Endings and Beginnings. . .

Hello to All. . .

I hope everyone had an enjoyable- and relaxing- summer. As the warm days wind down, our thoughts turn to school (a joy for some), and cooler days and nights. A few leaves are already crunching underfoot, but I love to hold on to the season as long as I can. This is always a good time to think back on what we accomplished, or didn’t, this summer, and on our vacation adventures. We were fortunate to be able to spend a week on the southern coast of Maine with some great friends, and it was such a pleasure to have a new change of scenery, even though we love living at the beach. The air was so clean and clear there, that driving through the hills and walking along the cliffs brought such a sense of newness and discovery, which is one of the real benefits of vacation. (A friend of mine defines vacation as anyplace you go to where you don’t get bills!) I even got into a kayak and did fairly well until I hit the current coming in the opposite direction. No matter how hard I rowed, I made no progress but still had a good time laughing at myself. On the food side, I dined on juicy sweet lobster, lobster roll and lobster pie – that, plus sharing great meals with good friends, really brought me real joy. That is what vacations should be. Autumn is also a wonderful time for a getaway, if even for a long weekend. Our bodies and souls need a chance to relax and refresh ourselves so try to plan a getaway. My husband always says that you should plan the next vacation when you are on vacation. I think that is good advice. WISH BIG and be grateful for all you have. . .

There are lots of upcoming events to celebrate:

Columbus Day October 9th
World Egg Day October 13th
Oktoberfest
Hispanic Heritage Month
United Nations Day October 24th
and who can forget National Nut Day October 22nd
Halloween, of course, on October 31st

These are all great reasons to cook some new kind of cuisine this month. Enjoy your October.

Tips for Beautiful (and Easy) Table Settings

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 a 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 the 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. And it’s perfect for tailgating, too.

You may not feel like cooking those hearty casseroles 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 still 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 more 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. 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 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 pork tenderloin. (Also great with the grilled vegetables and a salad – you are set.) My friend Barb Emmett also drizzles pesto on the sausages after cooking to really enhance the flavor. (Thanks Barb!)

Fish and Seafood

Also visit 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 best served with a balsamic glaze after grilling (recipe below) or sprinkled with a bit of brown sugar first then grilled.

Outdoor Autumn Recipes - Enjoy!

Here are a few recipes for you to enjoy:

Grilled Fresh Fish with Grilled Tomato Caprese Salad

Serves 4 4 fresh fish fillets such as sea bass, snapper, grouper or halibut

Marinade:

1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 shallot, minced
1/4 c. fresh basil, chiffonade
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Garnish:


Lemon slices
Basil leaves

Mix marinade well, and place fish in a shallow ceramic or glass dish. Cover, refrigerate no more than 1 hour. Make sure the fish is well coated on all sides. Remove and drain. Do not use marinade again. Oil the fish if needed. Preheat grill to high. Be sure that the grill is well oiled, or use a well oiled fish rack to prevent sticking. Grill until each side of the filet is well browned, 4 – 6 minutes per side depending upon the thickness of the fish. Just turn once with an oiled spatula since fish is very fragile. Grill until done – test to see if it is flaky. Serve immediately with lemon slices and fresh basil.

Do-Ahead Tips:

Make marinade ahead- up to a day in advance.

Grilled Tomato Caprese Salad

4 ripe red tomatoes, cut in half crosswise
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste

Preheat grill to high. Be sure that the grill is well oiled, or use a well oiled vegetable rack to prevent sticking.

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes. Set aside. Drizzle oil mixture on the tomatoes, and grill them cut side down first, for 3 – 5 minutes. Rotate a few times. Turn over and grill for another 3 – 5 minutes, rotating. Transfer to a serving plate.

Salad

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely cut
1/4 cup fresh oregano or parsley, minced
1/4 cup capers, well drained
Extra virgin olive oil – enough to drizzle – about 3 tablespoons
Good quality balsamic vinegar – enough to drizzle – about 2 tablespoons
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste

Splash a bit of oil and vinegar on serving plate. Place grilled tomatoes in center, and layer mozzarella and basil around them. Sprinkle capers, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over entire salad and use spoons to coat well. Add some more basil leaves for garnish and serve.

Do-Ahead Tips:

Arrange cheese and basil on a serving platter with a drizzle of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, up to 2 hours ahead. Keep well covered with plastic wrap in refrigerator. Add grilled tomatoes at the last minute.

Grilled Peaches (or other grilled fruit)

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 medium to large peaches, cored and cut in half ( you also use pineapples in wedges, bananas halved and kept in their skins, or mangoes)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Non-stick canola oil spray
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic glaze – available in most fine supermarkets or specialty food stores
Mint or basil leaves, for garnish
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

In a large bowl, place cut peaches, sprinkle with lemon juice and spray generously with cooking spray. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Toss to coat evenly and set aside.

Heat the grill and place the fruit on the grill racks or foil. Grill over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the fruit from the grill and arrange onto individual serving plates. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with mint or basil. Serve immediately. Add vanilla ice cream for an extra treat.

ASK THE COOK!

K.G. asks: How do I know if the fruit and vegetables that I pick are ripe? Many times they look so beautiful but when I cut them, they have no taste.

MB: You are not alone. That is because produce is usually picked way too early so that it can withstand the long plane rides or truck travel. There are also preservatives added to keep it from spoiling, so many times you don’t have a chance, even though it looks lovely. Try these are two tips:

1. Go to a really good fruit stand or fruit market. They may have a higher quality of produce that will be more tasty. Their prices are higher but I find that there is less waste. Also look for the organic produce.
2. Smell, smell, smell. I always take a wiff of a tomato, a mango, a cantaloupe, a pineapple, a peach. If the fruit smells like it should, most likely it will taste great.
3. Let it ripen on your counter. Do not refrigerate tomatoes. Let them and other produce ripen for several days sometimes, until they are ready.
4. Be picky- make sure there are no bruises. Sift through until you are satisfied.

