Comfort Foods for a Comfy Season

By Marie-Christine Perry

As I put my garden to rest after planting my garlic, the sudden cooling of the air, the changing of colors against a still blue sky are all announcing my favorite time of year.

For me it means mushrooms and chestnuts, the last of the Tuscan fennel and the still- abundant parsley and Swiss chard, and apple picking in a local orchard. I think of caramelized Brussel sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts, butternut squash bisque, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, and the first fire of the season.

 I rely on my pantry for dried mushrooms and frozen chestnuts from last fall, but started foraging last week with success during a hike with a friend around Doolittle Lake—one single 800 grams boletus which will be sliced and sautéed with butter, garlic and parsley, and served alongside a duck magret and potato gratin.

 For Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts:
Steam a pound of Brussels sprouts and a half pound of chestnuts until barely tender. Sauté a half pound of thinly sliced pancetta in a pan until fat is rendered, then remove the pancetta and reserve.
Caramelize one sliced onion in the pancetta fat on low fire, add a bit of olive oil, the Brussel sprouts, the chestnuts and the pancetta to the pan, and sauté gently until all flavors meld together, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

For butternut squash bisque:
Sauté two pounds of butternut squash cut into small chunks in olive oil with one sliced onion and three cloves of garlic. When the squash is golden, cover with vegetable or chicken broth, and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste, one cup heavy cream, and blend with immersion blender directly in the pot, or use vegetable mill or blender. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a dollop of heavy cream, and serve with toasted sourdough bread and sweet butter.

For grilled cheese and tomato soup:
I can tomato sauce and tomato soup from the tomatoes in my own garden during the summer, but you can use a quart of good tomato sauce to make a quick tomato soup for two. Sauté an onion and three cloves of garlic in olive oil until golden, add the quart of tomato sauce to the pan and heat together (I usually make basil tomato soup, so you can add a good pinch of basil to the sauce). When the mixture is hot, add a cup of heavy cream and blend (see above). Serve hot with a sprinkle of chopped chives.
The cheese sandwiches demand a very good cheddar or comté cheese, two slices of your bread of choice (sourdough works well here) and a thick slice of cheese per person. Spread mayonnaise thinly on the exterior sides of the bread to get the best crunch and a thin layer of Dijon mustard in the interior of the slices. Gently sauté the sandwiches on each side until the cheese melts. Serve soup and sandwich together on a plate with cornichons. Bon appétit!