near future, you'll be sipping on your pumpkin latte while nibbling on your pumpkin donut. 

I will undoubtedly eat my share of pumpkin yummies. But I also hope to rise above this pumpkin frenzy and celebrate some of the other delicious fall foods and dishes. For example, chicken and dumplings. One of my favorite things about fall is that it's a time for comfort food- rich, hearty, soul-warming fare. The dumplings in this recipe are so filling. They perfectly soak up all of that flavorful chicken broth. Mmmmm. This recipe is great for leftover, roasted chicken.

As an important side note, I am happy to be using local eggs. I used them to make my dumplings. This is one of the benefits from attending the Farmers' Market. I now get my eggs from a neighbor who lives on the next street over. He has over 20 hens and there is such a difference in taste. And I feel better knowing where the eggs come from and that the hens are free range and loved. 

Now on to the recipe...

I start with making the dumplings first and then set them aside (covered up with a dish towel or plastic wrap). 

After mincing 2 cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup of celery, you saute them in butter and olive oil. You add flour and then chicken stock. After that simmers for about 15 minutes and thickens, you add peas and plenty of chicken...

After adding the chicken, return this to simmering. Then, you can add large scoops of dumpling batter. Make sure the dumpling cooks before turning it over, keeping it at a simmer. I would say at least 5 minutes per side for the dumplings. 

Once the dumplings have cooked on both sides, you're ready to serve it up, nice and hot!

Chicken and Dumplings

Dumplings:2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 to 1 cup milk 
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Then pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and fold. Mix thoroughly. The batter will be thick and sticky. 

Sauce:

 4 to 5 cups of cooked, shredded chicken1 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced carrot or peas or a 1/2 cup of each
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup flour

1/4 heavy cream or half and half (room temperature)
5 cups chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven or a deep pan, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add carrots and/or peas, celery, garlic, and bay leaf. Saute the vegetables for about 5 minutes or until soft. Next stir in the flour and make a roux. Continue to stir the flour and cook it for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, and continue to stir well. 

The sauce should simmer for about 15 minutes to make it thicken. Add the shredded chicken into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Using an ice cream scoop, carefully drop the dumpling batter into the sauce. Let the dumplings cook for about 10 minutes until they are firm. Turn them over after 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and serve.

Pork Chops with Rosemary and Parmesan Crust

This quick meal of breaded pork chops is a favorite as it is tasty and so easy to make. The pork chops are very moist too. It goes so well with greens. You can also use different herbs and you'll end up with the same delicious result. Perhaps you could use thyme or sage or maybe a combination of these and more. 

Pork Chops with Rosemary and Parmesan Crust

Ingredients

1/2 cup of of grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon of crushed, dried rosemary

1 large egg

1/4 all purpose flour

3 center cut pork chops (each about 1 inch thick- you can also use bone-in)

1 Tablespoon butter

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and rosemary in a pie dish. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with a splash of milk. Put the flour on another plate and add salt and pepper.  Season the pork chops with plenty of salt and pepper. First, coat both sides of the pork chops with flour and shake off the excess. Secondly, dip the chops into the egg. Lastly, coat the chops in the breadcrumb mixture. 

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the pork chops to the hot skillet and cook until brown about two minutes per side. Put the pork chops in a baking dish into the oven. Bake the pork chops until the meat thermometer reads 150°F (about 20 minutes). 

Farm Stand Corn Chowder with Bacon and Cheddar

The corn in the Berkshires is so sweet and perfect at this very moment. And just like summer, the corn is fleeting. For this reason, I find myself eating corn a few times a week. Fortunately, no one in the family is protesting. Not even the toddler. My almost three-year-old can polish off two or more ears at dinner. Quite impressive. I might have to enter her in next year's corn eating contest at Whitney's Farm in Cheshire, MA. I wonder if you win more corn...

I need to cut to the chase here as this corn chowder is so delicious and transporting. And we know that we're about to blink and leave this summer world behind. So get to that local farm and buy some corn and make this recipe, especially as some of the nights are getting cooler. Carpe corn! I know, very corny! Sorry, I can't resist a good pun. 

What I love about this recipe is that it is over-the-top because of the bacon, cheddar, potatoes, and carrots. It is loaded! If you're going to do something, do it right! 

The recipe starts with five perfect ears of local corn. Cleaning them is best done outside. And removing the kernels can be a bit messy.

Look at that fresh corn!

The best chowder around here is corn chowder. It's captures our elusive Berkshire summer...

I had two bowls of this soup tonight. And I had little room for anything else. I am satiated in body and spirit. I know that when those cold winds return and I can recall the taste of this fresh corn chowder and this will help me endure the harshest cabin fever just knowing summer will indeed return. 

