I really enjoy this time of the year with all the different leaf colours surrounding us. And, with so much rain this year, the green hills just add a beautiful dimension to autumn photography.
The fall fishing is also interesting with those scaley creatures gobbling down leeches and other aquatic goodies before their home is iced over.
Fall is also a good time to crank up the old barbecue for some fish, pork chops, steaks and lots of veggies.
I love the taste of barbecued vegetables because that method of cooking really brings out the sugar in them and gives it a nice sweet taste.
Green tomatoes are kind of tasty when cooked on the barbecue. I like to put the veggies right on the barbecue, not on tin foil, and a little spray of olive oil to get some colour on them.
The tomatoes are particularly tasty this year and a few days ago I made a home made tomato soup. It’s pretty simple and quick to cook. I put in some herbs with the soup and that added a tasty element.
There are so many good foods in one of the most beautiful seasons and lots of great photography, fishing and hiking. It’s too bad it has to get cold and snow and winter sets in.
The ranches in this part of the Cariboo Chilcotin provide some pretty good beef for that fall barbecue.
Cariboo Chilcotin Sirloin Special
• Four beef top loin steaks, cut three-quarters of an inch thick.
• Two tbsp butter or margarine
• One, three ounce can of sliced mushrooms or about six big fresh mushrooms
• One-quarter cup sliced green onion with tops
• One tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• One-half tsp dried basil or one tsp fresh
• Four cloves of garlic, minced
Cook steaks in butter over a medium heat, turning steaks once. Eleven minutes for medium. Put steak on a plate and cover. In the same frying pan, combine mushrooms, green onion, lemon juice, pepper-salt, basil and garlic. Heat and stir until sauce is bubbly (I sometimes throw in a little red wine into the sauce for an extra kick). Serve steaks with the sauce.
Ken Wilson is a freelance columnist with the Tribune/Weekend Advisor.