Recent trips to a couple farmers’ markets and a chance to host game night motivated me to try three new recipes perfect for fall entertaining.
And of course, if there are no guests in your home, you might still love to try these fresh, healthy and delish dishes to change up the menu!
Fall Game Night Menu
Our good friends and neighbors, Gary & Suzanne, love to play Rumikube,
and we take turns hosting game nights about once a month or so.
This was the perfect opportunity to try some recipes using harvest ingredients and new (to us) flavors.
- Bourbon Brown Sugar Smoked Pork Loin
- Zucchini/Eggplant Lemon Harvest Salad
- Sautéed Broccolini
- Mashed Potatoes
- Steamed Brussels Sprouts
Bourbon Brown Sugar Smoked Pork Loin
From Barbecuebible.com we tried a recipe that had been vetted and recommended by my sister Monique.
Let me first say, hub 100% purchased the ingredients, prepped and cooked this dish. I take no credit except for the eating part.
Bourbon Brown Sugar Smoked Pork Loin uses wood chips soaked and then steamed on the grill during cooking. Hub found apple chips and they made such a nice aroma while the meat was grilling.
Hub followed the recipe exactly except used less brown sugar than the 1/2 cup called for.
The rub he used is Spade L Ranch Pork Chop & Rib Seasoning.
I have no idea what the whiskey is. I poured what we had (for around 100 years) into a decanter and promptly forgot what is was. It worked out fine.
Zucchini/Eggplant Lemon Harvest Salad
From Love and Lemons, I found a really nice salad/pasta recipe using both eggplant and zucchini. It lends itself to modification. Which is perfect for me.
I was able to use fresh zucchini and eggplant from the farmer’s market and fresh basil from my herb garden.
In lieu of orzo, I used the Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend that I shared in this recipe.
Since I used this as a side dish salad and not a main dish, I didn’t add any nuts, just a sprinkle of feta.
The Foreman Grill was perfect for grilling the veggies and watching over them without running back and forth outside to the barbeque.
Sautéed Broccolini
Also from Love and Lemons, I used their Sautéed Broccolini recipe. The only change I made was to reduce the garlic to one clove.
The house still smelled like an Italian bistro all night!
I rarely see broccolini at the store, so finding this at the farmer’s market and enjoying it fresh was such a treat.
Mashed Potatoes & Steamed Brussels Sprouts
Hub’s mashed potatoes and fresh steamed Brussels sprouts rounded out the menu. We could have done with a bit less food, but it was so nice eating the veggies while they were so fresh.
Wrap Up
I found a really pretty piece of fall TV art on YouTube that I displayed all evening (with no ads breaking in).
It really helped my family room look like autumn had arrived. This photo looks very colorful, but in fact, it really looked muted and moody.
Lady of the Bay is the channel I chose from and I recommend her.
Thanks for coming along while I shared something different from our kitchen.
Has the new season inspired new recipes from your kitchen?
As always, God bless you and yours.