10/26/08

Tasty Fall Recipes - Luncheon Part II

If you read a few posts back (here), you’ll recall that I had a fall luncheon for my neighbors. The weather was incredible – beautiful sunny and warm out – and you could feel Fall in the air.


I love the colors and I love the feel of it. I love the crisp mornings and the sunny afternoons. I love soups, stews, breads and pulling out some of my favorite recipes.


That is what I served for this luncheon. And because I love orange, I cooked my delicious Orange Carrot Soup, which is so fresh tasting with a zip of orange zest. And I baked one of my favorite recipes that I’ve made for years, Pumpkin Pie a La Easy! (From my Pampered Chef days over 11 years ago – did you know that in a two year period I had over 160 kitchen shows?)

I delegated the salad to my neighbor who lives on my left, and the appetizer to my other neighbor who lives on my right. Sharing the meal sure takes a lot of pressure off of the hostess! A few less things to worry about is what this girl needs!


Drink
Refreshing water is always my favorite. I sliced up one lemon for a sliver of a slice in each glass.


Orange Carrot Soup
4 Tablespoons butter
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (I use sweet)
12 large carrots 1 ½ to 2 pounds, peeled and chopped


4 cups chicken stock
1 cup fresh orange juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Grated fresh orange zest to taste
(I always double or triple this recipe!)

Melt butter and sauté onions on low heat for 25 minutes. Add carrots and ½ of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Blend the mixture in blender or Cuisinart, to a texture that you prefer. Return to the pot and add the rest of the stock, and add fresh orange juice, spices and zest.

Serve hot! Delicious leftover! (Recipe modified from The Silver Palate cookbook.)

Sauté’ onions and butter


Peel & chop carrots, cook with onions & broth


Puree the softened vegetables


Heat, and add spices, orange juice and zest


(My new favorite kitchen tool is the Zester Grater, made by Microplane. It’s used for grating parmesan, zest or coconut!)

Serve – and watch your guests' faces when they take their first bite!


Mary’s Caesar Salad
The ladies raved over Mary’s salad. And do you want to know what her secret was? Squeeze a lemon over your lettuce before you toss the salad, chicken and dressing! It made all the difference in the flavor.

The girls added parmesan cheese and croutons to each salad before serving


Elli’s fig appetizers
I don’t have the recipes, but Elli makes a scrumptious fig foccasia and fig dip! It was out of this world, served with toasted bread and goat cheese.


Pumpkin Pie A la Easy
Yes, I make this dessert every year. It really is so easy and it tastes just like pumpkin pie – well, it is pumpkin pie – just in a larger proportion. I enjoy making this recipe because it feeds a lot of people. (You can also ½ this recipe and bake in a 9x9 pan.)


Using a food chopper, make the pecan crust and bake


1 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup quick or old-fashioned oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup pecans, chopped
2/3 cups butter, melted
Mix above ingredients and press to the bottom of pan, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Other ingredients


Add together and whisk


4 eggs
2 cans (15 oz each) solid pack pumpkin
2 cans (14 oz each) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
Mix above ingredients and pour onto the baked crust. Bake 30-35 minutes. Let cool and serve with whipped cream on top!

Pour onto the cooked crust


Bake, cool, cut, and add whipping cream


Find 2 cute girls to serve it up!

Both of the recipes I’ve included are excellent fall or winter recipes! By tripling the soup recipe, they both make hefty portions, perfect for a larger group or dinner party.

I’ve made the soup and the dessert many, many times. They're both winner recipes and we love the leftovers!

Do you have a favorite winter soup that you prepare for guests?

28 comments:

ellen b. said...

Oh that pumpkin pie dessert looks duhliscious! I might have to try that for my open house after the elections to celebrate or if our candidate loses to encourage hope into the heart of the people...
The carrot soup looks fabulous too!

Anonymous said...

Yum!

I thought about selling Pampered Chef and then changed my mind because it seemed like way too much work involved.

What a great luncheon menu!

~j~ said...

I feel so grateful for you Sandy! sharing these great recipes when I am in need of some fall treats is so appreciated. Thank you!! again, the luncheon looks so warm and inviting.
Lucky neighbors :)!
xo
j

Shell in your Pocket said...

You make everything so beautiful!!! I love the little pumpkins on the cake...so cute!!

MMM...lemon on the lettuce...I will try that!!!!

I have a broc.cheese noodle soup I love to make. It was given by a teacher friend who won first place for this soup...it is easy and so yummy!
-Sandy Toes

tammi said...

Oooo, yum!! I'll definitely be copying that pumpkin "pie" recipe ~ I'm not great with pie crust, but I don't really like to buy it either, so that leaves us with very little pie desserts at our house!! This, I could handle! (Oh yeah, and since we've got 53 pumpkins, I'll be able to experiment with lots of recipes!!)

Homekeeping Heart said...

The candy pumpkins really add a bit of flair to that pumpkin pie. What a cute idea!

Emily Dykstra said...

