Pork Tenderloin Marinade
Tips for Beautiful (and Easy) Autumn Table Settings and Fall Meals by Marybeth Gregg
Tips for Beautiful (and Easy) Autumn Table Settings and Fall Meals
COLORS
This time of year is a combination of summer’s end and almost autumn. Why not mix the two and create a lovely table setting blending both seasons? Take bold red and orange (beautiful leaf colors) and use them in placemats and napkins. Add some sunflowers and you are set for bright and cheerful table.
Use small tin sand buckets or similar containers, fill them with sand and place red or orange votive lights in them. You can even add some leaves and rosehips to complete the theme.
LIGHTING
Use lots of candles – either grouping of votives as described above, or candles in hurricane lanterns. Remember that the sun sets earlier so you will need much more light if you are entertaining outdoors.
FLOWERS
Think about what is abundant this time of year.- I mentioned rosehips; if you are lucky to have hydrangea, this is the perfect time. There also are these bright orange paper lantern-like flowers which are lovely. Use sprigs of herbs, which are usually at their fullest – rosemary, sage, basil, chives. These can be used as fillers or in bunches with a small sunflower in the middle for a fragrant arrangement. Remember herbs are fragile so pick at the last minute and be sure to keep them in lots of water. Pick some Magnolia leaves, or whatever else is abundant in your garden. If you are a city dweller, you can pick up some bright red, yellow or orange flowers at your corner flower mart. Add some greens or herbs and you are all set.
TABLECLOTHS
My friend showed me a wonderful idea for a table cloth. Take some natural-colored cloth such as lined or a burlap-type fabric, and use it as a table cloth. She is talented to be able to sew a hem – I am not so I use that iron-on tape to make the seams. It is a great backdrop and inexpensive to make.
Entertaining in Autumn – Keep the Grill Going
Autumn is a wonderful time to entertain outdoors — most of the bugs are gone, the sun isn’t so intense and it’s warm enough to enjoy eating al fresco.There’s a bounty of good things to serve for an outdoor meal, whether it’s entertaining friends or just for a family dinner.
You may not feel like cooking those hearty casserole yet- so think about grilling in the fall. There are lots of foods that are delicious on the grill for this time of year.
What’s in Season?
Vegetables
As always, look for what’s in abundance this time of year. The farms stands and corner groceries are filled with local produce for a while, so take advantage. Tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, peppers, asparagus, mushrooms and some corn (to name just a few) are still at peak for a few weeks.
Slice or cube them evenly, and marinate in extra virgin olive oil, with some salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs such as rosemary or oregano, and grill quickly on medium heat. Or make your favorite marinade.
To prevent sticking, use heavy aluminum foil, or tin foil as us Pennsylvanians call it. Or you can also use an oiled grill rack to prevent the vegees from falling in. This is an easy, health and totally delicious way to serve up autumn bounty. Drizzle some unusual balsamic vinegar such as fig or cherry on them, and you have an extraordinary array of vegetables.
You can also do these kabob-style. Just be sure to soak the wooden skewers in water for about 15-20 minutes so that they do not burn up while cooking.
To ensure that the vegetables are all getting done at the same time, follow these tips:
1.Cut vegetables to the same thickness and size and skewer together.
2.Make sure you thread the vegetables where it is thickest so it won’t fall off easily
3.Cook thicker vegetables such as peppers, first and then cherry tomatoes last
4.Use herb stems such as rosemary (also soaked in water) to impart extra flavor
Entrees
Pork, Sausages and Bratwurst
Pork and sausages always seem a likely autumn food. You can grill chicken sausage, Italian sausage, bratwurst or cook a combination and serve with unusual chutneys and mustards. You can marinate and grill a port tenderloin. (Also great with the grilled vegetables and a salad – you are set.) You can also also drizzle pesto on the sausages after cooking to really enhance the flavor.
Fish and Seafood
Also check with your local fish market to see what is being caught. It may be snapper or sea bass in your area. Scallops and shrimp are great at any season. (Again, add those go-with-everything-grilled-vegetables and you have a quick, healthy meal.)
Grilled Fruits
Grilled fruits, you say? Absolutely – use pears, figs, pears, peaches, mangoes, pineapples, and even bananas. Keep skins on if possible to keep the fruit intact, or cut in halves or large wedges.
Grilled peaches with the pork tenderloin is a very tasty combination. They are very best served with a balsamic glaze after grilling (recipe below) or sprinkled with a bit of brown sugar first then grilled.
So enjoy this new season and get creative – you’ll be glad that you did.
About the Author
Marybeth Gregg,owner of’Girlfriends In the Kitchen’and’Cook With Confidence Cooking Schools’,has been entertaining and giving cooking advice for almost 20 years and is well-known for her great teaching nethods and has been featured in numerous newspapers. Her newest venture is teambuilding, for companies large and small, using cooking as the team event. Reach her at http://www.girlfriends-in-the-kitchen.com
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