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Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Patch Picnic - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:45:18 -0700

Upon arrival at the pumpkin patch, choose a location for your picnic. Look for a large table that is isolated, but easy to access with your cooler and supplies. Pack the salad, drinks, and ice in a large, wheeled cooler. Put the cheese and other nonperishable food in a picnic basket.

Pour the soup into thermoses and place inside the basket. Cover the table with an orange tablecloth and set a bouquet of sunset-colored Gerber daises in the center. Serve the food on brown paper products and the cocktails in clear plastic tumblers. Bring plastic utensils, but remember to recycle when you are finished eating.

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Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Patch Picnic - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:30:09 -0700

Like the menu and dessert, when selecting a cocktail for a picnic, choose one that can be made in a large batch in advance. This rosemary ruby cocktail is refreshing and delicious. It combines a rosemary simple syrup with vodka and grapefruit juice. To make a nonalcoholic version, substitute sparkling water for the vodka. Fill a cooler with seasonal ale, water, and single-serving juices. Don't forget to pack extra ice for the cocktails. Get this tantalizing cocktail recipe when you read more.

Rosemary Ruby Cocktails
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
12 sprigs rosemary
3 cups ruby-red grapefruit juice
1 1/2 cups vodka
3/4 teaspoon bitters
Ice cubes

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water, the sugar, and 6 rosemary sprigs to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid is clear, about 5 minutes. Let cool; discard the rosemary.
In a pitcher, combine the grapefruit juice, vodka, bitters, and 3/4 cup rosemary-sugar syrup.
Pour into 6 rocks glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish each with a rosemary sprig.

Makes 6 cocktails.

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Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Patch Picnic -Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:00:17 -0700

When planning a picnic always select an easy-to-eat, portable dessert. Cakes and pies are a show-stopping finish to a meal, but save those for the dinner party.

Pumpkin seed brittle is an appropriately sweet treat for a picnic at a pumpkin patch. The brittle can be made well in advance and it doesn't matter if it breaks while in transit.

This recipe is also fun to make at a pumpkin carving party: It uses up the pumpkin seeds and guests can take some home as a favor.

To check out the technique behind pumpkin seed brittle, read more.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (not toasted; 4 oz)
Special equipment: parchment paper; a candy thermometer

Directions

Put a 24- by 12-inch sheet of parchment on a work surface and anchor corners with pieces of tape.
Bring sugar, water, and sea salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Cook mixture, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238°F (soft-ball stage) on thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes (sugar syrup will be colorless).
Remove from heat and stir in seeds with a wooden spoon, then continue stirring until syrup crystallizes, 3 to 4 minutes.
Return pan to moderate heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts completely (sugar will continue to dry and become grainy before melting) and turns a deep caramel color, 4 to 5 minutes more (seeds will be toasted).
Carefully pour hot caramel mixture onto parchment and carefully cover with another sheet. Immediately roll out(between sheets of parchment) as thinly as possible with a rolling pin, pressing firmly.
Remove top sheet of parchment and immediately cut brittle into pieces with a heavy knife or pizza wheel. Cool brittle completely, then peel paper from bottom. Alternately, break brittle into pieces once cool.

Serves 12.

Make ahead: brittle can be made 2 weeks ahead and kept, layers separated by wax paper, in an airtight container.

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Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Patch Picnic - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:15:23 -0700

Every October I look forward to picking out pumpkins. There's a great ranch near my parents house that has a pumpkin patch along with a picnic area and hay rides, so I'm grabbing a group of friends and hosting a picnic at the pumpkin patch! Since we'll be heading out this weekend, I invited everyone by phone.

The menu will be a hearty Fall-themed lunch. I'll start by setting up an assortment of cheeses and fruit. The elements to an autumn greens salad will be packed in separate containers. The greens, apples, and radishes in one, the cheddar frico in another, and the vinaigrette in third.

The salad can be assembled at the picnic table. Thermoses filled with a fragrant ginger, butternut squash soup are perfect for enjoying at the pumpkin patch. For these scrumptious recipes, read more.

Cheese Course
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

1 wedge (about 8 ounces) Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 wedge (about 8 ounces) Fontina or Taleggio
1 wedge (about 6 ounces) Gorgonzola
1 tablespoon honey
8 fresh figs, quartered
1 cluster seedless red grapes
1 cluster seedless green grapes
1 cup dates
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup whole shelled walnuts or pecans, toasted
1 loaf ciabatta, sliced

Directions

Arrange the cheeses together on 1 very large platter, or separately on small platters.
Drizzle the honey around the Gorgonzola cheese.
Arrange some of the fresh and dried fruits, nuts, and bread on the large cheese platter.
Arrange the rest of the fruit and nuts on another platter.
Serve, allowing guests to compose their own assortment of cheese, fruit, nuts, and bread on their plate.

Serves 12-18.

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Gingered Butternut Squash Soup With Spicy Pecan Cream
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 large butternut squash (5 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup pecans (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small fennel bulb-halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
One 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
6 cups chicken stock
One 14-ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 teaspoon hazelnut oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Rub the cut sides of the squash with the olive oil and set them, cut side down, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake the squash for about 1 hour, or until very tender.
Remove from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Spoon the squash flesh into a large bowl; discard the skins.
In a pie plate, toast the pecans for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant; let the nuts cool.
In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the onion, fennel and ginger and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the squash and the chicken stock, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Uncover the pot and continue cooking until the squash starts to fall apart, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut milk.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the pecans until they are finely chopped.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the chopped pecans, hazelnut oil and cayenne pepper and season with salt.
Working in batches, puree the squash soup in a blender until smooth.
Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with a dollop of the pecan cream and serve.

Serves 12.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently, adding a little chicken stock to thin the soup.

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Autumn Greens With Apples, Radishes, and Cheddar Frico
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup pumpkin-seed oil
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Granny Smith apples
6 radishes, scrubbed and trimmed
9 cups mixed greens (about 3/4 pound), washed and dried
Cheddar Frico
10 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (about 5 cups)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions

Make the cheddar frico: In a medium bowl, toss together cheese and flour.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into skillet to form a 4-inch round.
Cook until cheese is starting to melt and become firm, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, turn; continue cooking until it is firm and slightly golden, 15 to 30 seconds more.
Immediately drape frico over a rolling pin, and let cool slightly to set the shape. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture. If skillet gets too hot and frico begin to color too quickly, remove from heat for several minutes before proceeding.
Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly add pumpkin-seed oil and then olive oil in a steady stream until thick and emulsified.
Slice apples and radishes on the thinnest setting of a mandoline or with a sharp knife. Place in a serving bowl; add mixed greens, and toss to combine.
Drizzle vinaigrette over salad mixture, and toss well to coat evenly. Serve immediately with cheddar frico.

Serves 10-12.

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Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:30:18 -0700

After flying across the country for the NYC Wine and Food Festival, PartySugar came back in time to plan a pumpkin patch picnic, and I revisited some old favorites from Halloween candy past.

Have you been following all the festive Fall action? Take the weekly quiz to find out.

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