Nevada Grown: 5 TMPF Taste-Tested and Approved Fall Recipes
Autumn is upon us, and winter isn’t far away. The weather is getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and it’s time for us to get into hibernation mode, so to speak. And you know what would make this time of snuggling up with our warm blankets, fuzzy sweaters, and wool socks even more enjoyable? FOOD! Lots and lots of yummy, savory, and hearty food. Food that warms from the inside and reminds us of home. Have we got your mouth watering yet? Good!
Some of our favorite, local farmers have just the thing to ensure that you and your families are fed with all the comforts of the season. Nevada Grown: A Year in Local Food is a cookbook compiled by over 99 different contributors, all local farmers, which consists of over 200 recipes and organized by season.
After coming across this cookbook at a local farmers market, a few of us at the Parks Foundation have decided to test out some of delicious fall recipes- from hearty soups, to mouthwatering meats, and baked goods that truly hit the spot- and share our findings with you! So, continue reading to see how our culinary pursuits measured up, and be sure to get your own copy of Nevada Grown for yourself and your loved ones this holiday season!
Hearty Soups
Potato Leek Soup (pg. 110)
Recipe by Norma Petersen
Taste Tested by Alexandra
Approximate Cost to Make: $19
The fragrant leeks, perfect blend of spices, and chunky potatoes make this a perfect fall soup. Blending half the soup after it's all cooked results in a creamy base without a lot of dairy; you could even use a butter substitute to make this vegan. I had never heard of marjoram but many websites said it was similar to oregano so I used that instead and I found that I had to simmer the soup longer than 20 minutes to make sure that the potatoes were fork tender, but other than that I followed the recipe exactly. The total cost of ingredients was $18.29, not including dried spices because I already had those. A lot of the ingredients are kitchen staples though, so the only thing most would have to buy for the recipe would be the leeks and maybe the potatoes. It was a fairly quick and "souper" easy recipe. Ha! The most time consuming aspect was the preparation of the vegetables and cleaning up, but it was delicious and relatively cheap so I plan on making it again.
Mouthwatering Meat Dishes
Korean-Style Bentley Ranch Short Ribs (pg. 127)
Recipe by Steve Anderson
Taste Tested by Haley
Approximate Cost to Make: $44
When I saw this recipe for Korean short ribs (kalbi) in the Nevadan cookbook, I was both surprised and sure I had to make it. I spent most of my time before my service year working at a Korean BBQ restaurant and taking home boxes of extra kimchi; when I moved to Reno, I was excited about my newfound proximity to so many Asian Marts. After making a few budget-necessary substitutions (chuck steak for short ribs, bouillon for stock) and borrowing my grandma’s biggest pot, I was finally eating a delicious, spicy...soup. Granted, it was probably the fact that I don’t really know how to braise or that I didn’t want to throw out all my glorious marinade that led to my steak becoming a soup. Nevertheless, I cried spicy tears of tasty delight and am still slurping my soup three days later. 7/10 recommend.
Cost Breakdown:
Asian Mart: Lite soy sauce: 2.99, Chili paste: 3.69, Chili peppers: 1.89, Garlic: 1.89, Brown
sugar: 3.79, Beef bouillon: 1.45
Save Mart: Carrots: 1.73, Celery: 0.99, Onion: 0.97, Chuck steak: 17.57 (cheaper substitute for
short ribs, would’ve been $60 :0 ), Cabernet Sauvignon: 6.99 (substitute for Syrah, no idea
what that is and they didn’t have it)
Dish it up Pork with Onion Apple Jam (pg. 132)
Recipe by Nancy Horn
Taste Tested by Alayna
Approximate Cost to Make $12-$15
We tend to eat pork chops quite often at my house, so I figured this would be an easy and unique recipe to test on my family. I’d never thought to make apples with a savory dish, so I was curious how it would turn out. It didn’t disappoint. The apple cider vinegar made the dish tart, but the caramelized onions softened that tanginess and made for a well-balanced dish. It ended up costing me about $12 as I had most of the ingredients in my kitchen already. This dish is pretty accessible as most things it calls for are what you’d already have in your kitchen. And anything you don’t have you can skip or alternate. For example, rather than going out and buying a bottle of Dijon, I just substituted for the whole grain mustard I already had, and I’m sure you can even use honey or spicy brown mustard. In addition, you can probably skip the apple cider vinegar if you don’t have it on hand as the apples provide a strong enough taste already.
