Back home, again!

Fall Traditions: Growing up as a child fall brought the changing of the seasons and fall traditions. My family and I would load up the wagon and hit the road for our annual pilgrimage to Gays Mills. The two-hour trip seemed like a lifetime when you’re 8, and my brother, sister and I could hardly sit still, our collective bickering not helping my parents’ plight to spend quality family time with the rug rats.

We could all tell when we were getting closer to our destination; the constant movement in the truckster seemed to settle for a bit as all of us kids were intently fixated on the scenery. Concrete and by-ways slowly morphed into rolling hills and brightly colored trees. Crisp air and the smell of burning leaves filled the old station wagon as we got closer to our destination.

Finally arriving in Gays Mills the hustle and bustle of the crowds only added to our excitement. Leaping from the car and onto the pumpkin patch, frantically searching for the perfect orange orb to carve later back home. Fall traditions and memories like these I experienced as a child helped me to appreciate it even more as I create new ones as an adult.

The Little Farmer: My girlfriend Sarah, her mother Carol and I went on an apple picking excursion to The Little Farmer the last two fall seasons. Located just North of Fond du Lac on the east side of Lake Winnebago, the Farm has been a family tradition for many Wisconsin residents.

Arriving on a Sunday afternoon the farm was packed with families picking apples, taking hay rides around the grounds and selecting perfect pumpkins to be carved later. A retiree with bib overalls, a white beard and a red plaid shirt ushered us onto a hay wagon for a trip into the orchard. The tractor made a sweeping pass around the land through the crowds finally stopping by eight rows of apple trees.

The first two rows were Macintosh, followed by Cortland and then Macintosh again, the pattern repeating itself until the end of the property line. A awhile later we headed up to the farmhouse again with a large mixed bag of the two local apple varieties and were completely full from eating samples. The Little Farmer has a small store and a production kitchen on site, where we bought some cider and fresh caramels for the ride home. Back into the Valley late afternoon, we divided up the Apples and Sarah made apple crisp.

Sarah’s Local Apple Crisp
For the Filling
6 C Cortland or Macintosh apples (peeled, cored, sliced)
¾ C granulated sugar
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch of Kosher salt

For the Topping
½ C all purpose flour
½ C light brown sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
½ C rolled oats (optional)

Method: In a large mixing bowl toss the apples with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate bowl combine mix together all the ingredients for the toping and set aside. Lightly grease a 9” X 9” baking dish with butter, being sure to coat the pan evenly. Add the apple mixture to the pan and sprinkle the crisp topping, bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Allow the crisp to cool slightly and serve with your favorite ice-cream or caramel sauce.

Fall Spice Butter
1 stick softened whole butter (unsalted)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Method: using a fork, thoroughly mix all of the ingredients into the butter and store in a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate. Serve with warm roasted fall squash, sweet potatoes or spread on toast.

Mashed Roasted Local Sweet Potatoes
A Festive Fall Side with Pork Chops or Thanksgiving Ham
local sweet potatoes (roasted, skins removed, mashed)
granulated sugar
brown sugar
ground cloves
ground cinnamon
melted butter (whole, unsalted)
Kosher salt & ground white pepper to taste

Method: Gently rinse sweet potatoes with cold running water, and pat dry. Lightly coat the potatoes in vegetable oil and place on a cookie sheet. Roast the potatoes in a 375 degree oven for 45-60 minutes until soft. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before removing the skins. Place the warm sweet spuds in a medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork or hand-held masher. Add the sugar, butter and spices and season with salt and pepper.

Chef’s Notes: The recipe for the sweet potatoes is not exact so the amounts are not given, add the flavorings to the potatoes in small amounts until desired flavor and consistency. It is important to work with the potatoes while they are warm for best results.

Kyle Cross has worked in the in the restaurant industry for more than a decade as Sous Chef, Pastry and Executive Chef positions in Wisconsin, California and Florida. He has also worked at a Wisconsin organic vegetable farm and a California fish market.