Hello! I know we have been in Autumn for about six weeks, but this is the first week that really felt like it.
We finally got some snow last week....
The weather is consistently cooler.
The bees are put to bed for the winter.
The garden is done.
I will not be here on Monday to do Culinary Corner, I will be leading a group of third grade Cub Scouts on a tour of the Colorado Capitol.
Jesus will stand in for me.I will be eating much of my kids' Halloween candy Monday night while you are all at the 10/31
Black and White Halloween Cocktail Night event.
Speaking of events, there are still tickets available as of Friday for the Dinner and a Movie Live Pasta Bar on Wednesday, 11/3. We're screening "Return to Me" starring Minnie Driver and David Duchovny.
See Angie or Hanna for details.
The soup this week is Tomato with Garden herbs. Last week, we harvested as much of the basil, thyme, sage and oregano as we could. We will be trying to use up all that summer bounty as much as possible, so this soup will be a classic tomato but with even more fresh herbs than usual.
The appetizer this week is a warm Winter Squash Caponata. Caponata is normally made with eggplant, but in the garden this year we planted beautiful heirloom squash called "Pink Banana" that I think would be great here. [I decided against calling it "Pink Banana Squash Caponata" for the obvious reasons.] The squash is roasted and then combined with honey, lemon, and seasonings for a sweet and salty dip that we serve with grilled rye bread. I'll publish the recipe later this week when I have a photograph of the final dish.
The cheese is Smoked Gouda with Cherry Jam and crackers. Something about Gouda really works with the smoky flavors and this cheese always reminds me of fall.
At Dinner, look for Grilled Yellowfin Tuna with Lemon and Ginger jam. Yellowfin tuna is milder in flavor than albacore and skipjack, so it is better for grilling than being cooked and flaked. I do recommend it rare to medium rare, as it is very lean, but of course you may have it any way you wish. This is served with steamed edamame, and cilantro-lime rice.
We have Wild Boar and Mushroom Meatloaf with Bacon Gravy. Wild boar has more flavor and less fat than regular pork, so we chop up mushrooms and include them in the recipe to act like little moisture sponges to keep it from drying out. We serve this with steamed broccoli, and with Brie macaroni and cheese. This will be my own dinner at least twice this week. Wild boar are the ancestors of most of the domestic pig species we eat, and are not very far removed from their farmyard cousins. Even though we refer to them as "wild" they are in fact farmed like most pigs and for culinary purposes can be treated as such. They are best harvested young.
We have Balsamic and Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin this week. The marinade will have all sorts of garden herbs and will give a sweet and sour kind of flavor to the pork. We made an Apple and Beet Sauce, which is simply apples and beets stewed together with brown sugar and cinnamon. This is served with roasted tomatoes and a cake made of mashed white beans and breadcrumbs.
As a Vegetarian option, we have Roasted Chickpeas and Brown Rice, topped with trumpet mushrooms and grilled radicchio over a warm Dijon and rosemary vinaigrette. This is a very hearty bowl for a vegetarian selection, and in the cool days to come I do recommend it. If you've never had grilled radicchio, please try it. The olive oil and grilling removes much of the bitterness and it really wakes up the dish.
The Pasta this week is Pappardelle with Smoked Chicken, Peas, Bacon and Asiago Cream. Pappardelle is wide and flat, like three strips of fettucine stuck together. This is good for thick sauces like this with plenty of ingredients. If you asked we could omit any of these ingredients, to make it the way you prefer.
For specials at dinner this week, look for Sesame Tilapia with Honey-Lime Sauce, Carved Lamb Sirloin with Garden Mint sauce, Shepherd's Pie, Shrimp and Sausage over Cheese Grits, Phyllo Pastry Salmon, Wagyu Beef Flank Steak, and Baked Cod with Buttered Breadcrumbs.
At Lunch this week try the Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon, Teriyaki Ribs, Soft Shell Crabs, Fried Chicken, and more!
As always, thank you for your support and enthusiasm. I look forward to seeing you all this week!
