Falling Into Comfort Food

Inside the Ingredients

By Nora Rae Pearl | Nov. 8, 2025

The maple leaves are dropping and the warm days are behind us, but that means it’s cozy hibernation season. Nothing says comfort food like a warm dish of carbs and veggies or a spiced pumpkin roll cake. For these recipes, we got our inspiration from Harrand Hill Farm in Buckley with their selection of potatoes and onions and Omena Organic’s Canned Pumpkin, available at a co-op store near you, like Oryana in Traverse City or The Grain Train in Petoskey and Boyne City.

Pumpkin Roll

A sweet and spicy pumpkin cake filled with creamy cardamom frosting.

Cake Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Frosting Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Seeds of five cardamom pods, coarsely ground

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet with parchment. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour through salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale, fluffy, and thick. It should be close to triple in size. Beat in the pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients, mix gently until combined. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, just until the top springs back when lightly touched in the center. Cool for exactly two minutes in the pan. Meanwhile, spray a large piece of parchment with non-stick spray. Flip the cake out onto the parchment sheet. Leaving both sheets of parchment on, roll up the cake from the short end. Allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the butter, mix until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until combined. Carefully unroll the cake, then remove the top layer of parchment. Don’t worry if it cracks—use the frosting to glue it back together. Spread the frosting to the edges and roll up. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least two hours. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Caramelized Onion & Potato au Gratin

French onion soup meets creamy potatoes in this warming casserole.

Caramelized Onion Ingredients
3 lbs. yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Au Gratin Ingredients
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups half and half
3 lbs. yellow potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/2 cup parmesan, shredded
1 cup grated Comté cheese, or sharp white cheddar

To make the onions: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have shrunk down significantly and are jammy and brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Remember to scrape the brown bits sticking to the bottom up as you go. Take off the heat, and deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Cool completely.

To make the au gratin: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut off a 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic. Place on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt. Wrap in the foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before unwrapping the garlic. Squeeze the cloves into the caramelized onions, stir gently to incorporate.

Lower the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a deep 9-inch pie dish. Spread the onion mixture along the bottom. Sprinkle on the thyme. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk in the half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a simmer. Take off the heat, stir in the parmesan. Set aside. Arrange the potato slices, starting from the outside, so the slices are standing upright. They will be very close together. Place on a baking sheet. Pour over the cream mixture. Cover with foil—try to keep it from touching the surface—and bake for 60 minutes.

Carefully take the dish out of the oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle on the Comté. Bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle on additional thyme. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crusty bread and butter.