October 30 weekly menu | fall table

Farm Fresh

beets, cabbage, carrots, gourmet greens, kohlrabi, onions, pumpkin, romaine

What’s for Dinner?

I’m starting right in with those cute little pie pumpkins! What perfect timing, for a weekend full of pumpkin menus. The rest of the week’s dinners are packed with deep-into-autumn goodness…a twist on the traditional beef and barley soup (think kohlrabi!), Asian style cabbage (two ways), and a Thai dinner featuring the beloved pumpkin. Next thing you know, it’ll be time for pumpkin pie!

Friday –  pizza, TV trays, & scary movie

pumpkin and caramelized onion galette (Deb Perelman, The Smitten Kitchen)
gourmet greens with oil & vinegar (Marcella Hazan)

Saturday – pumpkins, beyond the front porch

balsamic roasted beet salad (Ina Garten, The Food Network) with
roasted pumpkin seeds (Simply Recipes)
pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce (Food and Wine)

Sunday – thai style pumpkin

pumpkin peanut curry bisque (Melissa D’Arabian)
thai chicken skewers

Monday – beef & barley (+kohlrabi) 

beef and barley stew with kohlrabi & carrots (Nourish Revolution)
country bread

Tuesday – cabbage, indian style

cabbage with lentils (Nola)

Wednesday – mid-week chopsticks 

yakisoba with pork and cabbage (NYT)

Thursday – sammie night

roasted beet, gorgonzola, & walnut bread panini (Williams Sonoma)
caesar salad  (Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food)

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Friday – pizza, TV trays, & scary movie

pumpkin and caramelized onion galette (Deb Perelman, The Smitten Kitchen)
gourmet greens with oil & vinegar (Marcella Hazan)

I’ve been looking for an excuse to make this galette for some time. And here it is. Halloween movie night and two darling freshly delivered pumpkins. I need to give this pastry dough a shot, but by all means, just pick up a pre-made version at your local market. Just about anything can grace the insides – sweet, savory, and everything in between. And the crust is so darned forgiving. None of this fancy fluting or lattice work. You basically just spread your chosen filling on the inside, then fold over (in any quick, messy way) the dough edges. We’ve got caramelized onions (could use leeks) and the pumpkin for the sweet, a pinch of spicy with the cayenne, and some amazing savory with the fontina cheese and sage leaves. Add a simple green salad for a scrumptious stay-at-home fall meal.

Other pizza combinations:

pizza bianca with goat cheese & chard
zucchini, sliced tomato, & leek pizza 
grilled pizza with kale, mushroom, & sausage
fresh ricotta and red onion pizza
sweet onion pizza
pizza with grilled fennel and parmesan
eggplant & tomato pizza
caramelized onion, kale, & corn flatbread
classic margherita pizza
potato & rosemary pizza
pizza with red and yellow peppers
fennel sausage & onion pizza 

Saturday – pumpkins, beyond the front porch

balsamic roasted beet salad (Ina Garten, The Food Network) with
roasted pumpkin seeds (Simply Recipes)
pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce (Food and Wine)

It is a very small baby step from the canned version of mashed pumpkin to a pulp that’s been scraped from your own farm fresh pumpkin. Take it…so worth the hour in the oven! Given the Halloween forecast (seems the trick-or-treaters may need a boat!), I thought comfort food was in tall order. Comfort in the form of cheesey, creamy, pumpkin-ey pasta. Good fuel for the kids, gourmet flavors for the kids-at-heart. I’ll roast one of my pumpkins, and the cooked pulp to the softened sautéed onions (leeks are another fabulous choice). While I warm it all together, I’ll add a bit of broth to get to do my desired consistency. Just before combining with the pasta, I’ll  mix in half a cup of half-and-half (because that’s what I’ve got on hand, instead of mascarpone), then stir the sauce, parmesan, and pasta all together for this delightful and festive Halloween treat. For the salad, a classic beet version, dressed in a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Add a surprise sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds instead of the walnuts. Dessert? Skip it, and head straight for the giant bowl of minis. A once a year indulgence I’m sure to not skip.

Sunday – thai style pumpkin

pumpkin peanut curry bisque (Melissa D’Arabian)
thai chicken skewers

I’ll use more of the pumpkin puree from my cute little pumpkin. This pumpkin bisque is fall-ish and fabulous. With onions, potatoes (you could also use kohlrabi here), and apples, it’s chock full of autumn bounty. The added Thai flavors of peanuts, curry, and cilantro are amazing. With an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pan, it’s even an easy weeknight contender. Especially if you add some pre-made asian chicken skewers from your favorite market. Just broil or grill, and serve alongside this flavor-packed soup.

Monday – beef & barley (+kohlrabi) 

beef and barley stew with kohlrabi & carrots (Nourish Revolution)
country bread

Another comforting soup-for-supper menu. You just can’t go wrong with a homemade beef barley soup, and this one jumped right out at me because instead of using the traditional potatoes, it’s packed with kohlrabi and carrots. Right up my alley, this week! It’s a very straight-forward recipe; the prep time is mostly inactive stovetop simmering. Made the day before is even better, allowing the flavors to meld overnight. This is a unique one, with just the right meat, grain, and veggie combo, with a surprise bit of white wine, worcestershire, and curry powder. Add some slices of hearty country bread for dipping, and this is one good way to start the week.

Tuesday – cabbage, indian style

cabbage with lentils (Nola)

I have to say, I become less overwhelmed by any giant head of cabbage if I imagine it in Asian cuisine. Generally, it is shredded, cooked down, and flavored with so many fabulous regional spices. Here’s one I haven’t tried…Indian style! I’ll use half my head of cabbage and a whole onion, as well as a can of chopped tomatoes. Cook the lentils the night before if you’ll be short on time. The combination of the spiced and gently browned cabbage with the lentils cooked in turmeric looks downright delicious! Add some naan (favorite Indian restaurant or food cart; Trader Joe’s freezer aisle!)  for dipping and scooping.

Wednesday – mid-week chopsticks 

yakisoba with pork and cabbage (NYT)

Asian egg noodles, mixed with a simple sauce and quickly stir-fried pork (or chicken, or shrimp, or tofu…), cabbage, and carrots, make a fast and fabulous weeknight yakisoba. With farm-fresh carrots and cabbage, it’s sure to be tastier than the more expensive take-out version, and be on the table in no time flat. Break out the chopsticks for some added flair!

Thursday – sammie night

roasted beet, gorgonzola, & walnut bread panini (Williams Sonoma)
caesar salad  (Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food)

Beets and gorgonzola (or really any blue cheese or chèvre) is a match made in heaven. And it’s another stress-free night with my beets already roasted and peeled. Lots of bakeries will have a nice walnut bread – the sandwiches will resemble the beet, cheese, & walnut salads you pay big bucks for in a restaurant! But if walnut bread isn’t your thing (or your kids’!), pick whatever, but I do think a heartier, nuttier, whole wheatier bread would taste best in this combo. Forget the mayo, sprinkle with a little balsamic & olive oil instead. You could easily add some thinly sliced roasted chicken, and that would fit right in too. I’ll use my romaine for an Alice Waters caesar. I’ll substitute a squeeze or two of anchovy paste, and some good-as-homemade store bought croutons to make it even more weeknight simple.

“What the Kale?!?”

Don’t panic and get out the compost bin if all of the sudden you have a giant veggie delivery coming your way, and you still have a fridge full.  Here are a few suggestions for preserving the bounty!  (Soups and stews freeze wonderfully in those gallon zip lock freezer bags.)

• creamy kohlrabi soup (about.com)
• roasted pumpkin bisque (Whole Foods Market)