GREAT BITES

That incredibly delicious time of year known as autumn is arriving this month! Fall, or “Harvest” as many call it, is the best time in New York for produce and warm, rich flavors. From farms in the Hudson Valley to wineries and orchards on Long Island, the fall season is an incredible and fun time of year to explore our state’s natural food resources.

My passion for locally grown ingredients came from the Godfather of American cuisine himself, Chef Larry Forgione. Larry was James Beard’s protégé and is widely considered responsible for the surge in popularity of American fare during the mid-to-late ‘80s through the ‘90s. Larry was also a family friend for many decades, so I spent an abnormal amount of time at his legendary restaurant, An American Place. Larry was the first to really push the notion of farm-to-table for his restaurants, long before any other chef. His philosophy paid off given the quality and selection of produce in New York to service his then multiple restaurants (An American Place, 1766 Tavern at the Beekman Arms, Rosehill, etc). After all, New York State is home to some of the best produce in the world. Larry also helped to reinforce farm-to-table with his award-winning American Spoon Foods line of products. So, needless to say, I have a special place in my heart for harvest season in New York.

RIPE FOR THE PICKING
September and October is the largest produce picking time of year for our state. That means that you will find some of the most lush, robust and beautiful fruit and veggies you will ever see, right in our own backyard.

Let’s start with the most obvious, apples. After all, the Empire State is world-renowned for having the best apples. And since prime picking season is the month of September, you can look forward to plenty of apple sauce, apple cider, apple cider doughnuts, apple pie, and apple everything else!

A REAL APPLE PIE
Speaking of Apple Pie, a lot of folks seem to be scared of making this iconic dessert, thinking it’s a complicated recipe. For this reason, I put together a very simple recipe I created a few years ago for this all-American favorite:

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ sticks butter, 1 1/2 sticks, cubed
8 tablespoons ice water

Filling
2 lbs granny smith apple, cored, sliced, peeled
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ lemon
1 egg, beaten to create an egg wash
2 tablespoons sugar

Topping  
1 scoop vanilla or coffee ice cream

Preparation
In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour and salt, using a fork until well-combined. Add cubed butter. Break up butter into flour using a fork. Mixture will still have small lumps. Gradually add the ice water and continue to mix until the dough starts to come together. If the dough is too dry, add water, but you may not need all of the water. The dough should not be very sticky. Using your hands, work the dough together and then turn out onto a surface. Work into a ball and cover with saran wrap. Refrigerate.

Peel apples, then core and slice. In a bowl, add the sliced apples, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and juice from the lemon. Mix until combined and all apples are coated. Refrigerate.  

Preheat the oven to 375°F (200°C). On a floured surface, cut the pie dough in half and roll out both halves until round - about ⅛-inch thick. To make this easy, roll the dough around the rolling pin and then unroll onto a pie dish making sure the dough reaches all edges. Trim extra if necessary. 

Pour in apple filling mixture and pat down. Roll the other half of the dough on top. Trim the extra dough from the edges and pinch the edges to create a crimp. Make sure edges are sealed together. Brush the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar. Cut at least four slits in the top of the pie to create a vent.  

Bake pie for 50-60 minutes or until the crust is golden brown, making sure no grey-colored or uncooked crust is left. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Top with ice cream and serve. 

September also represents the end of prime picking for pears, berries, plums, prunes as well. It is the perfect time of year for other fruit-based pies, and the like.

Eat Your Vegetables
On the other side of the produce aisle, you have vegetables that are just coming into season like beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and more. Normally I don’t like Brussels sprouts, a lot of folks don’t, but Cleo Restaurant in Los Angeles had an award-winning “salad” that just rocked my world. It isn’t really a salad, but it’s close enough to be called one. This dish also happened to be the most popular at Cleo, so I spent some time reverse engineering it as it is also one of my all-time favorites for the fall. 

BRUSSELS SPROUTS INSPIRED BY CLEO RESTAURANT
Ingredients
12 Brussels sprouts
Vegetable oil for frying
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon chile flakes
1 tablespoon drained (oil-packed) capers,
more if desired
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds,
more if desired  

Preparation
Separate the leaves from the Brussels sprouts using a paring knife. In a medium pot, add enough vegetable oil to come up to the sides of the pot by about 2 inches. Heat the oil until the temperature reaches 360 degrees. 

While the oil is heating, you can make the vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Now that the oil is hot enough, deep-fry the Brussels sprout leaves, a small handful at a time, and just until the leaves begin to crisp around the edges. About 20 seconds. Caution: Oil may splatter as the leaves are added. Remove the leaves immediately and drain on a paper-towel lined rack; using paper towels to gently press the leaves to remove excess oil. Continue frying the leaves, in small batches, until all of them are cooked.  

To assemble the dish, place the leaves in a large bowl, add half of the vinaigrette, along with the chile flakes, capers, almonds and parsley. Gently toss, then taste and adjust the flavorings and seasonings as desired. You will want to serve this dish immediately so the leaves don’t lose their crunch. 

CHEERS TO THE HARVEST
What harvest celebration would be complete without a harvest-inspired cocktail? Our friends at The Regency Bar & Grill at the Loews Regency came up with a brilliant recipe for our readers celebrating this year’s Harvest. And, if you are watching your alcohol intake, or prefer to not imbibe, all Loews Hotels have an amazing new program called “Free Spirited by Loews Hotels.” At The Regency Bar & Grill in the Loews Regency New York, just ask your server!

Tyme On The Hudson
Ingredients  

2 oz apple and thyme infused vodka
2 oz apple cider
¾ oz lemon juice
¼ oz maple syrup  

Preparation
Mix and shake ingredients. Put into a rocks glass. Garnish with an apple slice and thyme. Yummo!  

Bon Appetit!