F is for fall flavor, and this Autumn Harvest Rice is a recipe developed with the intention to bring the flavors of fall to table and plate.
Dave the Builder and I love spending time at The Buckhorn Inn when we are in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Travel to Tennessee has been off the table for us over the last two years, but where there’s a website and webcam, there’s a way to pop in for a virtual visit every now and then.
The Buckhorn post its weekly dinner menu at the first of the week, and I’ve noticed Chef Frank including Autumn Harvest Rice Pilaf for fall.
Immediately intrigued and inspired to create, I decided to try my hand at mastering a main to side dish teeming with seasonal seasonings.
Out from the cabinet comes my new Dutch oven and seasonings ready to boil, blend, steam and simmer.
Chopped apples, apple juice, brown sugar, butter, cloves, nutmeg, walnuts, and fig preserves do a fall-autumn dessert good, but can I just tell you this sweet power flavor combo delectably complements the savory of fresh mushrooms and onions sautéed in butter, brown and long-grain white rice, chicken broth, Kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh parsley in balanced and well-seasoned taste of fall perfection.
Autumn Harvest Rice
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 16 oz. container fresh sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1 apple, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup apple juice
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon fig preserves, optional
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Mix butter, water, chicken broth, long grain white rice, and brown rice in a medium saucepan, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
In a large skillet, melt 4 Tablespoons (½ stick) butter over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until onions become translucent.
Next, add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper, stirring to coat.
Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook onions and mushrooms until soft, about 7 minutes.
In a large saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (½ stick). Add the chopped apples, brown sugar, ground cloves and ground nutmeg.
Stir in apple juice and fig preserves and bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium; stir in chopped walnuts.
Lower heat to low, allowing walnuts to slightly soften.
Fold cooked rice into sautéed mushrooms and onions then incorporating seasoned apples and walnuts mixture into the rice combination.
Maple sweet potato patties rounded out the menu, and the crowd went wild.
Well, our taste buds did.
Dave the Builder put his request in for Autumn Harvest Rice to be added to our traditional Thanksgiving menu.
We aim to prepare, plate, and please.
Let me know if you make this recipe, and what you think.
