a fall-inspired dinner party

the weather in charlottesville has been quite hot lately, but i am starting to feel the very beginnings of fall-- my absolute favorite season!  the leaves are changing and falling off the trees, and there's an occasional chill in the air in the morning when walking around grounds.

so, when a friend and i decided to throw a dinner party this weekend, the weather inspired us to create a fall meal with all the fresh flavors of the season.  we planned the most delightful menu of dishes:  rosemary and garlic pork tenderloin, roasted vegetables, wild rice and cranberry salad, and a wonderful (secret) fall dessert.

i got up bright and early on saturday morning and and hit the farmer's market to pick up some fruit and veg for the meal.  for the roasted vegetables, i got some small red potatoes, two large vidalia (or yellow) onions, and a bunch of beautiful carrots with the leafy tops still on.  nothing says "fresh" like full carrots!

i scrubbed my veggies well and cut them all in to nice bite-size chunks, similarly sized.  the potatoes were small enough that i just cut them in to eighths, the onion in to twelve, and the carrots in thick coins.  i didn't peel the carrots because it looks more rustic that way, but if you're more comfortable peeling them, go for it!  i tossed the whole mix of veg with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some red pepper flakes for a little subtle kick.  

  

i roasted them in the oven at about 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, flipping them around a few times.  your veggies might take more or less time depending on how small or big you cut them, so just keep and eye on them in the oven.  you can tell if they're done when the carrots are soft (but not mushy), the onions are caramelized, and the potatoes are fork tender.  

here they are!

the next fall-inspired side dish we served was a warm wild rice salad with dried cranberries, green onions, and almonds.  i started by using the fast-cook recipe of the long grain wild rice, substituting chicken stock (instead of broth if you can!) for the water called for in the cooking instructions.  i cut up a small bunch of green onions and tossed them in with the cooked rice.  the final mix-ins were about a cup of dried cranberries and a half-cup of slivered almonds.  with all the ingredients together, i made sure to salt and pepper the dish, and added a squeeze of lemon juice for an acidic bite (great tip, Beth :] ).  you can serve this room temperature, but i would suggest serving it warm.

and for the main attraction: rosemary and garlic pork tenderloin with a parmesan cream sauce.  i started by making a garlic and rosemary paste to spread on the tenderloins. i believe just about an entire large head of garlic went in to the food processor along with three or four sprigs of fresh rosemary, some olive oil, and S&P (salt and pepper).  i pureed it until it made a nice small paste and shmeared it on the tops of the S&P'd tenderloins in a baking dish.  **note: this works wonderfully as a spread over chicken or steak, too, if you don't eat pork!

i baked them at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes and cut in to them to make sure their juices ran clear and let them rest for five minutes.  while they rested, i put a cup of cream into a small sauce pan and brought it to a simmer, added a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese, and stirred until the cheese melted.  i added a few cracks of fresh pepper and a generous squeeze of dijon (or any kind of brown) mustard to give it a little zip.  stir until thick and creamy.

when the pork had rested, i sliced it into medallions and arranged it on a platter.  then, to finish it off, i drizzled the parmesan cream sauce right over the top (and put the rest in a bowl on the side for extra spoonfuls).  i cannot describe how tender and delicious this tenderloin was!  all together on a plate, this meal was a delicious homage to fall, and a fun and easy supper to serve at a dinner party.  here's the final product:

but now for the most important part of any dinner party:  dessert!

 when the weather starts to get this way, i always crave apples.  since i am allergic to raw apples (and annoyingly, a lot of fresh fruit), i decided to buy some this week to bake the most adorable (and delicious!) dessert with them.  with a dinner party of 12, i didn't want to make a whole pie (or two..), but i really wanted to make apple pie.  i decided instead to make mini honey apple pies. oohhh yes.


i started by making the filling:  six small empress apples cut in to six slices and then cut again (see the photo), 1/2 c. of light brown sugar, 1/3 of flour, a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and the same of nutmeg, and the juice of one lemon.  this makes the filling for about 14 mini pies.

the cute "mini" part of these pies comes from the fact that i baked them in a cupcake pan, so everyone gets their own tiny apple pie.  i bought two boxes of pie crusts (so in total, 4 dough rounds) and, using a small bowl, cut out circles of dough about a 1/4 of an inch wider than the openings of the cupcake wells.  after spraying the wells with cooking spray, i tucked the dough inside each one, making sure to leave a crust around the outside of each one.  i filled each pie just to the top with my apple filling and dotted them with very cold cubes of butter

i then cut out circles of dough for the top crust big enough to cover the wells and the crust of dough that i left around the edge of each pie.  using egg wash as glue, i put the top crust on the pies and crimped the dough together with a fork.  i egg washed the tops of each one and sprinkled them with granulated sugar.  the final step was to take a sharp knife and make a slit in the tops for the steam to escape during baking (or else you'll have exploding pies on your hands!)  i baked my pies at 375 for 25 minutes, turning halfway through.  you'll know they're done when they are golden brown on the top.

serve warm with a scoop of good vanilla bean ice cream, and enjoy with good friends.  bon appetite!