What will I cook this season? Something orange I suppose... When it gets cold outside we like to keep our bellies warm and there are many fall recipes that can help. I was raised on soups so maybe that's where my choices are coming from.
I learnt cooking cream soups so that's what it is, butternut squash. It's also from my own garden so I must eat it. It's not only beautiful but tasty too!
My visit to the Detroit Eastern Market was inspiring and helped me decide what I'll include in my cooking ideas. They have plenty of fall beauties. Vegetables such as pumpkins of different sizes and colors, all types of squashes, colorful bell peppers and hot peppers. Fruit, it's apples season! Flowers either fresh or dried.
I have been going there since years now and it's interesting to watch it expand and grow. Street vendors serving food, outside street bars and don't forget local art and antiques.
As for the decoration I like simple so that's what I prepared. Really it's the beautiful sunflowers that make the overall picture looking welcoming and calm. Yes, they are fresh from the Eastern Market.
So I have the yellow flowers and I'm still stuck with the turquoise in my dinning room yet I think they like each other and they look good too. I took out the candles, matching runner and material napkins. The cutlery is wrapped together with a stem of wheat and tied with the yellow ribbon. The tableware is the combination of white and turquoise. I don't often do naked table but for this combination it's appropriate and the wood resembles fall leaves.
My fall cooking list:
Butternut squash which I will turn into a creamy soup
Bell peppers in tomatoes sauce
Brussels sprouts with crispy texture
Potatoes roasted
Pork stuffed with plums and sauce.
The picture presents what I start with. Beautiful and colorful vegetables!
In addition to these vegetables I'll be using the fresh herbs from my herb garden. Basil will be added for the soup, parsley for bell peppers, rosemary for potatoes and thyme for pork. They look beautiful and enhance the taste of my dishes.
I took few pictures during the cooking process. I like to cook fancy but these days I don't have much time. Therefore I try to cut on time and efforts as much as I can. So I'm baking together the squash and apples for the soup with the potatoes that will be the side dish for dinner.
Bell peppers are one of my favorite vegetable. This is somewhat old comfort Polish food that you sauté the peppers with the onions, zucchini and sausage all in tomatoes sauce. Seasoned with dried sweet and smoked paprika powder. I like to mix the old recipes with the new ideas...
... which will be air-fried brussels sprouts, seasoned with ginger and nutmeg. It's easy and fast to prepare.
The most Polish eaten meat is pork and the fall version is with dried plumes. The tenderloin is stuffed with them and the ones on the outside are used to make the sauce. The secret I learned only recently is that I should cover the meat while baking so it keeps its moisture and doesn't get dry.
By the time I was done will all the preparation and cooking, the dinner was served at dark...
This added some romance to the ambience. I'm not of the opinion that food is the most important thing about the meal. I do count on the company and mood that we build around it hence the candles, music and inspiring conversations... What would you like to tell me beautiful?
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