Soooo Autumnal

Frodo is ready for puppy snuggles

I'm officially a lover of fall. Cool, crisp air, the smell of woodstoves getting fired up, the sound of leaves crunching, and of course, football. It's so autumnal! All of these things bring a desire to cook and eat comfort food. Comfort food is called that because, obviously, it's comforting. It makes you want to settle in on the sofa with a snuggly puppy and binge watch your favorite tv shows. Which is exactly what I've been doing the last couple of weeks (the Netflix original 'Big Mouth' is amazing) and will, quite frankly, continue to do until sometime around mid-May. I also just really like saying 'autumnal'. Like, too much.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Grapes

Serves 2

*I like to serve this dish with buttermilk mashed potatoes or creamy polenta and garlicky sauteed spinach.

Ingredients

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

1 garlic clove, minced

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped finely

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Black pepper

½ pound seedless red grapes, washed, dried and destemmed

1 Bosc pear, cored and quartered

¼ cup chicken stock

¼ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons butter

Prep

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat on the stove top. Meanwhile place chicken thighs in a large bowl and add garlic, rosemary, 1 tablespoon olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Combine using your hands, making sure to rub aromatics into chicken and evenly distribute seasonings.
3. When the pan is hot add chicken thighs skin down and cook for about 10 minutes or until the skin gets golden and crispy. While chicken cooks, add grapes and pears in the bowl the chicken was in with the garlic and rosemary. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and toss
4. Flip chicken and nestle the grapes and pears in and around the chicken. Put the pan into the oven and roast chicken for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a plate. Put pan with fruit back on burner over medium heat. Add chicken stock and wine, and reduce until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter until incorporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
6. Serve chicken with roasted fruit.

Warm Potato Salad with Smoked Sausage

Serves 4-6

*This comforting side dish pairs beautifully with simple Pork Schnitzel (recipe below) for a perfectly autumnal dinner.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved, larger potatoes quartered

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced shallot

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

1 cooked smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, sliced

1 small bunch of Tuscan kale, destemmed and chopped

2 scallions, white and tender green part only, thinly sliced

Prep

1. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add ½ tablespoon of red wine vinegar and toss. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining vinegar, shallot and mustard. Slowly whisk in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausage slices and brown in pan (the sausages are already cooked so you really just want to get some color on them). Add the kale and saute until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Add sausage and kale to the bowl with the potatoes, add the dressing and green onions and toss until incorporated. Serve immediately.