Alleluia! It’s fall. And there’s a chorus of chefs throughout Northern California who are singing the praises of another great fall harvest. What once was a seed or mere seedling in the spring is now a gorgeous gourd or a luscious, ripe tomato ready to be plucked, chopped, stewed, or baked into a signature dish and placed on the harvest table by chefs who wait all year for this bounty to arrive.
And just as eagerly, Northern Californians who have had to stow their kayaks and straw hats after summer’s play can look forward to the autumnal season. So, as summer wanderlust gives way to a desire to reconnect with family and friends over meals marked by warmth and comfort, the focus is now on a feast that only the best ingredients can provide. Simply put: the harvest is complete—let’s enjoy the feast!
While most were still lathering on the sunscreen last summer, area chefs were dreaming up fall favorites to herald the advent of autumn.
At San Francisco restaurant, Foreign Cinema, fall produce will make a strong showing thanks to the creativity of chef Gayle Pirie. “In the fall, we use late harvest tomatoes…as well as figs and fig leaves. Grapes are a favorite, in particular chardonnay.” Roasting pork and duck with these ingredients yields the distinctive flavors diners have come to expect at Foreign Cinema. Autumn beans, such as Italian white, Romano, cranberry and haricot verts, are favorites as well. Seasonality takes a sweet turn as well for Pirie. “Our favorite, the pomegranate, will be used in salads and granitas, along with a marinade for chicken or duck.”
A duck confit with persimmons and chicory is slated for the autumn menu of the new restaurant, Hawks, in Granite Bay. Chef and proprietor Mike Fagnoni’s kitchen is brimming with local produce and house-made products, including handmade pastas and charcuterie. The persimmons hail from a family farm just a half-mile from the restaurant. “Baby root vegetables and citrus will figure prominently in our menu for fall,” says Fagnoni, who also described the restaurant’s terrine of foie gras with apples and a house toasted brioche destined to tempt even the most discriminating palate. “I tend to prepare dishes with more cinnamon, butterscotch and toffee notes in the fall, as diners equate those warm baking spices with the season.”
Greg Cole, executive chef and proprietor at such Napa culinary institutions as Cole’s Chop House and Celadon, sees fall as a time to introduce diners to many of his personal favorites. Venison and game entrees make a perennial appearance on Cole’s fall menus. “People are ready to eat heavier foods in the fall,” says Cole. Celadon’s signature Moroccan-inspired braised lamb shank with golden raisins and almond cous cous was such an autumn favorite that it gained a loyal year-round following. To meet the overwhelming demand, Cole gave it a virtually permanent place on his menu. “All year, people come in looking for that dish, we just gave in,” says Cole.
Even gourmet pizza adapts to the turning of the leaves in Northern California. Pizza Antica’s chef Gordon Drysdale already has his sights set on several signature flavor combinations, such as sweet red pepper with Kalamata olives and roasted fennel. “We offer many different seasonal menus throughout the year to take advantage of local fruits and vegetables when they are at their peak,” says Drysdale. “We select the finest ingredients possible and by keeping the recipes simple, we allow the true quality and flavor of the food to shine through.”
Cooking methods also take a shift under the harvest moon, leaning toward more robust preparations. “When I think of fall, I think of pan-roasted meats and vegetables, which can make dishes seem much richer than they actually are,” says Erin Cochran, demonstration chef at The Kitchen in Sacramento. “One of my favorite dishes to make in autumn is a pumpkin risotto or a savory pumpkin bread pudding to go with a nice pan-roasted steak.”
Come fall, locally-grown squash, Brussels sprouts, peaches and mandarins will reach their peak at many chefs’ favorite organic farms, including Full Belly Farm and Riverdog Farm in Capay Valley and Del Rio Botanicals in West Sacramento. This is great news for those longing to make their own fresh apple crisp, seasonal meat and fruit entree or an autumn soup to warm the body and soul as the days become crisp and cool.
If you are inspired by the best the season has to offer, and it is not growing in your own backyard, all three farms offer home delivery of seasonal, sustainable produce. No matter where you choose to enjoy your harvest cravings, embrace the season and its magnificent bounty—it is here to enjoy but only for a limited time.