Farm Stand Corn Chowder with Bacon and Cheddar
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
10 servings

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
5 ears of fresh corn - remove the kernels 
2 medium red potatoes
1/4 cup of flour
3 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of 2% milk or half and half (or a combo)
1 cup of cheddar cheese
1 cup of Monterey Jack
A few dashes of Tabasco (more or less to your liking)
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Fresh chives chopped for garnish
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Melt the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery. Season these veggies with salt and pepper and cook them for two minutes. Add the bacon and cook for three minutes. Then add the corn and stir well. Add the flour over the top and stir well. Pour the broth in and let it thicken for a few minutes. Pour in the milk or half and half. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the thyme and Tabasco. 

Stir in the cheeses and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped chives. 

Farm Fresh Stuffed Bell Peppers with Zucchini & Ground Turkey

The tomatoes in my garden have been slow. We've only had a couple of ripe ones so far. I usually supplement my produce with visits to Racine's Farm in Adams, MA. But, they too, have experienced this tomato problem. They didn't have any when I went a couple of days ago. At least I know it wasn't something I did as a gardener; it's climate-related. On the other hand, there's plenty of zucchini. And Racine's also had some beautiful, verdant peppers.

They were so perfect that I had to showcase them. The best way to do this was to stuff them and I had to throw in some zucchini, of course. 

I should mention the upcoming Zucchini Fest in West Stockbridge -http://www.weststockbridgetown.com/ZFest2013PressRelease.html. I won't be able to go this year, but I would not shy away from any festival celebrating local food! 

You can make these vegetarian by adding more veggies and omitting the turkey. Or make them vegan by using just veggies and omitting the turkey and the cheese. 

Stuffed Green Peppers with Zucchini and Ground Turkey

Ingredients

3 bell peppers 

1 medium-sized zucchini 

1 cup rice (cooked)1/2 pound ground turkey

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tomato or 1 cup of tomato sauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese and more for topping
Fresh basil, oregano, thyme, and chives (I use a handful of each) 
salt 
pepper
olive oil 

Directions

First, cut off the tops of the peppers. I sometimes cut them sideways (like I did in the pic above). Remove the membranes and the seeds. Then, bring a large pot of water with to boil, add a dash of salt and the peppers. Let the peppers boil for 5 minutes. Remove them and let them drain on a plate or some paper towels. Cook a 1/2 cup rice in 1 1/4 cup of water, and set this aside once the rice is done (about 10 minutes, give or take). Just watch for all the water to be soaked up. 

Cook the ground turkey with salt and pepper. 

Use a fine chop on the following: garlic, onion, zucchini, and tomato. Get a large skillet and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat it up on medium. After a few minutes, add the zucchini and cook for a couple minutes. Finally, add the 1/4 cup of parmesan and the tomato or the tomato sauce. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put the cooked rice and turkey into skillet with the vegetables. Add the fresh herbs and then spoon this into the peppers and be sure to fill them right up.  Place the peppers upright in a baking dish and add more parmesan cheese on top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven for about 15 minutes. 

Never buy English muffins again! English Muffin Bread.

I love English muffins. That's why I'm delighted with this great recipe for English muffin bread. The bread has the same little pockets that, when toasted, capture all of that yummy, melted butter. Yum. Of course, they're even better when covered in locally-made strawberry jam!

Of course, they're even better when covered in locally-made strawberry jam!

This recipe fills 4 loaf pans! This is such a bargain and I love a recipe that makes so much. 

 I recently used this bread to make BLTs (fresh, garden lettuce and tomatoes, big slabs of bacon, and basil mayo). It was divine. The toasted bread soaked up the mayo, but it still had a good crunch. It would be perfect for any type of breakfast sandwich. I can imagine it topped with egg, sausage, and cheese.

English Muffin Bread

5 1/2 cups warm water
3 packages rapid rise yeast
2 Tablespoons salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
11 cups all purpose flour (or bread flour)

Mix all of the ingredients together, then spoon into 4 well-greased, loaf pans. Let the dough rise in the pans until dough reaches the top of the pans. Then bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Ten minutes before the bread is done, brush it with melted butter. Makes 4 loaves. It will be moist at first. Let it cool completely before slicing.  

The recipe is from the blog One Good Thing - http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/moms-english-muffin-bread.html

Heavenly Blueberry Muffins

Ah, the sweet smell of cinnamon is wafting through the kitchen. We were up early this morning and I finally decided that I was going to make a huge batch of muffins with the more than 3 pounds of blueberries we picked the other day at Whitney's Farm in Cheshire, MA. I spent some time finding a good recipe for the muffins online last night and came across one that had the required streusel topping. 

These are so big! 

And these babies are just bursting with blueberries...I'd say they're more blueberry than muffin.

Danielle's Blueberry Cream Delight Muffins

Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
2 cups frozen blueberries

Crumb topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed very small
1 1/2 to 2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan (or fill with paper liners). Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar and beat until mixed completely. Add oil and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream to egg mixture. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups with batter. These make large muffins–If you feel they’re too big, you can make more than 12 muffins. Sprinkle crumb topping generously on top of each muffin and bake for 20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Enjoy!

*Recipe is from http://cozycakescottage.com/category/breakfast-cozy-kitchen-recipes/

Estelle sporting her blueberry face!