So this recipe said it made 4 servings. Granted, I didn’t make the scallop part - they’re really expensive! But the risotto to pumpkin ratio didn’t really leave enough risotto for 3 people. If you really like pumpkin, then that’s fine, but we all wanted a bit more creamy risotto goodness. It was good though - just a basic basic white risotto recipe with some blanched pumpkin added - lot of goodness though. I’d like to try the whole recipe someday with the scallops when my pocketbook allows. This with a great salad and white wine - Bon Appétit!

This is a great entree salad. The pumpkin is super hearty and the polenta adds a nice creaminess. I found this recipe on Epicurious. I did change some of what they did. First, there is so much instant polenta around I didn’t bother with the cornmeal bit, and I actually just used the pre-made polenta already in a roll and sliced it and fried it which cuts down on a lot of the time. I also didn’t have any pomegranate juice or sherry vinegar, but I did pick up some pomegranate seeds at Trader Joe’s this week so that added a great sweetness. For the dressing, I just used my own balsamic vinaigrette. The candied pumpkin seeds are great, and you can only make them if you’re using a pumpkin rather than a butternut squash. While the seeds were great, I do prefer butternut squash roasted rather than pumpkin. This recipe, I feel, is a nice suggestion and can be changed a lot of ways.

I thought this would be a different, lighter way to use pumpkin this week. You can either use canned pumpkin purée that doesn’t have anything added, or roast a pumpkin and purée it in a blender - minus skin of course. These cakes make a pretty orange color and look really nice and fall-y when you cut into them. The pumpkin gives the dish a nice nutty flavor that’s not overly sweet and balances the sweetness of the crab. I think I’ll be doing some more refining on this recipe, but Johnathan and I were really happy with it. You can make these smaller for appetizers or serve 1 per person as a first course or light lunch. I just served them over mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette. Here’s how I did it:

Serves 2-4

1 - 7oz package lump crab meat (frozen or fresh)

1/3 cup pumpkin purée - canned or homemade

2 tablespoons mayo

1 tablespoon chives

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1 clove crushed garlic

1 cup panko bread crumbs - I bought some chive panko bread crumbs from Whole Foods

salt and pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well mixed. Score mixture with your hands, into 4 parts. Form each quarter into a patty. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, covered.

2. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large fry pan. Cook each patty about 2 minutes per side. Serve hot.

I didn’t like the name Rachael Ray gave this recipe, and she repeated it so many times on the show I couldn’t bear to do it again. This was super easy, super fast, but I’ve had better tasting recipes from her. It could be me not making it great, but I think the sauce in general needs a bit more “umph”, maybe chicken or chorizo. I did use wheat penne which I think gives it more substance. I should have made a good side dish, but time sometimes doesn’t always permit. Check out the recipe here and see what you think.

In general, I like white pizza, but find it a bit dry. I wanted to do some sort of white pizza but with a sauce to keep it moist. I made my usual pizza dough recipe but added a 1/2 cup of parm for something different. The saltiness from the parm and the pancetta was enough, so don’t add too much to the squash purée. Here’s how I get ‘er done.

Serves 4

2lb butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 shallot minced

2 cloves of garlic minced

handful of basil

1 cup of parm

8oz fresh mozzarella

8oz ricotta

1 cup of pancetta - I had the precut stuff from Trader Joe’s. If you cut your own make sure it’s small and will cook easily on top of the pizza

Pizza Dough Recipe

Preheat oven to 500F

For Butternut Squash Purée:

1. In a large sauté or sauce pan, heat olive oil and add garlic and shallots. Sauté them for about 4 minutes. Add squash and let it get brown, about 8 minutes. Add about 1 cup of water and cover the pan. Let the squash cook until it’s tender and getting mushy.

2. Let the squash cool a bit. Transfer it to a food processor or blender. Add the basil. Blend the squash until it makes a thick purée. If it’s too thick add a tiny bit of water, or chicken stock.

3. Roll out your pizza dough to the size of your pan. Put the dough on the pan (this is important - you don’t want to be stuck with a heavy pizza on your counter and it rips during transfer.) Spread the butternut squash over the pizza, making sure not to get it too thick. Add the mozzarella, then ricotta, then sprinkle all over with parm. Finally, sprinkle the pancetta on top. Cook in your preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Jamie Oliver does it again! This is the best tomato sauce I’ve ever made - and now I know the secret I haven’t seen from Giada - Balsamic vinegar and sugar. After I added these two ingredients, it was WOW!! I actually forgot to add the parm to the sauce, and I think it’s great without it, but if you’re a huge parmesan fan like me, you might want to add it, or sprinkle plenty on top. The recipe calls for plum tomatoes, but I had diced tomatoes - organic which I think helped because a lot of canned tomatoes that are already chopped can be bitter. So try to use plum tomatoes and smash them yourself in the sauce. This is an easy sauce you can make over and over, I count this better than Newman’s Own too. Here’s how it’s done:

Serves 4

1lb piece of ricotta cheese (I had a 15oz tub of it from TJ’s - I think it’s a bit different but still works)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 a dried chili, crumbled - I just used chili pepper flakes

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

knob of unsalted butter

2 14oz cans of good plum tomatoes

3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1lb pappardelle or fettuccine - whatever you want to use

handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces

2 handfuls of freshly grated parm cheese (optional in my opinion)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Rub the ricotta with the olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and chilli and place on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and firm. In a pan, slowly fry the onion and garlic in the butter and a good drizzle of olive oil. Cook for 4 minutes until sweet and softened. Add the tomatoes, simmer gently for about 15 minutes, then mash the tomatoes with a spoon. Add the balsamic vinegar and the sugar and stir until you have a nice tomato sauce.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted boiling water (NEVER EVER put oil in your pasta water - it makes the pasta slick and it won’t hold the sauce) cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve a glassful of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with the tomato sauce and add a little of the reserved water to loosen, if necessary. correct the seasoning carefully to taste, then working quickly, add most of the basil and parm cheese. Place in a warmed bowl, rip over some extra basil and crumble the baked ricotta over the pasta.

