When summer's green turns to ruddy gold, do you find your cravings changing, too? Maybe you're not ready for meals that fend off winter storms, but you need something more substantial than a light summer grill.
Menu
Here's an early autumn menu that's perfect for this transitional time. It's special enough for entertaining guests and simple enough for a family dinner. Looking for a wine recommendation? Carl Hanson has ideas for what to pour.
Wine Pairing
Riesling will match up wonderfully with this dinner, from beginning to end. In Germany, food-friendly Riesling goes hand in hand with pork, cabbage, and potato dishes. Rieslings are also popular pairings with apple desserts, particularly sweeter versions. And they're terrific with Brie, as well.
German Rieslings run from dry to very sweet. With this dinner, I would be tempted to bring both a dry and a slightly sweet Riesling to the table, and then have fun exploring which version goes better with the different elements of the meal.
Figs and Toasted Almonds Brie
Ease into your meal with fresh figs heated in vanilla-scented syrup and baked over a round of creamy brie.
Rave Review:
"I made this along with a bunch of other dishes for a party, and this was, by far, the standout of the evening! The only adjustment I made to the recipe was simmering the figs, brown sugar, and vanilla in much more water than the two tablespoons for about twenty minutes until it turned syrupy. Then I refrigerated this overnight before using on the cheese the next day, letting the figs really absorb the syrup and soften. Heavenly!"
--shishkabeenie
Herb Roasted Pork Loin and Potatoes
This tender pork loin is crusted with fragrant herbs and roasted with potatoes in the pan.
Rave Review:
"A tasty, comforting meal. I made gravy from the pan drippings after the roast came out of the oven. I only boiled the potatoes for 5 minutes then drained them in a colander and shook them around a bit to "scuff up" the surface of the potatoes. It makes them roast nice and crisp. This is comfort food and if my grandma made it, salt and pepper is all she'd have used! With gravy, it's perfect."
--chellebelle
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
We've paired the pork with a fall classic: red cabbage in a tangy mixture of vinegar and brown sugar flavored with caraway seeds. You might like to wilt the cabbage with a little bacon first, then add chopped apples and a handful of raisins to the braise.
Rave Review:
"This was very tasty. Will definitely make again. I've been searching for a good sweet red cabbage recipe and have found it."
--EMMA_LOU
Apple Betty
We love the utter simplicity of sliced apples tossed with a little citrus and baked with a sweet and spicy crumb topping.
Rave Review:
"Amazing! I peeled the apples first, doubled the recipe to make two, and used half white and half brown sugar. My husband could not get enough. It was great and really easy."
--BAYLENE421
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