doorstep cheer

the season has definitely changed. my strawberries gave their all and have died. my herbs also have given their life to great success. so i snipped the last of my oregano (and made a rockin' soup with it!) and said goodbye to the lifeless stems. it is simply time for pumpkins. so green gives way to orange, which will soon usher in the red of Christmas cheer. the Lord our God is beautiful.

these pumpkins will sit looking lovely. and then, sometime before thanksgiving, they will become culinary vessels. it's tradition. they must die and be resurrected to greater glory. and we will be warmed and filled with potpie goodness. :)

for joy

chicken pesto lasagna

8 to 12 lasagna noodles

1 pound mozzerella cheese

1/4-1/2 pound parmesan cheese

4 chicken breasts

2 cups fresh baby spinch

1 cup fresh basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

3 cups chicken broth

1 quart cottage cheese

1 egg, beaten



in a large saute pan or pot, saute chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder until cooked through. remove from pan and dice into bite-size pieces. set aside.



get noodles boiling in water. turn off the burner when noodles are al dente, and leave them in the pot.



while noodles are boiling, mix cottage cheese with egg. set aside. grate mozzerella and parmesan. set aside. wash and dry spinach.



melt butter in the saute pan that you cooked the chicken in, then whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and basil. slowly whisk in chicken broth, and cook while stirring until it thickens like a gravy and it at a boil. add cooked chicken and combine.



in a buttered 9x13 dish, layer the ingredients in the following order, beginning with the noodles:



noodles (4 to 6 to each layer, depending size of noodles)

chicken mix

pesto

cottage cheese mix

spinach

mozzarella

parmesan



do this layering process a second time, beginning with the noodles and ending with the parmesan. bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

thinking culinary thoughts

Now that it's autumn, and all the magazines are coming out with lovely recipes for fall-season food, i thought it time to compile a list of all the delectables i MUST make this year. some are my own annual recipes that have become traditions, some are brand new from the glossy pages of october's Bon Appetite, and some are old archived recipes that have never seen the light of day. but i don't want to let this season go by and wish i had made the most of it, and that includes the culinary arts.

autumn is both joe's and my favorite time of year in every respect - rain, wool sweaters, crackling fires, book readings, butternut squash, festivities, candlelight, thanksgiving...and then, Christmas. it just doesn't get any better.

the notes in parentheses are mine, so i remember where to find a recipe when it's time to get cooking. if any of these sound lovely to any of you, i'd be happy to pass on the recipe. and, as is obvious, i will be taking pictures. :)

Chicken Pot Pie in a Pumpkin

Buttermilk Biscuits (Martha Stewart Holiday Baking, p 24)

Angel Biscuits (Martha Stewart Holiday Baking, p.22)

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Maple Butter (Polka Dot Binder)

Chai-Brined Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Apple Chutney (Polka Dot Binder)

Autumn Maple Cutout Cookies (Polka Dot Binder)

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter (Red Binder)

Maple Corn Bread with Bacon and Scallions (Red Binder)

Momma's Stollen

Cardamom Bread

Cornbread Stuffed Cornish Game hens (Bon Appetit, p.110)

Texas Beef Brisket Chili (Bon Appetite, p.110)

Cheesy Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Crème Fraiche (Bon Appetite, p.115)

Carmel Pear Butter (Bon Appetite, p.121)

Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sage (Bon Appetite, p.128)