Outdoor Fall Feasting

Red apples, roasted chestnuts and yellow leaves are all the sensory sights and inviting aromas you need to create a beautiful setting for outdoor fall feasting.

Autumn is a season with a distinct identity, made of colors, soft lights, delicious produce and age-old traditions. It is a cozy time of year when you can still enjoy an outdoor lunch. And this year, more than ever as we learn to embrace the simple pleasures of dining outside with small groups of our loved ones, making these outdoor gatherings feel special is worth every effort.

To honor the season, we were inspired by a South European custom known as the Törggele, which celebrates autumn with a procession of friends and relatives visiting farms to taste the flavors of the moment such as fruits, cold cuts and cheeses. With a little creativity, this exceptional menu was born from this celebration of bounty and goodness.

In modern times, we can adapt the Törggele to a create a new fall tradition by simply driving to the local farms and bringing the bounty back to our homes to prepare an in-season meal to eat in the garden and enjoy the local flavors, fallen leaves and memories being made. Fruits, cold cuts and various types of cheese are there to share. Soups, meats and treats are the perfect complement to the chill in the air.

Recipes for Outdoor Fall Feasting

Beer Soup with Sweet Chestnuts

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
2 cups cooked sweetened chestnuts (see Tips)
1 cup beer (lager or golden ale)
2 fresh thyme sprigs
3 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
8 Almondina cookies, broken in half (see Tips)

Directions: 

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, carrot and a pinch of salt, sweating until very soft, 8-10 minutes.
2. Stir in the chestnuts and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the beer and thyme sprigs, cooking until the beer has reduced by two thirds, 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Partially cover with a lid and reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Discard the thyme sprigs and stir in the cream. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or in batches using a food processor.
5. Return the soup to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls and garnish with the Almondina cookies.

Tips:
Cooked chestnuts can be purchased online and from specialty foods stores, usually in the form of a 15-ounce vacuum-packed jar or container.
Almondina cookies can be purchased online and from larger supermarkets and specialty food stores.

Soft Chestnut Cake with Whipped Cream

Prep time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 ½ cups sweetened chestnut purée
¼ cup butter, melted
¹/₃  cup milk
¼ cup chestnut flour, or all-purpose or ’00’ flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¾ cup dark chocolate, grated
¼ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup apricot preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To serve:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 whole chestnuts

1 Tablespoon dried violets (optional)

Directions:

For the cake: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and line a 9-inch spring form cake pan with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together chestnut purée, melted butter, milk, chestnut flour or 00 flour, and lemon zest.
4. Stir in the grated chocolate and ¼ teaspoon salt.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks, sugar, apricot preserves and vanilla until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Whisk into the chestnut purée mixture until just incorporated.
6. In a third bowl that has no trace of oil or fat, whip the egg whites with the pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Gently whisk about one third of the egg whites into the chestnut mixture before folding in the remainder in two additions.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, gently tapping the pan on a flat surface to settle it.
8. Bake until risen and dry to the touch on top, about one hour; a toothpick should come out clean from the center when ready. Remove the pan to a wire rack, letting the cake cool for 10 minutes before turning out and letting cool completely.

To serve: When ready to serve, whip the cream to soft peaks in a mixing bowl. Spoon it on top of the cake and top with the chestnuts and dried violets, if using, before slicing and serving.

Crostoli with Spicy Ricotta Onion Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients:

For the dip:

16 ounces whole milk ricotta
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, for serving

For the crostoli:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
3 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cups vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Directions:

For the dip: 

1. In a food processor, combine the ricotta, scallions, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Blend on high until smooth. Add the olive oil and pulse to incorporate; if needed, loosen the dip by incorporating a splash of hot water.
2. Turn out into a serving jar or bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve.

