Fall dishes

September ended with a sense of finality. We were able to close our last bag of silage just before a killing frost drained the corn plants of all color and life. Now, we wait for the moisture to drop a bit before we start putting up high-moisture corn in the Harvestore.  
The harvest in my garden is a different story. Luckily, I was able to save my tomato plants from the cold temperatures with a collection of old sheets and blankets. My plants are way behind schedule as I have only been able to find five red tomatoes on all of the vines. There are plenty of green tomatoes just waiting for a bit more sunshine and warm fall days before they turn a bright ripen red.
These last few cold nights and cool days have me craving soups and stews. I popped into the creamery the other day and ran into Alice. I always enjoy talking with her and swapping recipes. Here are a couple of hers that have become hits in our house. I know the first recipe calls for the oven to be on for five hours but figure it as a cheaper way of warming up the house without having to turn on the furnace. And, what is stew without biscuits? These live up to their name of being perfect. Enjoy.



Oven stew by Alice Nordmann
2 pounds round steak, cubed
2 cups diced carrots
6 medium potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon dry parsley
2 cans golden mushroom soup whisked together with 1 can water (or plain mushroom soup)
1 teaspoon salt
     Mix everything together in Dutch oven. Bake at 275 degrees uncovered for five hours. Stir whenever you think of it. Meat is raw and not browned.

Cranberry fall chicken by Alice Nordmann
1 can cranberry sauce
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup French dressing
Chicken breasts or chicken legs
      Mix cranberry sauce, soup mix and French dressing together. Place raw chicken in greased pan. Pour soup mixture over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until chicken is done in an hour or a bit longer.
Cabbage roll soup
4 cups beef broth
8 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 small spoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ground beef
4 cups cabbage, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced or shredded
1 teaspoon garlic powder
     In a large pot, brown beef in oil, season with salt and pepper. When almost done, add onions and garlic. Stir and cook another four minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook 25 minutes or until rice is done. Green beans would be good in this too.

Perfect biscuits
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
1 cup milk
     Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter, will be chunky. Add egg and milk, will be sticky. Knead 10-15 times. Roll 1/2-inch thick. Cut into biscuits. Put on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

    As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.