NOVEMBER- Harvest Dinner

Jenni and Kim were very excited to create this dinner for their friends. When we were planning our meal, we decided to start with the tastes and smells of the season. This is a time of year where the bounty of the harvest brings us so many choices. We are grateful to share the fun and our talents with our friends.

Thank you all for joining us.

After arriving at the Olson's home our guests were greeted with an Autumn Sunset Drink and appetizers of Corn Salsa on Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, Mini Cheese Ball with Pita, and Warm Cinnamon Almonds.

Autumn Sunset Drink

Orange Juice

Ginger Ale, Club Soda, or 7-Up

Grenadine Syrup

Fill each glass a third full with orange juice. Then fill the glass with the same amount of soda. Gently pour a small amount of grenadine syrup down the middle of the drink. With a butter knife, gently give the drink a stir to have the colors blend.

source: Lynette Richards (Kim's mom)

Corn Salsa

2 cans corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 red onion, diced small

4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped small

3 avocados, diced

1 lime, juiced

salt

Place the avocado in a bowl, juice the lime over the avocado pieces and mix gently. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl, mixing carefully. Salt to taste.

Mini Cheese Balls

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2-3 stalks of green onion, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

dried parsley, paprika, finely chopped nuts

Mix the first three ingredients in a bowl. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours. While the cheese is still cold, scoop into 1 Tablespoon servings and roll into balls. Then roll the cheese balls into the parsley, paprika, or nuts and place on waxed paper. The cheese mixture can be made a day or two in advance. It helps the flavors meld together.

Butternut Soup (serves 6)

3 Tbsp butter

2 onions, chopped

2 cups roasted butternut

1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped

3 Tbsp flour

1-2 tsp curry powder

Pinch of nutmeg

3 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups milk

Grated rind and juice of 1 orange

Salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar

Turn the oven on to 450 degrees F. Place whole butternut on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Roast for about 1 hour or till soft to the touch.

Saute the onions in butter until soft and flavorful. Add the butternut and apple and saute to absorb the butter (about 3 minutes). Stir lightly from time to time to ensure butternut does not catch. Add the flour, curry powder and nutmeg, blending with the vegetables.

Add the chicken stock, milk, and orange rind and juice. Simmer slowly for 15-20 minutes, until the apple is tender. Liquidize the soup in a blender or food processor. Then rub through a sieve. Taste, add salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.

Serve topped with a sprinkling of chopped parsley, and a dollop of creme fraiche. Serve with bread of your choice.

This soup improves with time. Prepare a day or two in advance if time allows. Keep refrigerated.

source: Cook with Ina Paarman

Pear Salad (serves 4)

4 pears, ripe and smooth skinned
2 cups watercress

2 Tbsp pecans, chopped and toasted

2 oz blue cheese

Vinaigrette

Lemon juice

Honey

Make a cut vertically down the pear keeping the stem intact on the piece you want to serve. Then carefully core the pear. Then slice the pear into four pieces. Brush pieces of pear with lemon juice. Place cut side down on plate separating the pieces slightly.

In a bowl mix the watercress, pecans, blue cheese. Mix lightly with vinaigrette of your choice. Place a little of the salad in between each piece of the pear. Drizzle lightly with honey.

source: Better Homes and Gardens - November 2008

Grapefruit Sorbet Palate Cleanser
1 c water

1 c sugar

2 1/2 c grapefruit juice, chilled

Mint leaves for garnish
Place sugar and water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Then let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool in refrigerator.
Mix simple syrup and juice. Check the taste.

Process in an ice cream maker according to directions (about 25-30 minutes). Place in an airtight container and put into the freezer for a couple of hours. Garnish with mint leaves.

Crown Roast of Pork with Apple Stuffing

For stuffing
6 slices firm white sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch squares
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery including some leaves
11/2 lb tart apples such as Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

For roast
1 (9- to 11-lb) crown roast of pork, rib ends frenched
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 lb sliced bacon For pan sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup red-currant or apple jelly
Preparation
Make stuffing:Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spread bread squares in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and bake in middle of oven until dry and lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Leave oven on (for roast) and cool bread.
Cook onion and celery in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in apples, sugar, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Reduce heat to low, then cook, covered, stirring, until apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in bread squares, parsley, and chives.
Make roast:Set oven rack in lower third of oven. Sprinkle roast inside and out with salt and pepper and put in a large flameproof roasting pan. Mound stuffing in cavity. Wrap tips of rib bones with foil to prevent burning, then wrap meat below bones with overlapping bacon strips, securing them with wooden toothpicks. 3Roast pork in middle of oven, covering stuffing loosely with foil after 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 155°F when inserted 2 inches into center of meat (do not touch bones), 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours total.
Transfer roast to a carving board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature of meat will rise to 160°F; meat will be slightly pink.)
Make pan sauce:Skim fat from pan drippings. Straddle pan across 2 burners and add water, then deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Pour through a fine sieve into a saucepan, discarding solids.
Add jelly and any juices accumulated on carving board, then simmer sauce, whisking occasionally and skimming any fat that rises, until jelly is melted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove all foil from roast and carve into chops by cutting between ribs.

source: Epicurus.com

Pumpkin Creme Brulee (serves 8)

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar, plus 4 teaspoons
8 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Arrange 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins or custard cups in a large metal baking pan.
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy and lemon-colored. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture to the remaining hot cream, and whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin, and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Divide among the prepared custard cups.
Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the custards are just set in the center but not stiff, 45 minutes to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Sprinkle each custard with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. (Alternately, preheat the broiler, and broil until the sugar melts and caramelizes, watching closely to avoid burning and rotating the cups, about 1 to 2 minutes.) Place on small dessert plates and serve.

source: food network.com - Emeril Lagasse

Hot Cranberry Tea

3 1/2 quarts water

4 cups fresh cranberries

12 whole cloves

4 (3-inch) sticks cinnamon

2 cups sugar

Juice of 2 oranges (2/3 cup)

Juice of 2 lemons (1/4 cup)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes. Pour mixture through several layers of cheesecloth in a wire-mesh strainer into a large spices. Return mixture to pan. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Serve warm. Yield: 3 1/2 quarts.

source: Christmas with Southern Living Cookbook

Chocolate Mint Leaves

Mint leaves, washed and dried

1 cup chocolate chips

Slowly melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler with simmering water. Stir constantly until melted. Turn off burner.

Place the mint leaves on waxed paper. With a pastry brush dipped in the chocolate, brush both sides of the leaves. Leave on the paper to dry. You can put them in the fridge to harden.
source: Paula Deen

Happy Eating!!!!

Love, Jenni and Kim