In The Mood For Fall

Fall is my favorite time of year, and it's been a super busy October for us. Deer season is in full swing, and the garden has finally frozen back.  Only the Brussels sprouts have been left behind at our house, but that doesn't mean all the produce in the area is finished.  To get ready for Halloween, my husband and I went to Washington Farms in Watkinsville, GA. This is the same you-pick farm that I wrote about previously.  It turns out that they are just as useful for pumpkins in the fall as they were for strawberries in the spring. We decorated the pumpkins in a new way, hoping they would last through Thanksgiving. Pecans are another important fall crop here in the south, and there's nothing like fresh pecans for a nice fall pie. My favorite recipe for pecan pie is my Grandmommy's. You can find it, along with her perfect pumpkin pie, in my Thanksgiving 2011 post.

 

My husband at Washington Farms; our pumpkins decorated for Halloween; and me dressed as Rosie the Riveter for a costume party. Happy Halloween everyone!

Photos by Jenn Ballard

 

In the spirit of a beautiful fall, I'm going to share another recipe that I really look forward to this time of year. It came from my Grandma Martin, and she calls it "One Dish Dinner." There are probably as many versions of a one dish dinner as there are casseroles, but the general idea is that a meat, a vegetable, and a starch are all prepared in a single dish for convenience sake.  Technically, chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie would also fall into this category, but my grandma's version is a hearty, southern take on the idea. I've tweaked it a bit, and the recipe below is my version. I think it still captures the spirit of the original dish, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do on cold fall evenings.

 

Grandma Martin's One Dish Dinner

1 lb ground beef

1 10 oz can Rotel(R) Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies

1 10 oz can tomato sauce

2 cups frozen English peas

1/4 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt, pepper, Tabasco

12 uncooked biscuits (homemade or pre-made both work - refrigerated not frozen!)

 

Directions:

Break apart and brown the ground beef in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium to medium high heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper as it cooks. When the beef is nearly finished, add the onion and garlic. Stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning. When the onions and garlic are soft, reduce the heat to medium low and drain the excess fat. Add the Rotel(R), tomato sauce, Tabasco sauce(R), and peas. Bring to simmer. Add more salt and pepper if desired. When ingredients are warm and well combined, place raw biscuits on top of the mixture. Cover the dish and cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The meal is ready to serve when the biscuits are fluffy and the insides look done. The outside of the biscuits will not brown because of the moisture; this is normal. Serve a biscuit covered in hearty stew and enjoy!

 

"Grandma Martin's One Dish Dinner"

Photo by Jenn Ballard

 

Note: Some people don't like the texture of the biscuits cooked over the dish. This is my favorite part, but others prefer the liquid portion poured over an oven cooked biscuit. I have also used a large jar of homemade, restaurant style salsa instead of the two canned products. This works well if you have some on hand.