(Enough preaching – now on with the recipes!)
Autumn means two things at the farmers’ market: apples & squash! This week’s shopping bag contains 5lbs. Jonagold & Staymen apples, pork chops, spaghetti squash, arugula & aged cheddar, plus a loaf of sourdough and wedge of Smoky Blue cheese from the local bakery and cheese store. On the menu this week:
- spaghetti squash with mascarpone
- 5-spice pork chops with cider jus
- harvest salad (recipe below)
- apple-pumpkin muffins
Harvest Salad: For a quick lunch, I tossed arugula and a chopped apple with balsamic vinegar and topped with crumbled Smoky Blue cheese. The spicy arugula was a nice balance to the intense, nutty cheese. It would have benefited from some chopped hazelnuts, to complement the cheese which is cold-smoked over hazelnut shells.
Toddler Version: My kid has a pretty good appreciation for gourmet cheese, but even still isn’t quite ready for blue cheese. So for an easy kid’s plate, I serve chunks of apple, cheddar & gouda, and sourdough toast.
