Menu: Autumn Harvest Feast for Eight

the appetizer:

Small Parties by Marguerite Henderson, features full menus, like Breakfast at the Cabin for Six with a recipe for Herbed Egg Strudel and Autumn Harvest Feast for Eight with a recipe for Roast Prime Rib of Pork with Cherry Bourbon Sauce.

Cookbook

Autumn Harvest Feast for Eight

by Marguerite Henderson

Recipes
- Wild Mushroom, Sage, and Red Wine Risotto*
- Northwest Spinach, Fig, and Bacon Salad
  with Hazelnut Honey Dressing*
- Roast Prime Rib of Pork with Cherry Bourbon Sauce
- Oven-Roasted Fennel, Rainbow of Mini Peppers, and Potatoes
- Plum Crostada (Rustic Free-Form Fruit Tart)

*this recipe appears in the book only

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At the first sign of autumn, when the days are shorter and leaves blanket the grass, contemplate entertaining at a table adorned with gourds, baby pumpkins, maple leaves, crimson napkins, ochre candles, and diminutive arrangements of russet-hued roses. This menu is easily prepared with the bounty of the season, from wild mushrooms to fresh plums. This is a perfect Pinot Noir tasting menu.

Order the prime rib roast from the butcher two days ahead of your dinner, allowing the butcher time to obtain a roast and have it trimmed; The roast can be slowly cooking as guests arrive. The sauce is easily done ahead and then reheated.

Salad and dressing are all prepared ahead and then chilled until the dressing is added at the last moment. I like to serve the salad after the main course, when diners linger over the last morsels of the meal before dessert. Make the risotto hours ahead up to the point where the last cup of broth is added. The plum crostada can be made several hours ahead and then reheated for a few minutes on a baking sheet just before serving. Warmed fruit tarts and pies always taste better.

Choice of wine for this dinner is easy—Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon or the Santa Ynez Valley in California is perfect with the risotto and pork loin. Try a rich Cabernet Sauvignon or a port with the plum tart.