The Best Of Fall: Fun, Food And Foliage

KCUR's Jabulani Leffall and other local experts gathered for a round up of the best events, food and places to enjoy this autumn.By The Walt Bodine Show

Matt Chatfield, Executive Chef of The Culinary Center shares these great fall recipes:

Pumpkin Quiche with Apple Bacon and Maytag Blue Cheese

1 ea??????? Prepared flaky pie dough crust
2 cups???? prepared pumpkin meat
? cup????? whole milk
4 ea???????? eggs
? cup????? heavy whipping cream
? lb???????? apple smoked bacon cooked crisp
? tsp?????? nutmeg
2 tsp??????? sea salt??????
? tsp?? white pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Roast off your Hubbard, butternut squash, or Cinderella pumpkin meat side down in the oven for 1 ? hours at 350 F degrees. Let cool, and remove the seeds with a spoon, then remove all the meat.
Spray the tart shell or spring with pan spray. Roll out? the pie crust and place in the tart pan, place a circle of parchment in the center of the crust, and top with ? cup of dry beans to keep the crust from puffing too much during this baking time. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside. Meanwhile, mix the pumpkin/squash meat with the milk in a blender, then beat the eggs and cream and fold in the bacon. Stir in the Maytag Blue cheese, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour into the pastry shell, with the oven set at 425 F, bake the quiche in the oven for about 15 minutes, then lower the temp to 350 for 30 minutes until set. If the pumpkin mix starts to brown, cover it with some aluminum foil to prevent it from browning too early.
Remove to a cool counter and let stand for 15-20 minutes.
Serves 4-6 people

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One 3- to 3-? pound butternut squash
2 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly group black pepper
2 sage sprigs
1 ? cup thinly sliced? onions,
? cup thinly sliced carrots
? cup thinly sliced shallots
6 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
2 tablespoons honey
6 cups chicken stock, plus extra if necessary
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
? cup cr?me fra?che
Freshly grated nutmeg
Canola oil (if using sage leaves)
12 sage leaves or 1 tablespoon minced chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

For the Soup:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment.

Cut the neck off the squash and set it aside. Cut the bulb in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Brush each half inside and out with about 1-? teaspoons of the canola oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of sage into each. Place, cut side down, on the baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour, or until completely tender.

Remove the squash from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle, then scoop out and reserve the flesh (discard the sage).

Meanwhile, using a paring knife or sharp vegetable peeler, peel away the skin from the neck of the squash until you reach the bright orange flesh. Dice up the cooked squash for easy pureeing.

Put the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat; add the onions, carrots, and shallots. Cook, stirring often, till soft. Add the diced squash, garlic, 1-? teaspoons salt and ? teaspoon pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to keep the garlic and squash from coloring. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock , and bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and puree. Strain the soup through a fine strainer into a bowl or other container, tapping the side of the strainer so the soup passes through. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Let the soup cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Complete:
Place the cr?me fra?che in a chilled small metal bowl and stir in nutmeg to taste. Whisk with a small whisk until the cr?me fra?che holds a shape. Cover and refrigerate.

Reheat the soup. If it is too thick, add a little more stock.

Heat a medium skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle in the bottom. As soon as the foaming has subsided and the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup. (Be careful not to leave the butter over the heat too long, as it can change from rich brown to black in seconds.)

Meanwhile, heat ⅛ inch of canola oil in a small skillet. When the oil is very hot, add the sage and fry till crisp.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish each with a dollop of cr?me fraiche, some black pepper, 2 sage leaves.

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Apple Crostata

Galette/Crostata Dough (recipe to follow)
9-12 Apples, enough for 3 tarts
? cup apricot preserves
? cup sugar for sprinkling
1 egg (for egg wash)

On a lightly floured board, roll dough into a 12-inch round about ⅛ inch thick. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined cookie sheet.? Spread the apricot preserves in a thin layer in the center of the circle of dough, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Peel and core the apples. Cut each apple into chunks. Toss with sugar. Pile the apples on top of the apricot preserves, leaving the 2-inch border bare.? Fold the edge of the dough up onto the fruit, pleating it attractively and pressing lightly as you go. Top with optional crumbled topping (see recipe to follow). If making at home, you may Chill tart for ? hour.? Brush crust with egg wash, and Bake at 450? for 18 to 25 minutes ? until the crust is golden and cooked on the bottom. Let cool at least 20 minutes. The tart is best eaten the day that it is baked.

Galette (Crostata) Dough
? pound unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
? teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ice water

(Makes 1 tart dough)
Place flour and butter in a food processor and process until mixture is in little pieces. Turn butter and flour mixture into a large bowl and add the sugar and salt. Toss to combine.?? Drizzle the ice water over the flour mixture.? Using your hands (or a fork), fluff the mixture until it begins to clump. If, when you squeeze some of the mixture it holds together, the dough is finished. Turn the clumps of dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and press it into a thick disk. Chill for 1 hour.

Crumb Topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup oats
Pinch of salt

Combine flour, sugar, oats and salt. Add the butter. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture appears crumbly and is homogenous. Set aside.