Highlighting the Harvest

BY KEANE STRAUB PHOTOS BY DONG KIM

We’ve all got our favourite dishes when this time of year comes around – soups and roasts, and braising and slow cooking go well with sweaters and thick socks, don’t you agree? And with so much amazing produce coming in from the harvest, it can be a bit of a challenge to figure out where to start cooking.

Lucky for us, this month’s talented quartet of Alberta chefs have shared inspired recipes highlighting sweet potatoes, squash, pears, and more, all perfect to grace your harvest feast table, and brighten our plates and spirits as the days grow just a little bit shorter.

Chef Chris Joyce of Calgary’s Flores & Pine has a laid-back approach to cooking, and looks for inspiration from his team. “I’m pretty much all over the place when it comes to cooking,” he explains. “I usually sit on an idea for a couple of months, talk about it with my colleagues, and then see it hit the plate.”

Currently, he doesn’t play favourites on the menu, but the change of season may change his tune. “Right now, I really love cooking on the wood fire and the rotisserie, and I’m looking forward to seeing what I do with those for the fall menu.”

Risotto is a dish that can’t be rushed, and that suits Chef Chris just fine. “It’s a labour of love. It takes 45 minutes of you stirring it and making sure every single grain is cooked the same way. Using squash lets me know that summer is over and to start focusing on fall and winter vegetables and slow cooking.

There’s nothing fancy about the method with this risotto. “It’s just cooking,” Chef Chris adds. “Have fun, and don’t stress out.”

Coal Roasted Delicata Squash Risotto

Serves 4

Note:

• If you cannot find Delicata squash substitute another type of squash.

• Chef likes to roast the squash over a coal BBQ. If you don’t have one, roasting in the oven is completely okay.

1 Tbs (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine

1 cup sweet potato, 5-7 mm cubed

3 garlic cloves, chopped fine

4 sage leaves, chopped fine plus extra for garnish

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine

10 cups (2½ L) warm vegetable broth

3 cups roasted squash, 5-7 mm cubed

To taste salt and pepper

½ cup parmesan cheese for garnish

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add sweet potato and cook for 6 minutes.

2. Add garlic, sage and rice. Stir and let cook for 1 minute then add wine and stir and cook for three minutes or until wine is reduced by half.

3. Add broth, 1 cup (250 mL) at a time, stir continuously so rice cooks evenly.

4. Halfway through add roasted delicata squash.

5. Cooking of the risotto will take at least 45 minutes, stirring constantly until the risotto is soft and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Garnish with parmesan and sage. Risotto thickens up fast, so it is best to serve straight from pan to plate.

“I was raised in a small farming town in Ontario and grew up in a home where cooking from scratch was simply a way of life,” says Brett van Allen, Executive Chef for The Harvest Room at Edmonton’s Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. “The strongest influencers in my culinary career are my mother and grandmother.”

His career has taken him far afield, and Chef Brett maintains that local produce is the most important component to any dish. “Supporting our local farmers and producers is more than just about incredible flavours, it is also about sustainability and celebrating our local communities.” The Alberta trout with curried carrot and buckwheat risotto on the Harvest Room menu reminds him of farm-to-table ingredients of his hometown.

His Sweet Potato and Caramelized Pear Flower Tart is a perfect example of simple ingredients coming together to create what he calls a ‘stunning, rustic showstopper.’ Here’s a few tips to recreate it: “Start in the middle and work your way to the outside. Take your time – it’s all about enjoying your time in the kitchen!” Keep the uniform thickness of the sweet potato slices, and be sure they’re covered with a good coating of oil, salt, and pepper!

Sweet Potato & Caramelized

Pear Flower Tart

Serves 6

Short crust pastry

750g sweet potato (about 3 long and large), peeled

7 Tbs (105 mL) olive oil

To taste salt and pepper

3 yellow onions

3 Tbs sugar

2 pears

5 sprigs thyme

50 g hard cheese or Parmesan, finely grated

2 eggs

3 Tbs (45 mL) crème fraîche

1. Line a 23 cm diameter tart tin with a removable base with short crust pastry, patching as needed and leaving the excess pastry untrimmed. Chill for 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375º F.

3. Prick the pastry base several times with a fork and line with baking paper. Fill the centre with baking beans or uncooked rice to weigh the paper down. Set on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes until the pastry no longer looks raw. Remove the paper and beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until it turns a pale golden colour. Trim off the excess pastry flush with the top of the tin and set aside.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 340º F.

5. For the sweet potatoes: to make long ribbons, it is best to slice the sweet potatoes from top to bottom with a sturdy peeler or a mandolin using a hand guard. The slices must be long, very thin and able to bend. Put the potato slices in a mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil. Make sure each slice is coated well with oil and season with salt and pepper.

6. Thinly slice your onions and add 1 tablespoon of sugar and cook on low heat with olive oil. Once they have caramelized take them out of the pan. Let cool.

7. Peel your pears and cut them in half and remove the core and seeds. Put your pears into a pan with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of olive oil and the remainder of the sugar. Cook until tender and caramelized. Let cool.

8. Spread the caramelized onions and pears evenly in the base of the tart.

9. Strip the thyme leaves from two of the stalks and combine with the grated cheese, eggs, and crème fraiche in a small bowl. Season lightly. Spread this mixture over the base of the tart and top with the sweet potato, arranged vertically in a concentric circle from the outside to the inside. The potato slices should begin to form a ‘rose’ effect.

10. Scatter with the remaining thyme springs and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes until the sweet potato is tender. Serve warm.

