A fresh take on fall favorites

Step aside vine ripened vegetables — it’s time for root vegetables to shine.

You lightly seasoned grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, make way for pan-seared duck breast and bacon-wrapped pheasant.

So long, pasta salad. Hello, casserole.

Bye bye basil, come on in Chinese 5 spice and curry.

“I’ve had enough of tomatoes,” says Dennis Fenrick chef and owner of Syrah Restaurant and Wine Bar, “I’m ready for Brussels sprouts and squash.”

While the move to heavier sauces and heartier meats is a welcome change, putting a twist on seasonal favorites can bring an added dimension to your dining experience.

“Change it up. Turn sweet things into savory,” says Lindsay Brooks, owner and executive chef of The Runaway Spoon in De Pere.

One of Brooks favorite fall dishes is a pumpkin risotto with caramelized shallots.

Fenrick likes to use bacon in one of his apple desserts.

At the root of it

Beets get a bad rap, but people are missing out if they skip this seasonal favorite, says Brooks. She suggests roasting them with carrots, parsnips, turnips and other root vegetables. Chop up the vegetables and mix them with butter and honey then bake at 425 degrees until tender.

“The hotter temperature caramelizes the natural sugars in the vegetables,” says Brooks.

Season the roasted veggies to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Among Fenrick’s fall favorites are Brussels sprouts which can be an overlooked option. While Brussels sprouts are often paired with a little bit of bacon, Fenrick says he likes to blanch the sprouts and season them with a warm mixture of brown sugar, butter and paprika.

For those looking for something different, consider celery root. It’s the actual root of the celery which has the a rutabaga shape and texture. Brooks says it tastes like celery and is gaining popularity.

On the side

Potatoes and rice are year-round staples as side dishes and readily accept many flavors, including popular autumn items.

“Parsnips are great to mix with potatoes,” says Fenrick. “It gives them a little hint of something.”

Fenrick recommends adding about 20-25 percent of parsnips to the potato volume.

When it comes to rice, add some cranberries.

“We like to use a wild rice with fresh cranberries,” says Brooks.

Saute the cranberries in a little bit of butter until they just begin splitting open and then add in the rice, heating through to fully incorporate flavors.

Fresh cranberries also freeze really well, which extends them through the winter season.

Go wild, game

Chicken, burgers and steaks rule the summer grill but with heartier sauces and more substantial vegetables, now is a good time to venture into wild game. Duck, pheasant, bison and elk are all good options this time of year.

“Duck breast has a more natural sweetness to the meat that goes well with butternut squash and other fall vegetables,” says Brooks.

When it comes to duck, simple goes a long way. Pan-sear duck breast on both sides in a little olive oil over medium-high heat, leaving some pink in the middle.

Fenrick just added a stuffed pheasant breast to his menu. The breast is stuffed with pheasant sausage stuffing then wrapped in bacon and topped with tart cherries.

He also incorporates elk and bison into menu items and likes their sweeter taste.

For dessert

This is the season for apples, plums, pears and pumpkins among other fruits.

“Make apples fresh by adding bacon to it,” says Fenrick, who is featuring a caramel apple crumble with a bacon crisp on the top. “It works surprisingly well with fruits.”

Among Brooks’ favorite dessert this time of year is a simple, yet rustic, galette. It’s basically a French tart filled with seasonal fruits. Simply roll out a pie crust, fill it with sliced plums, apples and or pears then roll up the corners and bake it at 400 for about 15 minutes. Add a bit of sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit.