Early fall is the perfect time to host an apple-picking party—a fun outdoor activity that will get everyone outside
to enjoy the crisp, sunny weather. Make it an early-afternoon event and plan a post-picking picnic if the weather
permits. Or, plan a late-afternoon picking and head back to your house for a casual apple-themed dinner. Apples
are grown in all 50 states, with California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington as the top
apple producers. To find a local orchard in your area, visit www.pickyourown.org.

Check out my September column on The Family Groove for more tips and ideas for hosting an apple picking picnic.

http://www.thefamilygroove.com/sep10_EntertainingOnTheEasy.htm

No need to order a fancy arrangement from a floral shop.  Making a lovely Thanksgiving centerpiece isn’t as hard as it looks.  Here’s how:  Buy 3 bunches of flowers, choosing fall colored flowers in coordinating shades, and make sure each bunch provides a varying texture to the arrangement.  Start by holding three of the bushiest or tallest flowers (same type), and begin gathering the other stems, one by one, in a vaguely symetrical pattern around the center stems.  Continue until you have used all the stems (or save a few for a small bed-side arrangement).  Trim stems at an angle under cold running water, and place in a vase filled with sugar water.

Creating a centerpiece for a fall dinner is as easy as picking up a bag of mini pumpkins at the grocery store or farmer’s market. These adorable miniature pumpkins – the most common are Jack-Be-Little or Baby Boo – are inexpensive and hearty enough to last for weeks. Place the pumpkins on a simple cake stand or platter and pile them high. Tuck fresh leaves or cut branches of fall berries in empty spaces for a finished look. For a more modern version, use a white rectangular platter and place an odd number of pumpkins in a straight line, alternating with tea lights.

Still looking for ideas for a Mother’s Day fete?  Throw a “mother nature” inspired dinner party by using spring’s bounty as the basis for your menu.  Hit your local farmer’s market or look for locally grown produce at your regular grocery store.  All of these recipes can be made year-round, but using seasonal/ local ingredients will up the “wow” factor in the flavor department.
 

This menu is fairly simple, even for a novice host/ hostess.  Several components of this menu can be made in advance to streamline your cooking schedule and minimize your cooking time during the party.  Make the spiced nuts up to 2 weeks in advance; the dip, oven dried tomatoes and biscuits for the cobbler can be made up to 2 days in advance; the wheatberry salad can be made 2 days before the party (wait to toss the greens with the dressing until you are ready to serve), and the popover batter and basil pea puree can be made up to 8 hours in advance.  Set our your crudites, dip and nuts while you sear the scallops, heat the pea puree and bake the popovers.  Put your cobbler in the oven when you sit down for dinner and it will be bubbly and perfect by the time you are ready for dessert.  

Mother Nature’s Spring Menu

Crudités (blanched asparagus, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, etc.) with Creamy Dill Dip
Maple Spiced Nuts
Wheatberry Salad with Arugula, Goat Cheese and Green Olives
Seared Scallops over Basil Pea Puree with Oven Dried Tomatoes
Herb Popovers
Mango Rhubarb Cobbler

Tips:

• Look for some interesting vegetable varieties, such as candy stripe radishes and purple carrots to serve with your dip
• Unless you love shelling fresh peas, using frozen peas for the basil-pea puree is perfectly fine (the peas are flash frozen and, unlike other frozen vegetables, the flavor is not compromised by the freezing process) 
• If you don’t have time to make the Maple Spiced Nuts buy some nice flavored nuts and set those out instead
• Substitute good quality bread for the herb popovers if you aren’t up for baking
• If you don’t have time to make the cobbler, buy or bake vanilla cupcakes, top with vanilla frosting and garnish with organic edible flowers for a simply beautiful spring dessert

http://hiphostess.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/go-nuts-for-maple-spiced-nuts/

http://hiphostess.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/wheat-berry-salad/

http://hiphostess.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/seared-scallops-over-basil-pea-puree/

http://hiphostess.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/mango-rhubarb-cobbler/

Paninis make a great appetizer or addition to a casual spread (think Super Bowl party).  You don’t need to own a panini maker to get in on the panini fun.  I use a double-burner griddle for large paninis and a grill pan for smaller versions.  To create your own panini press, place a cookie sheet on top of your panini and top with a heavy pan (like a cast iron casserole) or some canned goods.  Press down periodically to flatten the bread and flip your panini after a few minutes of cooking (when the bottom of your bread is crisp and golden).  Cook your panini until both sides are toasty brown and the cheese is melted.  Serve paninis cut into small pieces an an appetizer or as part of a buffet spread. 

If you have a panini press, break that bad boy out and invite some friends over.  Put the press in an accessible spot -on a breakfast bar or buffet table with an outlet close by.  Set out plates of assorted deli meats, cheeses, cooked and raw veggies and flavorful spreads (pesto, sun-dried tomato paste, tampenade, mustard, hummus) and have a Make-Your-Own-Panini Party.  Your friends will have fun concocting different combinations.  You can stick to some of the traditional toppings, or put out some non-traditional panini toppings like pepper jams, chutneys or even dark chocolate.  Giada De Laurentiis has a recipe for a panini that combines two of my favorite ingredients - chocolate and brie.  Try that combination for a dessert panini or serve it as an appetizer with champagne at a cocktail party.     

Here are some of my favorite panini filling combinations:

Savory

Soppresatta, arugula and goat cheese (shown above)
Pesto, roasted red peppers and fontina
Mozzarella and olive tampenade
Chicken, sun-dried tomato pesto and spinach
Prosciutto and smoked gouda
Portobello, roasted red peppers and goat cheese
Sharp cheddar and green apple
Bacon, avocado and Monterey jack cheese

Sweet

Bananas and Nutella
Peanut butter, semi-sweet chocolate and banana
Brie and dark chocolate
Camembert and raspberry preserves
Fig jam and goat cheese

Do you have any combos that you love?  Do share.

You can still host a great get-together even if cooking isn’t your idea of a good time.  By ordering some gourmet pizzas you can save yourself from cooking and still please the crowd.  Here are some tips for hosting a hip pizza party.

If you can find a place with wood burning or brick ovens order your pizza there.  Their pizzas will generally have a crispy, thin crust with lots of flavor.  Another option is to order from a pizza place that offers lots of different toppings so you can create your own flavor combinations. 

A few of my favorite combinations are:

• Goat cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomato
• Portabella mushroom, sausage and spinach
• White pizza (garlic and olive oil base) with fresh tomatoes and basil
• White pizza with arugula, figs and goat cheese
• Spinach, roasted red pepper, black olive and feta cheese
• Pesto pizza with grilled chicken and fresh tomatoes
• BBQ sauce base with grilled chicken, red onion, bacon and jack cheese

If you are ordering from a basic pizza place that doesn’t have an extensive topping selection, pick up a bunch of fresh basil and sprinkle chopped or torn basil over a traditional margarita pizza to add a dash of fresh flavor and bright color. 

A few presentation ideas:  serve pizza on a wooden pizza peel, a large cutting board, or a plain cake stand. 

To round out the meal, serve pizza with a simple salad with homemade vinaigrette (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, fresh basil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice). 

Sliced tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella drizzled with olive oil would be a good appetizer. 

Dessert can be anything from tiramisu or gelato (for an Italian-inspired theme) to a seasonal fruit pie (to stick with the pizza “pie” theme).

Pick up a few menus on your way home tonight and invite some people over.  You don’t even need to turn on the oven!