Harvest Dinner Recipes

Bison and Caramelized Onion Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

Potato Topping

• 2 lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet), peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 Tbsp salted butter
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• ½ cup half and half
• 1 pinch, freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Filling

• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 500 g ground bison
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced (approximately 2 cups)
• 1 medium zucchini, diced (approximately 2 cups)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup good quality beef or chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage (plus more for garnish, optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Potato Topping

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15–20 minutes.
2. Drain well, then mash with butter, sour cream, cream and nutmeg for a creamy but spreadable consistency.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

Filling

1. While potatoes cook, heat oil/butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Cook slowly, stirring often, until golden and jammy, 20–25 minutes. Remove half of the onions to reserve for garnish, and keep the rest in the pan.
3. Add ground bison to the pan with the caramelized onions. Cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon.
4. Stir in garlic, carrots, and zucchini; cook another 4–5 minutes until veggies start to soften.
5. Add tomato paste, vinegar, thyme, and sage, stirring for 1–2 minutes.
6. Pour in Worcestershire and stock. Simmer 8–10 minutes until thickened. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Assembly

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Spread filling into a baking dish. Top evenly with mashed potatoes, smoothing with a spatula or using a fork to make rustic ridges.
• Bake 20–25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and lightly golden on top.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 8-10 minutes before serving.

Autumn Fruit Crumble

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries
• 2 cups diced pears
• ⅓ cup honey
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch allspice
• 1 pinch cloves

Crumble

• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup lightly-packed brown sugar
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup diced cold salted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a medium baking dish, approximately 8” x 8”.
2. In a large bowl, toss blueberries and pears with honey, corn starch, vanilla and spices and pour into baking dish.
3. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Add the cold butter pieces and rub them in with your fingers (or use a pastry cutter) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter.
4. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit.
5. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and you can see the mixture lightly bubbling around the edges.
6. Remove from oven and slight cool slightly (or completely!) before serving.
7. Serve with whipped cream for dessert or greek yogurt if having for a breakfast bite!

Rhubarb Apple Lemonade

Ingredients

Rhubarb concentrate

• 5 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 cup water

Lemonade base

1. 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2. ½ cup good quality apple juice
3. 8 cups cold water or sparkling water if you want some effervescence
4. 1 medium apple, halved and thinly sliced

Directions

Rhubarb Concentrate

1. Place rhubarb, sugar and water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Allow to cook for 6-8 minutes until rhubarb softens notably.
3. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to extract liquid. Discard pulp.
4. Chill syrup until cool. This yields about 2 ½-3 cups of rhubarb concentrate

Assembly

1. In a large pitcher or jug, stir together rhubarb concentrate, lemon juice, and 6 cups cold water (or sparkling water for fizz). Taste and add additional sweetness if desired (i.e. honey is a quick and easy option!)
2. Stir in the diced apples (or apple juice for a smoother drink).
3. Pour in ice-filled glasses and serve.

Whipped Cottage Cheese and Roasted Vegetable Spread

Ingredients

• 2 cups full-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup roasted squash (butternut, kabocha, or acorn), cooled
• 1 cup roasted carrots, cooled
• ½ cup caramelized onions
• 3 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
• 1 cup diced cooked, well-drained beet greens (make sure to chop finely and squeeze out excess liquid)
• 3 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• For garnish if serving as a dip: drizzle of honey, or toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

Directions

1. In a food processor or Vitamix-style blender, combine cottage cheese, roasted squash, roasted carrots, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, canola oil, honey, vinegar, rosemary and paprika.
2. Blend until smooth and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Taste and season as desired with salt and pepper.
3. Fold in the strained, chopped beet greens by hand (so they stay visible as flecks instead of blending in).
4. Transfer to sealable container to use as desired.