Fall Dinner Date Night

    This is a late summer early fall themed meal perfect for a group dinner or a date night. As we harvest the last of our gardens fruits from the growing season we can use them to make savory, satisfying, and heathy meals. For this meal, it has a drink (alcoholic optional), salad, soup, and main course pasta dish. there are staples in the meals of both summer and fall. 

Blood Orange Spritzer

Ingredients:

-          1 blood orange

-          ½ cup apple cider

-          ½ cup club soda or non-alcoholic ginger beer

 

Instructions:

1. Cut half of the blood orange into half-moon slices
2. Squeeze the other half into the glass and add ice
3. Pour over the cider and club soda. Top with sliced oranges
4. optional: add 1 oz of desired alcohol 

 

Feta Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

-          Half box of whole grain pasta

-          2 cups (or two small containers) of cherry tomatoes

-          Square 3 inch block of feta or a small container of crumbled

-          1 medium onion diced

-          4 cloves of garlic (whole)

-          Salt & Pepper to taste (pinch of both recommended) 

-          Italian seasoning herbs

-          Fresh basil: about 6 large leaves (can substitute 1 tsp dried)

-          Olive Oil

-          Optional: lemon zest

 

Instructions:

1. Wash produce and cut onion
2. Add feta cheese to the middle of a 3” deep baking dish. Then, add the cherry tomatoes whole, diced onion, and whole garlic cloves.
3. Drizzle with about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Top with a small sprinkle of salt, pepper to taste, and about 1 tsp of Italian seasoning herbs.
4. Place in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes.
5.  Boil water and cook pasta according to the package.
6. Remove the dish when tomatoes have deflated and the feta is soft. Mash with a fork or potato masher to thoroughly combine contents.
7.  Add pasta to the baking dish and mix well. Add in thinly sliced basil and stir to combine. If using dried basil, add before going into the oven.

 

Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Dressing

Salad Ingredients:

-          1 apple (any variety)

-          Walnuts or pecans: 2 tablespoons per person

-          Spinach or mixed greens

-          Dried cranberries: 1 tablespoon per person

-          Goat cheese, blue cheese, or feta cheese: about 1-2 Tablespoon per person

-          Optional: top with cooked chicken or roasted chickpeas

 

Dressing Ingredients:

-          2/3 cup olive oil

-          1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

-          2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup

-          1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

-          ¼ Teaspoon salt

-          Fresh cracked pepper

 

Directions:

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients into a salad dressing container or Mason jar and shake well. Refrigerate.
2. Chop all of the vegetables and the apple into bite sized pieces.
3. Top with the chopped nuts, cheese, and dried cranberries and toss in the dressing. Use just enough to lightly coat.

 

Wild Rice Harvest Soup

Ingredients:

-          6 cups of stock: can be vegetable or chicken

-          1 cup uncooked wild rice

-          1 cup thin sliced mushrooms (portabella or white)

-          4 cloves of garlic: smashed or thinly diced

-          1 cup diced carrots

-          1 cup diced celery

-          1 large sweet potato: peeled and chopped into small cubes

-          1 white or yellow onion

-          1 ½ Tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning

-          ½ cup to 1 cup of half & half

-          1 bushel of kale: destemmed and finely chopped

-          Optional: 1 bay leaf, salt, pepper

 

Directions:

1. Chop onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, garlic, and sweet potato. Sautee onions, celery and carrots for a couple minutes before adding garlic and mushrooms. Sautee until onions are translucent and celery is soft.
2. Stir in sweet potato and rice. Pour stock over vegetables. Season with the Old Bay and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes until rice is soft and sweet potato is fork tender.
3. Add kale and stir in. Cover for 5 minutes and steam. Once kale is soft, add in half & half and serve. Season as needed with salt and pepper.

-AC