Harvest Party
By Jill Anderson
While I love to entertain friends year-round, autumn is my favorite season. The crisp weather begs for warm, meaty braises with deep, complex flavors. This harvest meal is full of comforting aromas that will greet guests as they arrive. The best thing about the menu, though, is that it needs to be made ahead; the flavors heighten and meld with a few days rest in the refrigerator. Reheating the meal is all that is required – allowing the cook to spend more time with guests.
Two fall harvest items, pumpkins and apples, make fun and funky martinis – sure to set the mood. Light appetizers made with pepitas (raw hulled pumpkin seeds) and butternut squash heighten appetites for what is yet to come. Braised short ribs are the star of this menu. Rich and tender, they sit atop a bed of kalamata olive mashed potatoes. A sauté of leeks adds color and a slightly sweet flavor that complements the menu perfectly. End the evening on a high note with a light dessert of sorbet, warm chocolate sauce, and tender poached pear. The last hurrah looks as delicious as it tastes.
Mushroom Appetizer - Serves 6
Puff pastry “puffs” best when the dough is chilled before baking. Wrap the baked appetizers in foil when storing in the refrigerator. Unwrap them before reheating in a 400? oven.
8 ounces bacon, chopped fine
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
¾ pound mushrooms, chopped fine
cup sherry wine
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
1 (17¼ ounce) package puff pastry,
2 sheets, thawed egg wash made by mixing one egg with 1 tablespoon water
1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is crisp, remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Leave 3 tablespoons of grease in the skillet. Add the squash and onion to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until their liquid has evaporated. Add the sherry to the pan. Cook until the liquid evaporates.
3. In a bowl stir together the mushroom mixture, parsley and bread crumbs. Cool to room temperature.
4. Roll one sheet of the pastry to a 10- by 14-inch rectangle; cut in half lengthwise. Spread ½ of the mushroom mixture on one half of the pastry within 1-inch of the edges. Brush the edges with the egg wash. Top with the other half of the pastry. Crimp the edges with a fork; cut slits into the top of the crust. Brush the top with egg wash. Make the second appetizer in the same way.
5. Transfer the appetizers to a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400? oven until the pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into slices and serve. (Can be made up to two days ahead.)
Braised Short Ribs – Serves 6
Make sure to use a wine that you like to drink, as its flavors will be concentrated with braising.
6 pounds English-style short ribs
(not cross-cut, flanken-style)
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bottle (750-ml) shiraz wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can low sodium beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1. Sprinkle the short ribs with salt and pepper; drizzle them with olive oil. Brown the short ribs in batches in a large soup pot over high heat, turning occasionally to brown all sides. Transfer the ribs to a platter.
2. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and flour to the pot. Stir constantly until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the wine, broth, and tomatoes to the pot, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the ribs and any juices back into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Cover the pot and bake the ribs in the oven until they are very tender, 2 to 2½ hours. Let the ribs come to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight. (Can be made up to three days ahead.)
5. Remove the chilled ribs to a small pot. Skim the fat off of the surface of the liquid and strain it through a strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Reheat the ribs, covered, in a 400? oven and sauce on the stove over medium heat.
6. Serving suggestion: mashed potatoes mixed with chopped kalamata olives; leeks sautéed in butter.
Roasted Pepitas – Makes 1 cup
Pepitas are raw, hulled pumpkin seeds. They are commonly found in bulk food bins or in the Hispanic food section. Refresh the pepitas for a few minutes in a 400? oven.
1 cup large raw pepitas
1 teaspoon olive oil
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne
1. Heat the oven to 325?. Toss the seeds with the olive oil on a baking sheet large enough to hold them in a single layer. Spread in an even layer and roast the seeds in the oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 13 to 15 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately toss the seeds with the remaining ingredients. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. (Can be made up to 1 week ahead.)
Appletini – Serves 6
2 cups sweet and sour mix
1½ cups vodka
1½ cups apple pucker schnapps
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a pitcher. (Can be done 6 hours ahead.)
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes; add appletini mix.
3. Cover the shaker and vigorously shake the cocktail until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass.
Pumpkin Martini – Serves 6
Vodka base:
14 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
2½ cups vodka
½ cup spiced rum
½ cup cinnamon schnapps
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
To finish the martini:
1 cup amaretto
1. Combine all of the vodka base ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Refrigerate for at least two days. (Can be made up to 3 months ahead.)
2. Strain the vodka base through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Pour the strained vodka base into a pitcher. Add the amaretto. (Can be done 6 hours ahead.)
3. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes; add the mix.
4. Cover the shaker and vigorously shake the cocktail until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass.
Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce – Serves 6
The pears will become translucent when they’ve been poached long enough. When reheating the chocolate sauce, do not let it boil, or it will separate and curdle.
1 cup pear nectar
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup sugar
3 slightly under-ripe pears, peeled, cored and halved
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Pomegranate sorbet, recipe follows
1. In a large saucepan bring the nectar, wine and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pears to the mixture, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Poach the pears until they are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Remove the pears from the syrup. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil the syrup until it is reduced to ¾ cup. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate; whisk until it is smooth. (Pears and sauce can be made 2 days ahead; reheat the sauce before serving.)
3. Serve a poached pear half with some of the chocolate sauce and pomegranate sorbet.
Pomegranate Sorbet – Makes 1 quart
Any leftover sorbet is delicious when scooped into a slender glass and topped with champagne.
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 cups 100% pure pomegranate juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1. Heat the water and sugar to boiling in a small saucepan; boil for 5 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and let cool slightly.
2. Stir the syrup, pom juice, and orange juice together. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
3. Freeze the sorbet in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead.)
PARTY PLANNER
One week before
- Make the sorbet
- Make the vodka base for pumpkin martini
Three days before
- Make the short ribs
- Make the pepitas
Two days before
- Poach the pears and make chocolate sauce
- Make the mushroom appetizer
One day before
- Pit and chop kalamata olives
- Clean, slice, and saute the leeks
Morning of party
- Strain vodka base & mix pumpkin martini
- Mix appletini
- Peel and cube potatoes, cover with room temperature water Before party
- Make mashed potatoes
- Reheat the pepitas to refresh
- Reheat ribs and sauce
- Reheat mushroom appetizer
- Reheat pears and chocolate sauce
- Reheat the leeks |