The recipe calls to grill the pork chops on a stove top, but I opted to bake them instead because I didn’t really trust myself to cook them all the way through. I followed the instructions on seasoning the pork, and stuck them in the oven for 10 minutes at 450 degrees. While the pork chops baked on one side, I started on the onion and apple jam. When the first ten minutes were up and the jam was 80% finished, I took the pork chops out of the oven, flipped them over, and poured the jam over top. I then covered them with tin foil and baked them for another 20 minutes while periodically checking the temp with the meat thermometer. I followed the recipe’s recommendation to cook them until they were 145 degrees. While the chops were baking, I set to work on the side dishes. I used the same skillet I cooked the jam in and grilled up some broccoli and sweet potatoes. The flavor is definitely a distinct one, and overall, ⅔’s of my household enjoyed the recipe. The other ⅓ is super picky anyway, so I would still say it was a success!
Cost Breakdown: Pork Chops: $6-$8 for 5 at Winco, onions ~$1-$2, Apples ~$1-$2, mustard ~$3
Baked Goodies
Spiced Carrot Muffins (pg. 150)
Recipe by Amanda Gaffaney
Taste Tested by Karly
Approximate Cost to Make: $10-$15
This recipe was very easy to put together and easily accessible. I had everything available to me in my kitchen already! As long as the baker follows the measurements and simple instructions, this recipe is very difficult to “mess up!” This would be great for those new to baking or looking for a simple recipe to craft for an upcoming holiday meal. It took me 20-30 minutes to put everything together and get it in the oven. *Pro Tip: I used a high-powered blender/food processor to dice and shred my carrots. I highly recommend this vs trying to chop them all into tiny pieces yourself! Soaking them in water will make them easier to blend and process. *
After preparing and combining the dry and wet ingredients, folding the two together really brought everything up a notch. The delicious smells of fall- cinnamon, carrot, nutmeg- all wafted up from the bowl promising the delights of nostalgia and warmth after they’d been baked. I chose to top my muffins with walnuts for added crunch and placed them in the oven to bake.
Texture was 10/10. Moist, but not wet or under-baked, and crispy on the top and around the edges. The combination of crunchy, shreds, and moisture made the muffins super yummy and easy to eat. The only let down was how mild the flavor ended up being. I’ve added some suggestions for improving the flavor like substituting apple sauce for the yogurt, adding in coconut flakes, trying different milk substitutes for a creamier consistency, or using more cinnamon and vanilla extract!
Finally, these muffins would be great for breakfast or lunch, paired with butter or even a cream cheese spread if you prefer something more savory. Not to be mistaken with carrot cake- definitely not as sweet or rich, but still quite tasty and good for you!
Cost Breakdown: all purpose flour: $4-$5, carrots $.68/ pound, walnuts $3, apple sauce, coconut
flakes, yogurt, cranberries, and raisins: prices vary
Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (pg. 152)
Recipe by Natalie Andelin
Taste Tested by Alayna
Total Cost to Make: $11
This cookie recipe was fun, delicious, and felt very Autumn-y. This recipe didn’t end up costing
me much as most of the baking ingredients and spices could be found in my kitchen already due to it being pumpkin pie season. Any spices you may not have on hand will likely cost about $3-$5 a piece. I ended up spending about $11 to get things I didn’t already have, which included pumpkin puree, chocolate chips, and walnuts. The only real alteration I made to the recipe was using canned pumpkin puree rather than pureeing a whole pumpkin… cuz who’s got time for that, really?
However, if you do want to use real pumpkin, then all the power to you. I believe using whole over canned will make the cookies a bit firmer and less cake-like, anyway. I also ended up using 55% dark chocolate chips and walnuts in mine, which are both totally optional. The recipe doesn’t specify which nuts to use, but I figured walnuts would add a nice texture to an otherwise soft baked cookie. The cookies themselves didn’t turn out super sweet, but you can always alternate brown sugar for normal sugar if sweetness is what you’re looking for. Overall, they turned out really good and I’d definitely make them again. They are soft and chewy and perfect with an afternoon latte or cold glass of milk.
Cost Breakdown: pumpkin puree ~$3, walnuts ~$3.50, chocolate chips ~$2, all purpose flour ~$3
