THE VILLAGE VOICE

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." ~ Stanley Horowitz AUTUMN MOSAIC _________________ PORK MEDALLIONS with MICHIGAN APPLE & CHERRY CHUTNEY ~ A savory melding of rich autumn flavors from a favorite cookbook ~ BETWEEN THE LAKES (A collection of Michigan recipes) _____________ 2 lbs. pork tenderloin 1 cup flour 1 tsp. coarse salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2-3 Tbsp. canola oil Apple & Cherry Chutney Trim the fat from the pork. Slice 1/2 inch thick. Place pork between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound 1/4 inch thick. Dust pork with flour, salt & pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and saute on both sides until browned and cooked through. Serve pork with Apple & Cherry Chutney. (4-6 servings) APPLE & CHERRY CHUTNEY 1 Tbsp. butter 1/4 onion, chopped 1 peeled and diced apple 1/3 cup dried cherries 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar pinc...

"Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nightly to the listening earth Repeats the story of her birth." ~ Joseph Addison FALLING LEAVES MOON Ginaakwe - giizis ( Ojibwe ) _____________________ CORNISH GAME HENS with APPLE THYME GLAZE ~ Savory taste of autumn, company fare, or perfect for a simple Sunday supper (October1992 Bon Appetit ) ___________ 1 large Cornish Game Hen (pheasant or duck also good), cut in half, backbone discarded coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper 3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. minced shallot 2 Tbsp apple jelly 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme ( 1/2 tsp. crumbled dried) 2 tsp. cider vinegar Apple slices Fresh thyme sprigs Preheat broiler. Heat 2 tsp. oil in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Add shallot and saute until translucent , about 2 minutes. Add apple jelly and chopped thyme and stir until jelly melts. Mix in vinegar . Set glaze aside. Rub hen halves with remaining 1 tsp. olive oil. Season with ...

"But thy eternal summer shall not fade." ~ William Shakespeare ~ Vibrant gerbera daisy _____________ COFFEE INFUSED GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN ~ Lingering robust summer flavor ( adapted from Cooking Light) __________ 2 (1-lb. trimmed pork tenderloins 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1/4 cup finely ground coffee 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika 2 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper 1 tsp. coarse salt 1/4 favorite barbecue sauce 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar Combine coffee, vinegar, mustard and brown sugar in large zip-lock plastic bag; add pork and seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2-12 hours, turning occasionally . Remove pork from bag; discard liquid. Prepare grill. Combine ground coffee, sugar, paprika, cracked pepper & salt. Rub over pork. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup barbecue sauce and 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar . Reserve 2 Tbsp. of barbecue sauce mixture; set aside. Place pork on grill...

~ Alstroemeria (simply lovable face) _____________ Gardner's Note: "( al ztruh mee'ree uh):n. A genus of 60 species of bulbs ( Alstroemeriaceae ) with long, thin, lancelike leaves topped with loose clusters of azalea-shaped flowers streaked in a myriad of colors. Used for massing or in borders. Commonly known as Peruvian lily . " ______________________ GNOCCHI with WILD MUSHROOMS ~ Although gnocchi is simple to prepare, with the busy season ahead consider this tasty dish from FOOD & WINE (NOV 2006 ) made even easier with store-bought gnocchi. * 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 lbs. (10 cups) stemmed mixed wild mushrooms 2 minced shallots 1/4 cup dry vermouth 3/4 cup organic chicken stock 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. chopped thyme coarse salt & freshly ground pepper 2 lbs. fresh or frozen prepared gnocchi 6 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp. white truffle oil (optional) Prepare broiler. In large ovenproof skillet, heat oli...

~ Oak leaves at the lake ______________ APPLE, DRIED CHERRY & WALNUT SALAD with MAPLE DRESSING (Mountain Town Salad) _________________ ~ From Mountain Town Station Brewing Company & Steakhouse in Mount Pleasant, Michigan ( http://www.mountaintown.com/menu.aspx ) comes this delightful salad. * Maple Dressing: 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 3 Tbsp Champagne vinegar or other white wine vinegar (e.g. balsamic) 2 tsp. sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil Salad: 1 5-oz. bag mixed baby greens (about 10 cups) 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips 1/2 cup dried tart cherries 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts For Dressing: Whisk mayonnaise, maple syrup, vinegar, and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil until mixture thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt & pepper. ( Dressing can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewhisk before using.) For Salad: Toss greens, apples, cherries , a...

" Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed." ~ Robert Schuller ~ Apple Orchard (Old Mission Peninsula) ( http://www.oldmission.com/ ) _______________ GLAZED APPLE & HORSERADISH SALMON ~ Autumn supper blending the flavor of sweet salmon and tastes of the season. * 4 (6-oz.) 1-inch thick skinned salmon fillets extra-virgin olive oil sea salt & freshly ground black pepper sprinkling of thyme and rosemary Glaze: 1/3 cup good apple jelly 1/4 cup vermouth 2 Tbsp. horseradish 2 tsp. finely snipped fresh thyme 2 tsp. finely snipped fresh rosemary 1 Tbsp. chopped chives or green onion Drizzle olive oil over salmon and massage into surface. Sprinkle with herbs, salt & pepper. Set aside. For glaze, place vermouth, horseradish, thyme and rosemary in saucepan. Bring to boil. Sir in apple jelly and simmer until melted. Remove from heat and add chives or green onion. Let cool slightly and brush over salmon, reserving remaining sa...

" THE ONION IS THE TRUFFLE OF THE POOR." ~ Robert J. Courtine ~ Autumn chrysanthemums __________________ ONION CHRYSANTHEMUMS ~ Delicious treat adapted from an old SUNSET MAGAZINE clipping. As cut onions bake, they soften and open like flowers.) * 4-6 (6-8 oz.) red or yellow onions 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil coarse salt, freshly ground cracked pepper, and cayenne 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (dark or white) 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, walnuts or pecans chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, and chives Peel onions; trim tops and root ends if needed to sit flat. Set onion on root end. From top, cut through middle of each onion to 1/2 inch from bottom. Repeat 10-12 cuts (1/2 to 3/4 inches apart). Place onion, cut side up in 9x13-inch pan. Drizzle evenly with oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Bake, covered, in 400-degree oven until onions are very tender when pierced in center, about 1 hour. Uncover. Sprinkle evenly with vinegar, toasted nuts and herbs to taste. Bake...

~ A FAVORITE 'COMPANY FARE' AUTUMN DINNER ~ CHICKEN MARBELLA ( enjoyed for over 20 years ~ adapted from "The Silver Palate Cookbook) 12 plump boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 peeled and finely minced head of garlic 1/4 cup dried oregano 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 2 cups pitted prunes 1/2 heaping cup pitted Spanish green olives 1/2 cup capers 6 bay leaves coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 heaping cup brown sugar 1 cup white wine 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley Combine garlic, oregano, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over chicken and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in single layer within large baking dish. Pour marinade evenly over. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Pour wine around. Bake 30 - 40 minutes. Cool slightly before arranging chicken, prunes, olives, and capers on serving platter. Drizzle with pan juices and sprinkle with parsley. (...