What to Have for Dinner When it's Definitely Fall

We had friends over for dinner last night. Since it is definitely Fall, we served a definitely Fall meal: pork chops, baked acorn squash, homemade applesauce and, for dessert, pumpkin roll. Our friend brought a broccoli salad, which added color and crunch to our dinner. It was a menu worth repeating.

Here's how we prepared the pork chops and the squash.

We chose boneless pork loin chops. Tom put a little brown sugar and soy sauce and chopped fresh sage on the top of each chop and, after it had sat a while, he turned them over in the baking dish, seasoned them with salt, pepper, and put them in a 375˚ oven. They baked for about an hour. They were moist and lovely just as they were, but we served them smothered with sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions.

I purchased small acorn squashes which we sliced in half (top to bottom). We scooped out the seeds and laid them cut side down in a baking dish, then added about 1/2 inch of water to the pan. They also went into the oven and baked about 50 minutes. A few minutes before serving the squash we turned them over and put some butter and brown sugar into the center and broiled them for 3 or 4 minutes.

When we make applesauce we just peel, slice, and boil our apples with enough water to keep them from boiling dry but not enough to water down the applesauce. Once the apples are cooked enough to blend together with a spoon, we do so and season with cinnamon and brown sugar or honey. Served warm off the stove, it went very well with the pork chops and the squash.

The pumpkin roll and a cup of coffee or tea finished off the meal. I'm so glad I didn't wait till Thanksgiving or Christmas to make my first pumpkin roll this season -- I forgot how delicious this is! You can find the recipe here. (I used the rice flour mix combination and truwhip for my cream filling, with a little cinnamon sprinkled over the whip before I rolled it up. Ummm, ummm.)

Of course what you serve isn't nearly as important as who you serve. We had a delightful time with our friends and enjoyed the conversation and the chance to get to know them better. Good friends enrich our lives, and we are grateful for them!