foggy morning

i love waking up to fog.  the other day we had the best foggy morning and i didn't want to stop wandering through it!

photos and words by kristen bach

autumn vegetable pie

'tis the season for comfort meals, eating dinner on the porch, and enjoying the brisk evenings.  the other day my family enjoyed this fall pie, hope you do too! 

-pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

-dice 1 small yellow onion, 3 cloves of garlic, and 1 medium sized butternut squash

-cool the butternut squash layer and mix in 3/4 cup pecans and 5 leaves of sage, finely chopped

-toss vegetables with salt and 1 Tbsp of olive oil

-roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked 

-wash and cut up into small pieces 1 bunch of kale grate 8 ounces of gruyere cheese

-in a medium sized bowl combine cheese, kale and 1/2 tsp salt

assembling the pie...

-using a pastry brush coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole pan with olive oil

-carefully arrange a sheet of phyllo dough and using the brush, apply a coat of olive oil, repeat until you have layered 5 sheets

-carefully spoon a layer of the butternut squash mixture over the phyllo dough layer

-repeat the phyllo dough and olive oil layer (5 sheets of phyllo)

-spoon the Kale mixture over thy phyllo and repeat the phyllo sheet layer

-spoon the remaining butternut squash mixture over the phyllo dough

-put the final layer of phyllo.  you can use whatever is left over.  sprinkle with salt

-bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

-remove foil and cook until browned, another 10-20 minutes

photo and recipe by kristen bach

morning sparkles

photo by kristen bach

napa leaves + sun

photo by kristen bach

napa and kohlrabi kimchi

i have always loved kimchi and i am thrilled to see it popping up on menus around town.  my favorite kimchi dish that i have had is at home.made where chef mimi maumus makes  a kimchi and quinoa bowl topped with an egg and pork belly if you choose.  i can't wait to try to re-create that at home! 

this past week i got a big napa cabbage from our farm along with some other early fall hearty vegetables.  i immediately knew what i wanted to make.  KIMCHI!  i know that kimchi is traditionally made with salted shrimp and fish sauce but i wanted to make one that highlighted the fermented vegetables.  so if you want to add some fish sauce and korean salted shrimp.....go for it!  here we go.

napa and kohlrabi kimchi 

-cut 1 large napa cabbage into 1 inch pieces and put in a large bowl.  coat the cabbage with 1/4 cup sea salt and set aside to let the cabbage sweat for 1 hour

-in a colander rinse the salt off of the cabbage. press all of the water out of the cabbage, use a clean towel to dry as well

-meanwhile, make your kimchi paste.... in  small food processor take 5 Tbsp dried korean red peppers; gochugaru.  this can be found at your local asian market.  a 3 inch piece of ginger; skin removed, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp sea salt, the whites of 6 spring onions, 4 carrots, and 2 Tbsp sugar.  puree these ingredients until combined and a paste is formed.

-peel and slice 2 kohlrabi into mach stick shaped pieces and slice the greens of 6 spring onions into 1/2 inch pieces.

-combine all of the vegetables in the large bowl.

-add the paste and massage it into the vegetables. 

-in 2 quart sized jars, fill with the kimchi mixture leaving 1-2 inches at the top. 

-put jars in a dark cupboard and let rest at room temperature for 3-4 days. 

-check each day and open jars to release the gases. your kimchi will start to bubble, it's ok it's supposed to. 