Be sure to keep sending your cooking questions- I love to hear from all of you. - Marybeth

THIS MONTH'S COOKBOOK REVIEW:

Stonewall Kitchen Harvest. Celebrating the Bounty of the Seasons. Jim Stott, Jonathan King, Kathy Gunst. © 2004 Clarkson Potter/Publisher. New York, New York

From the first page to the last, this book will lift your spirits because it is filled with ideas and beautiful photos about the harvest of fresh foods, and how that freshness makes for the very best food you can have. It talks of the joy you can receive from picking one ripe apple or the scent of a freshly snipped rosemary leave. The book is arranged into four sections: from the garden from the sea, from the root cellar and fruits of the earth.

It helps us make our connection to the earth that provides us with our food in such a way that you are drawn to the recipes and photos. (I recently purchased this cookbook on our Maine vacation where I stumbled upon the main location of Stonewall Kitchens in York, Maine. What a thrill that was – the Company Store is enormous and bursting with incredibly delicious jams, sauces, preserves, oils and vinegars, and other specialty foods. And there is a new line from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, which also has food gifts and preserves filled with fruit and very little sugar. If you are in that area, make a stop and enjoy yourself. If not, go to www.stonewallkitchen.com to order their foods made from the freshest ingredients available.)

But I digress. . .I tend to do that when I get excited over a new food find!

Back to the cookbook - I’ve already made a half dozen recipes and have been delighted with each one. The recipes are expertly written, easy to understand and execute, simple to make. Some of the recipes are intriguing – Broiled Apricots with Lavender Honey and Crème Fraiche. Others show the benefit of simplicity – such as fresh Flounder Filets with Spinach-Parmesan Stuffing, which is wonderful because it is not a rich, gooey cream sauce so often found with stuffed fish.

The book also takes you all over the globe- from a Mediterranean style Orzo Salad with Corn to a Vietnamese Style Asparagus Soup to a Spanish Style Roasted Cod and Littleneck Clams on Potato Slices. And save room for the Blueberry Lemon-Sour Cream Coffee Cake, the Peach and Mango Muffins, and Poached Pears in Orange Ginger Champagne Syrup. All delicious and easy to make.

This book is highly recommended and is a wonderful addition to your collection. The premise is so simple – use the freshest ingredients you can and your food will be the best. Great advice.

You can get it from www.amazon.com, or from www.barnesandnoble.com or from most booksellers. Buy it and enjoy!

New Team Building Programs

I am so pleased to offer a brand new service along with a colleague, Chef Ted Kanterman of Marlboro New Jersey. We are offering Team Building Events for companies, large and small. These events are cost effective, productive and fun. We are available to travel to any location. Our hand’s-on team building classes focus on a team approach to creating a meal from scratch. And is new and effective way to train, build or strengthen teams within your company. Cooking and eating have always been a wonderful way to bring people together. By cooking together, teams can learn more about their collaborative styles and discover a unique way towards more successful, effective work. Please contact me for more information at 732 245-4931or go to www.teamchefs.com.

Girlfriends in the Kitchen Cooking Classes for Spring

Learn Asian techniques and tips for this wonderful cuisine in your home.

Jackie Kim is well known for her talented cooking skills. She has a private catering business and also teaches a variety of classes for several Sonoma Williams stores. Please contact me for further details at 732 245-4931. Remember, we travel to your home and have done programs from Basking Ridge to Princeton to Rumson to Brick, New Jersey to Philadelphia and Ossining New York, and all points in between.

Current Cooking Programs just for you

These are some of current offerings of cooking classes – I come to you for a cooking party and do all the shopping, bring all the food and you get to learn some new cooking techniques and tips and have a great time.

UPCOMING NEWS

Recipes for Autumn Suppers

Contest Time - Tune in for a special contest just for you.

And lots more. . .

And lots more. . .

Food for Thought – share your blessings with others. It so easy to do and it makes such a difference to those in need.

Make a contribution or volunteer at your local food bank..

Share your abundance with women who are rebuilding their lives. Share your abundance with women who are rebuilding their lives. Go to:

Women for Women International, www.womenforwomen.org, helps women in war torn regions rebuild their lives by giving them financial and emotional support, job skills training, rights education, access to capital and assistance for small business development.

The Rwanda Partners' Women's Center, www.rwandapartners.org, will allow women from all over Rwanda to learn valuable job skills and produce high quality items to be sold at market.

I am donating part of the pro*fits from my cooking classes to these wonderful organizations.

In the Free Recipe section of my website, (www.girlfriendsinthekitchen.com) you'll find other new recipes

I hope you enjoy this issue. I continue to get emails telling how much people look forward to my newsletter – thank you. It makes me feel really good to hear from you. If there is anything of particular interest that you would like me to include, be sure to let me know. You can reach me at: marybeth.gregg@verizon.net.

Enjoy the best of season! Marybeth Gregg.

Marybeth Gregg has been cooking, entertaining and giving cooking advice for almost 20 years. She is well-known for her wonderful cuisine and great parties. She started her successful cooking school two years ago. She has attended cooking schools in Chicago, Philadelphia and in the New York metropolitan area. She lives in central New Jersey and has been featured in the Newark Star Ledger, The Courier News, Asbury Park Press and the Coast Star newspapers and was one of only ten culinary experts to be invited to the Spring Lake Kitchen Tour, and was featured in the PhillyWIT Chapter of WorldWIT Food and Fashion Expo in Philadelphia last fall.