Free State Studios:

FALL INTO AUTUMN: Menu of Fall Flavors

Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Blue Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

2 1-pound whole pork tenderloins
salt & black pepper, to taste
2 egg whites
1 ½ to 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons butter, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Ingredients: Blue Cheese Sauce

½ cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream
2 to 3 ounces (room temperature) Point Reyes or Maytag blue cheese, diced

Remove the silver skin and excess fat from the tenderloins. Slice them into medallions, 1 inch thick. Season the medallions with salt and pepper.

Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the breadcrumbs onto a plate. Melt 2 tablespoons each of the butter and olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dip the pork medallions into the egg white, drain briefly and coat with the breadcrumbs. Place the medallions in the skillet (do not crowd) and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes each side. Transfer the cooked medallions to a warm platter. Add more butter and olive oil to the skillet as needed and cook the remaining medallions. Reserve the drippings in the skillet.

Blue Cheese Sauce: Pour the white wine into the skillet drippings and raise the heat to medium-high. Boil, scraping up the browned bits, until reduced by half. Add the heavy cream and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by half and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately whisk in the blue cheese until melted.

To serve, arrange the medallions on six dinner plates and spoon some of the Blue Cheese Sauce over each. Makes 6 servings.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple with Fresh Sage

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds butternut squash
1 large, tart apple (such as Jonathan, Jonagold or Gala)
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
fresh sage sprigs, for garnish

Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Cut the squash in half, crosswise, separating the neck from the base. Scoop out the seeds from the base of the squash using a large spoon. Cut the squash into -inch cubes (you should have about 4 cups total). Place the squash in a large bowl. Core the apple, cut into ½-inch cubes and add to the bowl. Add the melted butter, olive oil and sage. Toss to coat. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and toss again.

Pour the squash and apple mixture into a 11x9-inch baking dish and roast, uncovered, in a 400 degree over for about 45 minutes total. After 15 minutes, turn the squash mixture over and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the mixture again and top with the walnuts. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the squash and apples are tender. Garnish servings with sage sprigs. Makes 6 servings.

Caramelized Pear Tart

Ingredients: Pastry Dough

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup sugar
4 firm, but slightly ripe red or green Bartlett pears

Toppings: créme fraiche, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream

Pastry Dough (food processor method): Place the flour and salt in the food processor bowl. Add the butter and process for about 10 seconds, or just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 3 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse 6 to 8 times, just until the pastry begins to come together. Add an additional tablespoon of water if needed. Form the pastry into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more.

Pastry Dough (by hand): Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender. Using a fork, stir in the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. Form the pastry into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy 10-inch stainless steel skillet or braising pan. As the butter begins to melt, sprinkle the sugar over top. Do not stir until the sugar begins to melt around the edges, about 2 minutes. Then, gently stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. (If stirred too soon, or too quickly, the sugar will crystallize into chunks and must be discarded.) The mixture will look foamy at first, but will become creamy and smooth as it warms up. When the mixture begins to color and caramelize, reduce the heat to medium-low to low and cook until the caramel is a medium golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully and stir constantly. As the mixture cooks, the butter may separate from the caramel, but will be absorbed by the pears when they are added. (If the caramel begins to burn, quickly remove the skillet from the heat and immerse the skillet in a pan of cold water for a few seconds.) When ready, move the skillet from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes before adding the pears.

Peel the pears and cut out the blossom ends using a melon ball cutter. Cut the pears in half and, using the melon ball cutter, scoop out the cores. Carefully remove the stems by making shallow cuts on either side of the stem.

Place 6 or 7 pear halves in the skillet, cut side down with the stem ends pointing towards the center. Pack them in tightly because they will shrink as they cook. Using the leftover pear half, cut a small piece to fit the "hole" in the center of the pears. Begin cooking the pears over medium heat. When the caramel liquifies, lower the heat to medium-low to low and cook the pears for about 10 minutes, until they are light golden brown on the undersides. After about 5 minutes of cooking, lift or move the pear halves gently with a wooden spoon or spatula to allow the caramel to run underneath them. Carefully turn the pears over, cut side up, to allow the uncooked sides to caramelize, about 10 minutes more. Watch carefully, and lower heat as needed to prevent the pears from burning; especially during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Spoon some of the hot caramel into the cored centers of each pear half. Remove the pan from the heat and cool to tepid.

To make the crust: Roll the chilled pastry dough out on a lightly-floured surface into a circle about 1-inch wider than the skillet or braising pan containing the pears. Carefully lay the pastry over the pears. Fold and tuck the edges of the pastry down around the pears.

Bake the tart in a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool in the skillet on a wire rack. Do not attempt to remove the tart until it cools for at least 1 hour, or more.

To remove the tart from the skillet, gently loosen the tart around the edges with a knife. Place an 11 or 12-inch round serving plate on top of the skillet. Using hot pads or towels, carefully invert the skillet to release the tart onto the serving plate.

Top each serving of the pear tart with a dollop of crme fraiche, whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serves 8.

Wine recommendations by Patrick Nichols: 2003 Maquis Lien, Valle de Colchague, Chile 2006 Memse Red Water 2003 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Domain Parent, France