For the crostoli: 

1. In a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until combined. Change to a dough hook and add the eggs, mixing until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.
2. Add the olive oil, mixing until a rough dough forms around the hook. Turn out the dough and shape it into a ball. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let it rest for one hour.
3. After resting, line two large baking sheets with a double layer of paper towels.
4. Heat the oil to 375°F in a large heavy-based Dutch oven or saucepan. Use a kitchen thermometer for accuracy.
5. Divide the dough into two sections, placing one piece back under plastic wrap. Cut the other piece into four pieces, flattening them down into rough rectangular shapes.
6. Pass each piece through a pasta roller, starting at the widest setting and passing it through the roller five or six times to begin with, folding the dough over with each pass. Continue to pass the dough through gradually thinner settings until you reach the second-to-last setting on the roller. Alternately, you can roll out your dough with a pastry roller to ¼-inch thick. Continue in this fashion until all the dough has been rolled into sheets.
7. Using a fluted pastry cutter, cut the dough into shapes such as triangles, rectangles or squares.
8. Gently lower three or four shapes at a time into the hot oil, cooking until golden and puffed, 8-10 seconds, before removing to the lined sheets with a skimmer. Repeat for remaining crostoli.
9. When ready to serve, arrange the crostoli in a bowl and serve with dip                                     on the side, garnished with fresh thyme.

Rosemary Pork Ribs

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Chill time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:

32 ounces pork back ribs
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped, plus extra to serve
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2-3 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, for brushing

Directions:

1. Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs, if attached. Trim the ends and any excess fat.
2. In a large dish, whisk together the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
3. Rub the mixture all over the ribs. Place them in a large dish, cover and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably longer (up to 24 hours).
4. After chilling, let the ribs stand at room temperature as you preheat a gas or charcoal grill; set up the grill for two-zone cooking, with one hot zone (450°F) and one cool zone (300°F).
5. Brush the ribs with canola oil and place them over the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook until the meat is tender and starting to come away from the bones, about 50 minutes. When ready, transfer them to the hot side, cooking uncovered until golden-brown and lightly charred, 5-10 minutes.
6. Remove from the grill and let them rest under aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving with more rosemary as garnish.

Fried Potato Noodles

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:

16 ounces starchy potatoes, scrubbed (Russet or Idaho)
²/₃  cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup fresh sage leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of rapidly simmering water until soft to the tip of a knife, 20-25 minutes.
2. Drain and let cool until warm to the touch. Peel and press them through a potato ricer onto a baking sheet. Spread out the potato in an even layer, letting it cool for 30 minutes.
3. After cooling, sprinkle over flour and pour over egg, gently kneading them into the potato until an even dough forms, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle over ½ teaspoon salt and the nutmeg, kneading briefly to incorporate.
4. Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Shape them into finger-shaped dumplings using your hands.
5. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rapid simmer. Lower the dumplings into the water, cooking until they float to the surface, 2-3 minutes. Drain and spread them out on paper towels.
6. Melt the butter in a large frying or sauté pan set over a moderate heat. Add the sage leaves, dumplings, remaining salt and some black pepper to taste, sautéing until golden and crisp at the edges, 5-7 minutes. Serve right away for best results.

Stuffed Kohlrabi

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

4 large kohlrabi, about 2 pounds
2 Tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces ground pork
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 cup grated aged Parmesan or Grana Padano, divided
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Place the kohlrabi in the dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper.
3. Roast until the kohlrabi are lightly charred on the outside and tender to the tip of a knife, about 1 ½ hours.
4. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly. Peel and hollow out the middle of the kohlrabi, removing about ¼ cup flesh from each.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg, dried rosemary and ¼ cup grated cheese, mixing well.
6. Divide the mixture between the kohlrabi, packing it down into the center cavities. Top with the remaining grated cheese.
7. Return to the oven until the filling is cooked through and the topping is golden-brown, 10-15 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool briefly before serving with a garnish of fresh chopped rosemary.

Looking for more outdoor fall feasting ideas? Read on for Festive Fall Cocktails and Pumpkin Desserts for Fall Festivities. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!