Good morning.
The air is crisp, the leaves are blowing around on their way to a mess that needs to be raked by someone other than myself, the heat is on at least part of the time, and all of it is a fine excuse to sit around with a beverage and a snack. Here are a few suggestions beyond the tried-and-true cranberry meatballs, barbecued chicken wings, and sour cream dips:
Artichoke Green Chili Squares
2 8 oz. cans crescent dinner rolls
3/4 cup grated Cheddar
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
Paprika
Unroll the crescent rolls and press onto the bottom and sides of a 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cheese, mayonnaise, chopped artichoke hearts and green chilies and mix well. Spread this mixture over the crust and bake until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Sprinkle with paprika for a little fall color.
Bourbon Maple Scallops
2 tbsp. bourbon
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 dozen sea scallops
Bacon
Combine the bourbon, maple syrup, soy sauce, and mustard in a good-sized bowl. Add the scallops and marinate them for one hour. Stir them around occasionally. Cut each slice of bacon into pieces that will wrap around each scallop. Wrap them. Thread the scallops on skewers but only three on each one so there is plenty of room for the bacon to cook. Place the skewers on a pan coated with cooking spray and broil until the bacon is crisp, probably 8 to 10 minutes. Baste with the marinade during this process. Remove from oven, take the scallops off the skewers, and serve.
I recall a popular hors d'oeuvre decades ago that featured water chestnuts dunked in soy sauce and wrapped in bacon. After they were baked in the oven, they were thrown in a fondue pot for serving. These are better and a bit more expensive, especially if you use real maple syrup which you should.
Much easier to whip up is a Cheddar Chutney Spread.
1 cup shredded cheddar
6 oz. cream cheese at room temp
1/4 cup chutney, your choice
Dash of Tabasco
1 tbsp. finely chopped green onion
2 tbsp. dry sherry
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Dash of kosher salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and beat with a mixer. Transfer to a nicer bowl for serving on crackers. The chutney and seasonings make this a much more interesting spread than some.
And here is a Country Pate, perhaps a bit snooty to Americans, regular old fare if you live in a farmhouse in the south of France.
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. Herbes de Provence
2 garlic cloves, minced
Dash of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup Panko
2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted in a skillet and smashed into bits. A hammer works well but place nuts between layers of waxed paper before smashing.
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the Herbes de Provence, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook until no liquid remains. Cool completely. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the meats, bread crumbs, pine nuts, parsley, chives, and cooled onion mixture. Shape into a long loaf and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the loaf and cover loosely with foil. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. To serve, use a serrated knife to cut slices. Place on slices of fresh bread, spread with a little Dijon mustard. My choice would be a French baguette because the farmhouse in France sounds pretty good to me right about now.
Here's an odd one but totally delicious, Pancetta Wrapped Peaches.
16 thin slices of pancetta
2 big peaches, cut in half, pits removed, then cut into 8 wedges each, hence the need for big peaches. Whatever size peaches you get, you need 16 wedges.
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Basil from a jar
1 tbsp. olive oil
Sprinkle each peach wedge with salt, pepper, and basil. Roll up in a slice of pancetta. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Saute
the peach wedges over medium heat, turning once or twice, until the pancetta is browned and crisp. Place on a platter and
drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.
Fine before dinner but how about throwing a wedge or two on a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert? Or how about
on French toast for breakfast with maple syrup instead of the vinegar? And lots of oozing, warm butter. Sounds good to me.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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