Oh my, oh my! I LOVE reading your blogs. I'm living vicariously through your hosting. You inspire, Sandy!

Emily

Melanie said...

I will definitely try the pumpkin pie recipe.
At Thanksgiving I make buttermilk pies. My oldest son absolutely loves them. In honor of Fall I made a fresh apple cake yesterday, not the same recipe as the one you posted but similar. (I didn't have the apple butter on hand or I would have tried your recipe.) My kids loved it even w/o the caramel glaze I usually add. I also enjoy making carrot cake for Thanksgiving and a red velvet cake at Christmas.

Betsy Brock said...

My family has always made a pumpkin dessert very similar to this except it called for a boxed cake mix in the crust. Last year I made a mental note to figure a way to make it from scratch as I could always taste that fake-y cake mix! Well, look!...you've given me the perfect replacement recipe! This crust sounds so much better...oats and pecans...yummy! Thank you!

Prudy said...

I am definitely making your soup and your pie. This is my first time on your site and I just love it.

Girl Raised in the South said...

We actually institute a soup night as soon as fall arrives, Monday night during the football game, and I never know what I'll come up with each week. Gumbos, stews, chilis, potato soup is a favorite especially with cheese and bacon bits on the top. Fall through winter just calls out for crockpots full of soup of one kind or another.

Ms. Tee said...

Oh my - it all looks so good. I've never had carrot soup & now I have to try that. Maybe it'll help me see better! ;)

Jen said...

We do white chili alot in the winter for people...easy and filling. Your luncheon looks great.

Barb said...

I luv the little pumpkins and whipped cream!

Anonymous said...

I was skeptical when I read your first post about the carrot orange soup, but after reading the recipe, I think it's on an upcoming menu!!!! The pumpkin pie, too! My 8 year old loves anything with pumpkin in it and he will just go crazy for your recipe!

I also liked your spice containers - where did you find them, if you don't mind me asking? I think that would help me keep my spice cabinet more organized - it's chaotic right now!

Love,
Dawn S.
McDonough, GA

shelbi said...

:::gasp::: what a beautiful BEAUTIFUL post! i love orange too! and your photography captured it so perfectly! thank you so much for recipes. i am dying to make this pumpkin pie for my hubs, it's his favorite thing every where, and this recipe looks divine :)

hugs
shelbi

GiBee said...

I love to make fish chowder. I know -- I know -- to a lot of people, it sounds gross -- but if you use haddock, it is very mild and delicious.

I'm so glad you shared that recipe -- it looks delicious!

Anonymous said...

Yum! I like the looks of that soup.

grace said...

that's a lot of orange in one meal, and i like it. i'd have seconds of the soup, and thirds of the pie. :)

Andrea@Sgt and Mrs Hub said...

Love the colors in your meal! And my taste buds are dancing just THINKING about the deliciousness of it all!

-Andrea

p.s. During the fall and winter I like simple homemade chicken soup with homemade biscuits the very best.

Darla said...

We have soup a lot. In the fall a favorite is butternut squash, made quite like your carrot. Roasted red pepper when peppers are cheap, zucchini soup from barely cooked succhini from the garden. I also like more exotic things like Asian Coconut Chicken soup that has lemon grass in it.

Your pumpkin pie/bar recipe looks like a keeper.

Darla

B. said...

Where do you store your serving plates, dishes, aprons? Maybe a post will answer my question? With photos?

Brin said...

Sandy,

Just found your blog after asking some of my readers who THEY enjoy reading. How much fun is this?

I'm going to have to try your carrot soup recipe... thanks for sharing! (I serve one at my place, too, except I add a dollop of pureed pumpkin and a splash of cream. It's so, so comforting and fall-ish.)

Brin
(Gotta love Pampered Chef. I've sold it for two years now and can't live without my stones.)

Amy Leachman said...

Sandy,

Love your blog! You have the best ideas.

Nothing goes better with soup than cornbread. My husband thought my Mother's recipe was too dry and I thought his Mother's "recipe" was too out of a box. I found the best in one in my Fannie Farmer cookbook (12th edition dated 1979.)

Can't wait to try the pumpkin pie.

gayle said...

Luv your beautiful blog! Was visiting, & enjoyed seeing all the ideas on hospitality, entertaining, & being a wonderful hostess...

Our family's favorite fall soup is beef stew, for sure & for certain. :)

-Gayle
"Refreshings"

Edi said...

I love homemade soup! One of my favorites is a Sausage Tortellini - yum! I also make my own noodles for chicken noodle soup...I know my kids would whine - but I sometimes think it would be fun to try a different soup each day (well at least in the winter).

Our Green Nest said...

I LOVE that glass/table shot - beautiful!

Gena said...

As always, I love checking in with you. I just did a post with my favorite soup recipe (Sausage Bean Soup) because it's fast and most importantly, everyone loves it! :-) Winter = Soup!

I'll be trying your soup recipe; I'll let you know what the fam says.