-store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.serve on salads, over eggs, add to stir fries but make sure to not cook the kimchi too much or you will destroy the healthy fermented goodness of the kimchi.

photos and recipe by kristen bach

fall walks

l o v e fall walks in the woods! I found this patch of some kind of tall tall weed unknown to me. but the stalks and leaves were glowing so purple in the late morning light. . . another thing to try to do a painting of. . .

words and photographs by rebecca wood

early fall greenery

photograph by rebecca wood

Fall's Rich Tapestry II

I went out to the botanical gardens to wander the paths there. I found a patch left to wild itself, and was thrilled at the beautiful chaos. such a rich tapestry of form and color and life and death all intertwined and radiant in the fall light. if I had the patience, and the talent, and the time, I would paint a giant canvas of one of these. I think you would learn everything you ever needed to know. . .

words and photographs by rebecca wood

butternut squash + goat cheese baguette

we have a newish bakery in town called the independent.  their baguette reminds me of the ones i would get while living in barcelona and i have dreamed of ever since.  we would get one in the morning and rub a roma tomato on the inside, drizzle some olive oil, salt it, and nibble on it all day long.  with that being said, it is hard for me not to devour an entire independent baguette on my own.  the other day i picked up a fresh baguette and made a family dinner out of it.  i made a fall sandwich that was hearty and so delicious. i will surely be making this one again.  

ingredients  

1 medium sized butternut squash

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 Tbsp

olive oil

salt to taste

arugula

goat cheese

baguette (fresh is best)

directions

-pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

-remove skin and cut the butternut squash into small pieces

-in a roasting pan toss 1 Tbsp olive oil with squash

-roast in oven for 45 minutes or until squash starts to get some color

-while the squash is roasting, dice the onions and remaining 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

-sauté them over medium heat until they start to get some color

-dice the garlic and add to the onions

-add some salt to taste

-when the squash is roasted, add the onion-garlic mixture

-slice the baguette in half like a hotdog bun

-on the bottom half spread with plain goat cheese

-spoon the butternut squash mixture over the goat cheese

-then top with a layer of fall arugula to give it a little spice

-slice the baguette into sandwiches for eatin'

photos and recipe by kristen bach

apple stacks

this weekend we headed up to north georgia for a day of apple picking.  this has become an annual tradition for us that we look forward to every fall.  i have been seeing these recipes for apple pull apart bread and wanted to try my hand at one.  i followed this basic dough recipe and made some modifications to the filling.  my daughter enjoyed helping me out with this one.....and we got to practice some patience with the two risings.  this bread took us almost all day from start to finish but the apples and cinnamon made our house smell like fall- it was worth the wait!

making the dough (the dough recipe is from the blog half baked)

ingredients

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup lukewarm milk

1/4 cup lukewarm water

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast   

directions

-whisk together the butter, milk, water, eggs, and vanilla extract.

-in the bowl mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, then add the wet ingredients.

-using the dough hook attachment mix and knead, until the dough is smooth. the dough will be quite soft. if it seems too dry add a little water, if it seems too sticky add just a little flour, up to a 1/4 cup.

-place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 

now for the rest of the recipe with my modifications 

ingredients for filling

4-5 fresh apples, cored and thinly sliced as shown in the picture

3 tbsp cup unsalted butter, browned

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp cinnamon

a sprinkle of salt ingredients for glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp of milk or lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla and

a sprinkle of salt

directions for stacks

-on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a large square  about 24 inches by 24 inches.  add more flour if dough begins to stick

-with a pastry brush, brush the browned butter onto the dough

-do the same with the maple syrup

-sprinkle the cinnamon and salt evenly over the entire square

-using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into even squares or rectangles,  3 inch squares work great

-line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

-make the stacks by carefully putting a piece of dough then a slice of apple, and continue so you have DOUGH-APPLE-DOUG-HAPPLE-DOUGH-APPLE-DOUGH

-place in a warm place for an hour or until the dough rises for a second time

-pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

-after rising is complete bake for 20- 30 minutes or until brown

-meanwhile, mix the powdered sugar, milk or lemon juice, vanilla, and salt

-let the stacks cool for 15 minutes before drizzling the glaze over them

-enjoy these sweet fall treats!  

****note, if you want to make a pull apart bread verses the stacks follow the same instructions but stack vertically in a greased bread pan and increase baking time to 40-50 minutes

photos by kristen bach recipe by half baked blog and modified by kristen bach

burgundy

castor bean, amaranth, zinnia, scabiosa

photographs by rinne allen