Fall Menu

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Butternut Squash Soup

Waldorf Salad

Grilled Sausage with Apple-Fennel Kraut

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Butternut Squash Soup

For the Slow Cooker:
1T oil2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1T minced gingerroot
2T chili powder
½ - 1 chili pepper, finely chopped
1t coriander seeds
1t celery seeds
1t salt
1t cracked black peppercorns
1T packed brown sugar
4c butternut (or acorn) squash, peeled and chopped in 1” cubes
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can 28oz tomatoes, with juice, chopped
4c chicken or vegetable stock
1 can 14oz coconut milk

1. In skillet, sauté onion until soft. Add garlic, gingerroot, chili powder, chili pepper, coriander, celery, salt, and pepper and cook stirring 1 minute. Add sugar and stir to combine. Add squash, beans, and tomatoes.

2. Add mixture to CrockPot. Cover with broth and stir. Cook on low 6 hours, until vegetables are tender. Puree soup with hand blender or regular blender. During last 15 minutes add coconut milk. Serve. Garnish with cilantro.

Waldorf Salad

1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced (or a 1/4 cup of raisins)
1 apple, cored and chopped
3-4 Tbsp mayonnaise + 2 Tbsp buttermilk
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Lettuce

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and the buttermilk to get a dressing consistency. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper. Toss apples with lemon juice. Add apples to celery, grapes, and walnuts then add to mayo/buttermilk dressing. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.

Smoked Sausage with Apple-Fennel Kraut

1 large fennel bulb
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
5 Granny Smith apples, grated
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 cup hard cider or apple juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 smoked sausages
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 poppy-seed hot dog buns or French rolls
Spicy brown or Dijon mustard

Clean and cut the fennel in long strips (julienne) and trim tops, reserving for later use.

Heat oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add onion and kosher salt. Cook until onion begins to brown, add strips of fennel, stir, and let cook covered for about 5 minutes or until fennel begins to wilt, reduce heat to medium-low.

Meanwhile, mix grated apple with lemon juice and add to pan, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add butter, mixing well. Add caraway seeds, reserved fennel tops and hard cider or apple juice. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, uncovered. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let sit to allow the flavors to mingle. (The sauerkraut can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.)

Build charcoal fire or preheat gas grill. Just before serving, warm sauerkraut and grill sausages. To grill sausages, place on the cooking grate over direct medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally to mark all sides of the sausage. Meanwhile, split the buns and brush a little butter on the inside. Toast until lightly browned. When ready to serve, place 1 sausage and a generous amount of the sauerkraut on the bun and serve with mustard on the side. Enjoy immediately.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese*

Ingredients

· 2 tbsp cornstarch
· 1 tsp salt
· 1/2 tsp dry mustard
· 1/4 tsp pepper
· 2-1/2 cups milk
· 2 tbsp butter
· 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded American or Cheddar cheese, divided
· 8 oz elbows (about 2 cups), cooked 5 minutes and drained

Preparation

· In medium saucepan combine corn starch, salt, dry mustard and pepper; stir in milk.
· Add butter.
· Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minute.
· Remove from heat.
· Stir in 1-3/4 cups cheese until melted.
· Add elbows.
· Pour into greased 2-quart casserole.
· Sprinkle with reserved cheese.
· Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

* I double this recipe and serve in a 9 x 13