I haven’t eaten a baked potato in a really long time. It’s not a comfort food I crave when it gets cold. It was however something really easy to make and I needed to use up some veggies and toppings before they went off. I also baked the bacon in the oven, and it tastes so much better - crispy, flat, and the fat drips below, so it’s not cooking in it. The salad is all from the farmer’s market, and was a nice warm compliment to the potato, rather than a cold salad. Here’s how it happened:

Serves 4 (or 2, then 2 for lunch the next day)

4 Large Russet Potatoes

4 strips of bacon

1 shallot, minced

1/2 lb green beans

1 bunch of spinach

1/4 lb of Shitake mushrooms

salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375. Wash potatoes, and puncture with a fork so they don’t explode. Rub with salt and olive oil. Place on a foiled cookie sheet in the oven for 1 - 2 hours. They’re done when you can stick your fork easily through the skin.

2. Place bacon on a roasting pan, with slats, and bake in the oven with the potatoes for about 20 minutes.

3. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat add couple tablespoons of olive oil and add the shallots. Let them cook for about 2 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for another couple minutes. Add mushrooms, cook for a minute, and then add spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Salt and Pepper to taste.

4. Slice open potatoes and fill with your favorite stuff - I used creme fraiche, bacon, raw onions, and chives. Johnathan had cheddar cheese on his rather than the creme fraiche. Use whatever you have on hand!

I wanted to feel less guilty about eating a gooey rich mac&cheese, so I decided to add some veggies. I used zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes as the “noodle layers” and the mac&cheese as the sauce layers. It was awesome it just doesn’t serve as pretty as a true lasagna. I used a basic cheese sauce that’s used in a lot of recipes, and you can change the ratio and/or cheeses used in the sauce. I used about equal parts gruyére and cheddar - fontina and a blue cheese would also be a great compliment. I also put some images of the different stages in case I don’t explain it well. Here’s how it happened:

Serves 6

1 lb elbow macaroni, or any small pasta

1 quart of milk - I like to use whole milk for cooking

8 tablespoon (1 stick) of unsalted butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

8oz Gruyére cheese, grated

8 to 12oz Cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1.5 cups bread crumbs

2 small eggplants, sliced thin

2 zucchini, sliced thin

2 tomatoes, sliced

salt, pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile heat milk in a saucepan, but don’t let it boil. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan, about 4 quarts. Add the flour and continue to whisk for about 2 minutes. While whisking, add the hot milk slowly and continue to stir. Let the milk cook for another minute, until it’s thickened and smooth. Turn off the heat and add all of the cheese and stir until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the nutmeg. In a large bowl, add macaroni and coat with the cheese sauce.

3. In a 13×9 inch oven proof dish, layer about 2 cups of the pasta on the bottom of the dish. Next, layer with the slices of zucchini, covering the bottom pasta layer. Add another layer of mac&cheese. Layer Eggplant. Spoon on one more layer of mac&cheese and top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs. Bake uncovered in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly. Let stand for 5-7 minutes before serving.

This was the first meal I’ve made in a while that I’ve been somewhat disappointed in. These duck breasts were extremely fatty, a lot more so than the ones I had made in Atlanta. The fat made a lot of the meat hard to chew.  I also only marinated the meat for about 30 minutes, and should have done so for at least a couple hours. The turnips were nice, and the sauce was the best part. I don’t think turnips will be become my new favorite fall veggie though. Here’s the marinade recipe, as well as the turnip recipe from Jamie Oliver:

Serves 4 - or how ever many duck breasts you have.

Combine in a nonreactive bowl:

3 tablespoons fruit-flavored vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons minced onion, shallots, or scallions

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon: dried oregano, dried sage, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, ground allspice

1. Add the duck breasts to the marinade. Turn to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 2-2.5 hours. Remove the duck breasts from the marinade, scrape off the solids, and pat dry. If using skin on breasts, score the skin side, making sure not to cut the muscle. Brush both sides of the breasts and a large heavy skillet with olive oil.

2. Heat skillet over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Add duck breasts and cook until the first side is browned, about 2-3 minutes. Turn and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Best served medium, medium-rare.

For Turnips:

Serves 4, or however many turnips you have - we only had about 6 total.

14oz small turnips

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter, diced

6 tablespoons herb vinegar (I just used red wine vinegar)

1 wine glass of white wine

small handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked and smashed

1. Parboil the turnips (boil them in water for about 5 minutes) then drain. Put them back in the pan with the oil and half of the butter. cook until the turnips are brown. Pour in the herb vinegar and scrap all the goodness off the bottom of the pan.

2. Add your wine, the rest of the butter and the thyme. Simmer until the wine and butter have reduced into a creamy, emulsified sauce that coats the turnips. This will take just a couple minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

I had a butternut squash that had been in the fridge for a bit, and wanted to use it, and this soup is super simple, and I already had everything else in the pantry. This is a classic Martha recipe I use a lot, and it’s perfect for a cozy Sunday afternoon when it’s just starting to get cold. You can adjust the heat to your liking, but I put in just a tad more crushed chili than is called for and the heat balanced with the sweetness is great. If you don’t have palm sugar ( I had bought some in Atlanta at an Asian grocery store) just use brown sugar, about a tablespoon. If you make it a bit too spicy, add some sour cream to cool it down. Since this isn’t made with heavy cream, it’s a great veggie (use veg broth), wheat free, gluten free, dairy free dish you can serve for your most difficult eaters. Bon Appétit!