Fall | Carrie Fehr

October 1, 2017

Pear Ginger Crumble

This wonderful crumble, fragrant with pears, is perfect for the cooler days of fall when I crave a little comfort of a warm treat. Oats, almonds and crystallized ginger give this crumb topping its flavor, along with the extra virgin olive oil. It tastes amazing when still warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Ingredients:

Topping

1 cup oats

¼ cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup almonds, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Filling:

8 ripe Bartlett pears (about 4 pounds), cut into 2” chunks

½ lemon, juiced

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Topping: Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, crystallized ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until evenly moist.

Filling: Combine pears, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the pears.

Bake the crumble until the pears are tender and the topping is golden, 45 to 50 minutes.

October 6, 2016

French Apple Cake

Tender chunks of apples layered over silky custard-like cake, is what makes this rustic French dessert, completely melt-in-your-mouth. One of the easiest dishes to prepare, this fall favorite bursts with so much flavor, you could never imagine it uses a few ingredients that are likely already in your pantry. Voila!

With apple season in full swing, it’s the perfect time to stop by your local farmers’ market and take advantage of this fruit when it’s truly fresh picked. A mixture of sweet tart apples such as Pink Lady, Black Arkansas, Granny Smith, or Fuji will give this cake a more interesting taste, and a wonderful fragrance that will make your home feel like autumn.

French Apple Cake

Adapted from David Lebovitz, and Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

4 large apples, a mix of varieties, (4 cups)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF

Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1-inch cubes.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy, then whisk in the sugar until thick and creamy. Mix in the vanilla. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, and gently stir in half of the melted butter. Add remaining flour and the rest of the butter.

Using a spatula, fold in the apple cubes until coated with the batter and pour into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, and remove the sides of the springform pan.

12 Comments

November 6, 2015

Mixed Green Salad with Persimmon, Pomegranate and Manchego Cheese

I look forward to the arrival of persimmons in the late fall when they are at peak of the season. This highly prized fruit has a unique sweetness that adds a wonderful flavor to salads, fresh salsas, or baked goods, such as puddings or breads.

Persimmons are beautiful trees with dark green leaves, enlivened by bright pumpkin-colored fruit on twisty branches. Even as the tree loses its leaves in the early winter, the fruit will ripen and dangle on a stem like a piece of jewelry, attracting flocks of shiny black crows that gather together for a holiday feast. It is picturesque, yet, somewhat odd and eerie, like something from an Edgar Allen Poe story.

When it comes to flavor and texture, the two most common varieties of persimmons, Fuyu and Hachiya, are polar opposites. Fuyu persimmons have a tomato-like shape and are firm like an apple, where as the deep reddish-orange Hachiya turns a translucent soft consistency when ripe.

A brightly colored salad of Fuyu persimmons, pomegranates, and mixed greens, with shaved Manchego cheese, accented by toasted pepitas, in olive oil vinaigrette— is one that I could eat everyday. It is a great beginning to any meal and will surely dazzle your guests at the holiday table.

Mixed Greens with Persimmon, Pomegranate and Manchego Cheese

Ingredients:

4 to 5 handfuls of mixed greens such as frisee, radicchio, arugula, mizuna, escarole

2 large Fuyu persimmons, thinly sliced

2 ounces Manchego cheese, shaved

¼ cup toasted pepitas

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, combine mixed greens, persimmons, Manchego cheese, toasted pepitas, and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and toss until lightly coated. Add fresh ground pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Vinaigrette

In a small bowl add vinegar and salt until salt dissolves, then whisk in mustard. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified.

October 23, 2014

Pear Ginger Crumble

Whenever I find myself with an abundance of ripe pears, I am powerless to resist turning these little beauties into a fragrant crumble that is perfect for the cooler days of fall, when I crave a little comfort of a warm treat. Oats, almonds and crystallized ginger give this crumb topping its flavor, along with the extra virgin olive oil. Simply scatter the topping over the pears, pop it into the oven, breathe and serve!

Ingredients:

Topping

1 cup oats

¼ cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup almonds, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Filling:

8 ripe Bartlett pears (about 4 pounds), cut into 2” chunks

½ lemon, juiced

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Topping: Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, crystallized ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until evenly moist.

Filling: Combine pears, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the pears.

Bake the crumble until the pears are tender and the topping is golden, 45 to 50 minutes.

2 Comments

October 7, 2013

French Apple Cake

Tender chunks of apples layered over custard-like cake, is what makes this rustic French dessert, completely melt in your mouth. One of the easiest dishes to prepare, this French Apple Cake is bursting with so much flavor, you could never imagine it only uses a few ingredients most likely in your pantry. Voila!

With apple season in full swing, it’s the perfect time to stop by your local farmers’ market and take advantage of this fruit when it’s truly fresh picked. A mixture of sweet tart apples such as Pink Lady, Black Arkansas, Granny Smith, or Fuji will give this cake a more interesting taste, and adds a wonderful fragrance that will make your home feel like fall.

French Apple Cake

Adapted from David Lebovitz, and Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
4 large apples, a mix of varieties, (4 cups)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature (You can substitute olive oil for the melted butter)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF

Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1-inch cubes.

Using a spatula, fold in the apple cubes until coated with the batter and pour into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, and remove the sides of the springform pan.

1 Comment

Tag: Fall