A HARVEST BANQUET
By LUCINDA HUTSON
AUTUMN FEASTS celebrate the herbal harvest in
all its bounty. My Texas garden bursts with color at this time of
year—scarlet spikes of pineapple sage, brilliant golden mint
marigold, silver sages, and verdant stands of Italian parsley and
chives, rosemary, and mints are at hand for seasoning, garnishing,
and creating exquisite table bouquets. Serving glorious meals for
friends is my way of giving thanks for my garden before its winter
respite.
This feast celebrating The Herb Companion’s tenth anniversary
could just as well serve as a memorable Thanksgiving dinner with a
southwestern flair. From the moment your guests arrive, they’ll
know this is no ordinary meal.
Begin with a savory cheese ball rolled in chopped cilantro and
surrounded by crisp fruit slices and crackers. Then serve
individual salads of seasonal greens and fennel bulb in a zesty
Dijon mustard and paprika vinaigrette topped with a baked mushroom
cap mounded with piquant blue cheese filling.
Bring the roast turkey to the table with a flourish—on a platter
wreathed in herbs and autumn flowers and fruits—and don’t be
surprised if you’re greeted with applause. Rubbed with spices and
stuffed with handfuls of aromatic herbs, apples, and oranges, this
bird is moist and succulent.
Mexican mint marigold offers a spicy anise flavor to a hearty
cornbread stuffing while cilantro, serrano chiles, and marmalade
add sparkle to Ruby Red Cranberry Relish. Sherry, smoky chipotles,
roasted garlic, and sage strut their stuff against the gentle
flavor and comforting texture of baked sweet potatoes. For crunch
and contrast, add fresh green beans tied in bundles and steamed
with sprigs of lemon thyme, braised Brussels sprouts, or lightly
steamed broccoli to the array of aromatic dishes.
Prepare some of these dishes in advance for convenience; make
others ahead to let their flavors marry. Give yourself time to
relax and enjoy your guests and your late-season garden. You’ll say
grace for its bounty.
RECIPES
Festive Fall
Cheese Ball
Serves 12 as an appetizer
Curry powder and crystallized ginger give an exotic flavor to
this cheese ball rolled in fresh cilantro. Prepare it a day or two
in advance to allow the flavors to mingle, and serve it on a plate
surrounded by crisp pear and apple slices and sesame crackers.
Sometimes I spoon Ruby Red Cranberry Relish (see page 30) on top of
the cheese ball.
16 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1 bunch green onions with some green tops, chopped
1 tablespoon hot curry powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or more to taste
2 teaspoons paprika
3 tablespoons medium-dry sherry
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Seeds of 1 pomegranate (optional)
Process all the ingredients except the cilantro and pomegranate
seeds in a food processor until blended. Turn out onto plastic
wrap, cover, and refrigerate overnight. When firm, form into a ball
and roll in the chopped cilantro. Stud generously with pomegranate
seeds if desired. Serve immediately, or rewrap with plastic wrap
and keep in the refrigerator until about 20 minutes before
serving.
Fennel-Arugula Salad with Baked
Mushrooms
Serves 12
Warm mushroom caps with blue cheese filling are an elegant and
unexpected element in this festive salad. You may prepare the
filling, minus the bread crumbs, a day in advance.
12 large mushrooms
1 bunch green onions with some green tops, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Feathery leaves of 2 bulbs fennel, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
Olive oil
12 cups mixed crisp greens such as arugula, frisée, escarole, and
red romaine
2 bulbs fennel (about 3/4 pounds each), trimmed and chopped
4 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
4 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons fennel leaves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Vinaigrette
6 tablespoons white balsamic or wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Remove the stems from the
caps and chop coarsely; reserve the caps. Briefly sauté the green
onions and garlic in the olive oil, stirring. Add the mushroom
stems, fennel seeds, and thyme, and continue to sauté until soft.
Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the cheese, chopped
fennel leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and bread crumbs.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Stuff the reserved mushroom caps
loosely with the cheese filling, mounding slightly, and place them
in a shallow pan. (If not serving within 15 minutes, cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Drizzle lightly with olive oil and
bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Place a handful of greens on each chilled salad plate. Mound the
chopped fennel bulb on the greens. In a small bowl, combine all the
ingredients for the vinaigrette except the olive oil, then whisk in
the oil. Drizzle each salad with vinaigrette. Place a warm mushroom
cap in the center and sprinkle with the parsley, green onions,
fennel leaves, thyme, and red bell pepper.