Two heads are better than one, right? That’s certainly the case for Jordan Marzano and Ryan Pauls, co-head chefs of Edmonton’s Boxer. “Our food is a mirror of who we are as people,” explains Chef Jordan. “This really allows us to explore our creativity and show our customers how different people can see the same things and create something completely different.”

Smoked olives and beetroot carpaccio are among the flavours you’ll find on the menu, but it’s the pork cassoulet that wins the hearts of both chefs. “It’s a unique combination of textures and flavours: soft to crunchy, with a dash of saltiness finished with acidity,” says Chef Ryan.

“Everyone loves pasta,” he continues. “It can take some prep time, but it’s always a fan favourite.” Enter Browned Butter and Sage Sweet Potato Gnocchi. “The beautiful part about gnocchi is there’s so many ways to change it around and put your own twist on it.”

“You want to be careful not to overwork your dough,” advises Chef Jordan. “It can make the texture of your gnocchi very chewy and not as pleasant to eat.” Brown your butter just enough to get a nutty aroma – you don’t want to burn it. Pine nuts can be substituted with toasted walnuts or eliminate nuts altogether and try pumpkin seeds.

Browned Butter and Sage

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pecorino and Toasted

Pine Nuts

Serves 4

Sage Browned Butter

180 g butter

4 sage leaves

1. In a pot over medium heat, melt butter and when the cream starts to bubble add sage leaves, stirring the butter every few minutes to ensure it’s melting evenly.

2. Once the sage starts to get crispy, pull it from the butter and put on a plate with paper towel to catch any excess moisture.

3. Once the butter starts to smell nutty and get some colour and dark specs, remove from heat right away so you don’t burn it, if it gets too dark we recommend just starting it over.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

800 g sweet potato

2 tsp sage

1½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

15 g confit garlic

280 g all-purpose flour

1 packet pine nuts

Canola oil, for frying

50-60 g Pecorino cheese

1. Stab sweet potatoes with a fork and bake at 400º F until soft, about 1½ hours.

2. Remove skin and push through a course sieve.

3. Combine all ingredients except flour and pine nuts, mix well.

4. Cut flour into your mixture being careful not to over mix. Cut your dough into workable pieces and roll into long strips and cut them about 2.5 cm long x 8 mm wide.

5. Heat a pan of water and boil your gnocchi for about 2½ to 3 minutes, then transfer to an oiled sheet so they don’t stick.

6. Put pine nuts in a pan over medium heat moving them around often not to burn. Once at your desired toast remove from pan to stop the cooking.

7. Heat a pan over medium heat, add canola oil and your gnocchi. Cook for a couple of minutes to get some colour, flip then and add a couple tablespoons of your browned butter to finish (measure with your heart).

8. Microplane a tiny bit of pecorino cheese to finish and transfer to your plate. Microplane pecorino on top, add your crispy sage leave from your butter and the toasted pine nuts.

Inspired by the food that is prepared around him all the time, catering chef Dan Blunt is all about taking it in – and then taking it apart. “I’m processing the method, how it could be made in a different way, was it too over the top, or did it lack something obvious?” he explains.

It’s easy to get carried away when the word ‘harvest’ is attached to ‘dinner’. “Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many dishes, and consider the time to cook each one,” advises Chef Dan. If you’re at the market buying ingredients, talk to the farmers about their offerings. The stories they share can end up making great dinner conversation.

Here, Chef Dan puts a new twist on a fave side dish. “We have all heard of potato gratin, but what about a cauliflower gratin? And to make it just a bit different, why not a cauliflower with a roasted butternut squash gratin?” Don’t worry about being exact on everything, he adds. “Lead with your instinct. Want to add more cheese? Add more cheese!”

Cauliflower and Roasted

Butternut Squash Gratin

Serves 4

2 cups butternut squash cubes

3 Tbs (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1 head of cauliflower

6 Tbs salted butter, divided

¼ tsp nutmeg, grated

¼ Tbs smoked paprika

3 Tbs all-purpose flour

2 cups (500 mL) warm milk

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided

¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup panko

To taste salt and pepper

Parchment paper to line baking sheet

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Utilize the convection option if you have it.

2. Peel your butternut squash, cut each end off and discard. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each half into 2.5 cm cubes. Place in a bowl and drizzle with half the olive oil. Mix well and spread out on half of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.

3. Remove all the green outer leaves from the cauliflower. Slice off the bottom. Cut cauliflower in half, then in half again. Cut off the core. Break off the florets and cut the pieces into uniform sizes to ensure consistent cooking. Place in the bowl and drizzle with remaining olive oil and place on the other side of the baking tray that has the squash on it. Place the tray into the oven and cook for 20 minutes, or when the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork. Once they have finished roasting, remove from the oven and set aside.

4. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium pan over a medium-low heat setting. Add your nutmeg, paprika and flour, stir to combine. This is the base to thicken your sauce. Next, begin to slowly add your milk while gently mixing it into your roux. Keep stirring until the mixture coats the back of your spoon, approximately 8-10 minutes. Bring this to a boil while constantly stirring. Set heat to low and begin to add half a cup of gruyere and half a cup of the parmesan to your sauce. Keep stirring until the cheese is melted into the sauce evenly, around 3-5 minutes.

5. Add the cauliflower and butternut squash to a 20 x 27.5 cm (8x11”) baking dish, stir to mix.

6. Pour your sauce over the cauliflower and butternut squash. Stir carefully to combine. Sprinkle the remaining gruyere and parmesan over top, then sprinkle on your panko.

7. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over top of your panko crumbs. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper. You can add more later if you need.

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Every oven is a bit different, so keep an eye on your panko crumbs. You want a nice brown colour on top. Serve hot.