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 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!

This was a great hearty meal that made us feel great when we were stuffed full of veggies. I had seen the dressing recipe on Tyler’s Ultimate this past weekend and thought it would be a great fall flavor over some roasted veggies. I also used half of one of the last tomatoes of the season, without roasting. The lettuce is a red leaf and a bibb lettuce from the farmer’s market. Actually, this entire meal, minus the maple syrup is from the farmer’s market. I roasted sliced eggplant, parsnips, and carrots at 400F for about 20 minutes. Just drizzle the dressing, add whatever veggies move you that day, a slice of good bread and you have an amazing flavorful salad - and I don’t usually buy the whole salad thing unless it’s covered with cheese.

OK, I’m going to admit it - the mac&cheese is from a box - gasp! We all do it - and it was a Whole Foods $.99 special from my pantry - so definitely a step up from Easy Mac. It was also tasty, I might add….. The ribs were divine - my first local pork experience, and I’ll be going back for more. I was reading in the Food&Wine article about local butchers that when you have fresh organic meat, not to dress it up too much, or drench it with sauce. Here’s how I did these Pork Spare Ribs:

Preheat oven to 350F

1. trim off excess fat from the meat. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the ribs. I used a great Grey salt that’s super fragrant and great on meat.

2. Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to an oven proof sauté pan. Let the pan heat up to medium-high and add your ribs. Let it sear on both sides, about 5 minutes each side. Put the pan in the oven for about 25-35 minutes or until the meat starts to pull away from the bone.

As you can see from the pic, I also made an Arugula salad. I went right to Tyler Florence for a dressing idea - I really feel he’s one of the best at making and dressing salads, at least for my taste. This dressing was sweet and you could still taste the shallots, a great flavor combo. Another homey fall meal - Johnathan is loving this week!