The Kindred Life Podcast Ep. 42: Fall Gathering Series Part 4 - Make It Together

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Written By Christine Bailey

Welcome back to part 4 of my Fall Gathering Series on where I’m inviting you into a special (and very doable!) challenge this fall (hint: fall + food + friends + outside!). 🍂

In this episode, we finally talk about the FOOD. We also address the roadblocks some of you face, like, "I don't like to cook!"  Or, "I have no idea what to make!"

I’ve got you.

Listen in, and be inspired by the different ways we can prepare a meal and sit down to enjoy the fruits of our labor, together.

Learn about my favorite recipes, menu inspiration, and how to put intentional care into a delicious fall menu while also remembering that, ultimately,  it’s not really about the food. 💛

Easiest Bread Recipe Ever - Photo by Sarah B. Gilliam

FALL DINNER MENU🍂

I’ve created this plug-and-play menu for any of you who just want to follow the plan and not have to create your own menu!

This menu serves around 4-6 people - so feel free to multiply it for the size of your gathering or assign different people different elements to prepare. Remember - you can do it together!

APPETIZER

Seasonal Charcuterie Board

Full instructions are in The Kindred Life book, but here are some elements to include on your board. Choose seasonal fall flavors if you can, such as Fig Jam or carrot hummus. Fresh figs, carrots, pears, apples…

  • Cured meat

  • Cheese (both hard and soft)

  • Pickled items

  • Jam

  • Hummus

  • Fruit

  • Nuts

  • Something sweet, like chocolate

SALAD

Kindred Farm Fall-Inspired Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Kindred Farm Salad

Foundation:

  • 1/2 cup greens per person (dark, hearty greens are a great choice for fall - baby spinach, spinach/kale mix, or a mix that contains arugula would be my first choices)

Veggies (choose any or all):

  • Carrots peeled into long ribbons

  • Thinly sliced celery

  • Thinly sliced apples with skin on or off

  • Halved garlic-stuffed green olives

  • Grated raw beets

  • Broccoli or cauliflower florets, finely chopped

Creamy:

  • Crumbled goat cheese, feta, or raw parmesan grated or peeled into shavings

Crunchy:

  • Toasted walnuts and/or sunflower seeds

Sweet:

  • Chopped dried figs or dates

Instructions:

A great, interesting salad it about a mix of textures and the right proportion of greens to toppings! Lay the greens as a foundation. Add all the toppings on top in the quantity you desire - what you want is for the entire surface of yaour greens to. be covered with toppings. When you toss it with the dressing, it’ll come together like magic.

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

  • 2 Tbs Dijon mustard

  • 2 Tbs raw honey

  • Sea salt to taste

  • Cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

Put everything in a blender and blend on high for 10 seconds until creamy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your preference. Pour over salad just before serving and toss lightly.

MAIN

Creamy Roasted Butternut & Apple Soup with Fresh-Baked Bread

  • Get recipe for my “Easiest Bread Recipe Ever” here, or in much greater detail with step-by-step photos inside The Kindred Life book. It really is the easiest and doesn’t require sourdough!

  • Serve bread with Whipped Honey Butter from The Kindred Life book, or Norah’s Marigold Butter, or Norah’s Garlic Herb Butter)

  • If you don’t want to make bread (you can do it, I promise!), the next best option is to look for a local bakery near you to support! Grab some artisan sourdough or any other rustic boule-shaped bread that’s perfect for eating with fall soups.

  • Optional meat-friendly option: add some meatballs on the side, or cook separately, then add to the soup before serving. Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs or these easy Farm Stand Meatballs are perfect. You could also grill up some pre-cooked pork or chicken sausages from the grocery store or local farmer’s market and slice those into rounds and serve on the side.

Creamy Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

To make this super simple and eliminate tons of fine chopping, you’re going to roast everything together, then blend it at the end. Easy peasy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbs butter

  • 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 cups roughly chopped yellow onion – about 1 1/2 large onions

  • 1 Tbs mild curry powder

  • 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash - about 1 large

  • 2 Gala apples, roughly chopped

  • 1 bulb fresh garlic

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 1/2 cup cream, optional

  • Handful of fresh rosemary and sage leaves, chopped

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

  2. Prepare roasting pan lined with parchment paper, a silpat, or aluminum foil.

  3. Peel squash, remove seeds, and cut into large chunks. *

  4. Core apples and cut into large chunks (you can peel them or leave the skin on, your preference, but I like to leave the skin on).

  5. Separate garlic bulb into cloves and peel cloves.

  6. Roughly chop onions.

  7. Add squash, apples, garlic cloves, and onions to roasting pan and toss with extra virgin olive oil until everything is well coated with oil. Sprinkle sea salt, black pepper, and chopped fresh herbs on top, and toss again to coat. Roast in oven for 30 minutes or until everything is fork tender and a lovely golden brown.

  8. Add roasted squash, apples, garlic, and onions to a large stock pot. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and add butter and curry powder. Reduce heat to medium and stir so all the flavors can combine.

  9. Purée soup directly in the pot with an immersion blender, or ladle in batches into a regular blender and purée. Return soup to the pot and stir in the raw cream if using.  Taste test - does it need more salt? More pepper? More herbs? You decide.

  10. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sage leaf and optional drizzle of raw honey. YUM!

* To help everything roast evenly, cut squash, apples, and onions into similar-size chunks.


DESSERT

Buttery Cinnamon Baked Pears with Ice Cream

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 whole fresh pears

  • 2-3 Tbs butter

  • Cinnamon

  • Coarse sea salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

  2. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler. Or keep it rustic by leaving the skin on the pears. Scoop out core gently with a teaspoon. Cut each pear in half longwise.

  3. Lay pear halves in a baking dish, skin side down.

  4. Cut a little pat of butter and place one on top of each pear half. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

  5. Add a cup of water to bottom of baking dish and cover the pan with foil to steam the pears. Bake for 30 minutes.

  6. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 more minutes until the pears are soft, golden brown and caramelized.

  7. Add a tiny sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top of each pear before serving (brings out the flavor!).

  8. Top with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, or your ice cream of choice.

OTHER RECIPE IDEAS

For those of you who want to choose your own!


Some of my favorite go-to recipe sites:

More links for this episode:

Christine Bailey http://chrstinemariebailey.com
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