Fall Means Root Vegetables! From Farm to Table!

The air has been crisp and chilly here in Baltimore lately, mixed with a bunch of rain. A bunch of rain is always better than no rain if you're a Texan. We had a very nice summer with cool nights which is not common here. I was almost sorry to see the summer go this year! But here we are in fall and all that it brings.

My sous chef and daughter, Stella, went to a farm last week on a school field trip. She came home with a bounty of root vegetables that she had picked herself. After school she presented me with a big bag of vegetables and dirt and I wondered "what am I going to do with all this?" Cook something, of course! Stella had turnips, radishes, white radishes, dill, a few carrots and a huge sweet potato. So, we got busy! Tonight we made a wonderful dinner. I wanted to show Stella what great things could come from the veggies she picked at the farm.

For an appetizer we had sliced cucumbers with a homemade dip using the dill. For our main course we made Chicken with Turnips and Dried Cherries. We also diced up that monstrosity of a sweet potato and roasted it with olive oil, salt and pepper and rosemary from our garden. We will use the roasted sweet potatoes in a nice fall salad made with goat cheese and wilted baby spinach. The recipe is one from my friend Karen Macfarlane and we will post it tomorrow night after we make it. In the meantime here is the recipe for the Chicken with Turnips and Dried Cherries!

Chicken with Turnips and Dried Cherries

2 tablespoons Unsalted butter

4 Boneless skinned chicken breast halves -- (about 1. 5 each pounded between sheets of wax paper

1/2 cup All-purpose flour -- for dredging

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Turnips -- peeled/diced

1 small Onion -- chopped

2 teaspoons Maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon Dried thyme leaves

3/4 cup Chicken broth

1/4 cup Dried sweet cherries

1 tablespoon Chopped fresh parsley

Heat the butter in a large skillet. One at a time, dredge the chicken breasts in the flour and brown on both sides. Remove to a side dish and season with salt and pepper. Place the turnips in the skillet and cook, stirring, over moderately high heat until they are a light golden in spots; add the onion, reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the maple syrup, thyme and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, add the chicken, scatter over the cherries, partially cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through but still tender, about 6 minutes. Check the seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper, as necessary.Transfer the chicken to a warm platter, spoon over the sauce and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve piping hot.

We would have posted a picture of the dish, but my camera was stolen. Hence, here is a picture of my beautiful sous chef, Stella, in all her fall glory! I love her so; she is my heart and my soul and a very good cook! Grandpa would be proud!

Happy Fall from Nicole and Stella!!!