Sherried Sweet
Potatoes with Chipotles and Sage
Serves 12
No marshmallows in these sweet potatoes, which blend the
spirited flavors of incendiary chipotle chiles, sherry, fresh sage,
and sweet roasted garlic (I often use elephant garlic). Use less of
the chipotles if you can’t stand the heat! Prepare this dish a day
or two in advance to allow the flavors to mellow.
4 large sweet potatoes (about 1 pound each), scrubbed
1 to 2 heads garlic, cloves separated
Olive oil
1/3 of a 7-ounce can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, or to taste
(reserve the rest for another use), chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons medium-dry sherry
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1 bunch green onions with some green tops, chopped
1/2 cup or more shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Fresh sage sprigs for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the sweet potatoes and garlic
in a roasting pan. Drizzle the garlic lightly with olive oil.
Roast, turning occasionally, for 45 minutes, or until the sweet
potatoes are tender. As the garlic may take less time to cook,
check it periodically and remove it as soon as it begins to soften
and brown.
Reduce the heat to 350°F. Peel the roasted garlic and place in a
small bowl with the chipotles, brown sugar, and sherry; blend
lightly with a fork.
Peel the sweet potatoes and mash them lightly with the butter.
Stir in the garlic mixture along with the sage, green onions,
Parmesan cheese, and salt. Turn the mixture into a buttered 2-quart
casserole and cover. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden. Serve
garnished with fresh sage sprigs.
Bring the roast turkey to the table with a flourish—on a
platter wreathed in herbs and autumn flowers and
fruits.
Ruby Red
Cranberry Relish
Makes about 3 cups
Fresh and dried cranberries give color and texture to this
flavorful relish sweetened with bitter orange marmalade and
seasoned with fiery serrano chiles and cinnamon. It’s a perfect
match for all kinds of roasts and is especially delicious in a
sandwich with the Festive Fall Cheese Ball and leftover turkey.
Make it a day or two in advance.
1 cup bitter orange marmalade
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 ounces dried cranberries
1 cup water
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila (optional)
Salt to taste
Heat the marmalade, orange juice, and cinnamon on low heat,
stirring, until the marmalade melts. Off heat, stir in the dried
cranberries and set aside. Meanwhile, boil the water, add the fresh
or frozen cranberries, and cook until they begin to pop.
Immediately drain the berries, rinse them with cold water, and chop
them roughly.
Add these cranberries to the marmalade mixture and toss with the
onion, serranos, cilantro, lime juice, optional tequila, and salt.
Chill for several hours or up to several days before serving.
Cornbread Dressing with Fruits, Nuts, and Mint
Marigold
Serves 12
This cornbread dressing, filled with sweet and savory surprises,
is baked separately and served as a side dish.
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried figs or prunes
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup brandy or orange juice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper
2 onions, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped, about 11/2 cups
2 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped Mexican mint marigold
3/4 cup toasted pecans
6 cups crumbled day-old homemade cornbread, dried in the oven, or
2 packages dried cornbread stuffing mix
2 cups or more Giblet Broth (see page 27) or chicken or vegetable
broth
Salt to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter (optional)
1 to 2 well-beaten eggs (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roughly chop the dried fruits; soak
them in the brandy or orange juice, tossing occasionally. Grind
together the next five ingredients in a spice grinder or with a
mortar and pestle.
Sauté the onions in butter, stirring, until nearly translucent;
add the ginger, peppers, and celery, and sauté until softened.
Combine with the fruit and soaking liquid, herbs, pecans, cornbread
or stuffing mix, ground spices, 1 cup of broth, and salt, mixing
gently. Stir in the optional melted butter and/or eggs; do not
overmix.
Transfer the mixture to a buttered 9-by-12-inch baking dish and
drizzle with enough of the remaining broth to moisten evenly. Cover
and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 5 minutes longer.
(If you’re cooking this in the oven with the turkey, bake it for 40
minutes at 325°F.)
Lucinda Hutson is an herb gardener, chef, and author of The Herb
Garden Cookbook, 2nd edition (Gulf, 1998). She lives in Austin,
Texas.