The Fall Dinner Party Is Back, and We’re Here for It
Fall is one of the easiest seasons for feeding people.
The food can be warm, a little rustic and mostly made ahead. Nothing has to look perfect. In fact, it probably tastes better if it doesn’t.
For a fall dinner party, we like the kind of menu that feels special without keeping you in the kitchen all night. A few good ingredients, a couple of simple recipes and plenty of time left to actually sit down with the people you invited over.
Cranberry Pear & Brie Crostini
A simple appetizer to put out while everyone is arriving.
Ingredients
1 baguette, sliced
Olive oil
Brie, sliced
Deer Park Farm Cranberry Pear Sauce
Chopped pecans or walnuts
Fresh rosemary, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Brush the baguette slices lightly with olive oil.
Toast until the edges are golden.
Add a slice of brie to each piece and return to the oven for a few minutes, just until the cheese softens.
Top each crostini with a spoonful of Deer Park Farm Cranberry Pear Sauce.
Finish with chopped pecans or walnuts and a little fresh rosemary if you have it.
Warm brie, tart cranberry and sweet pear do plenty on their own.
Brown Butter Ravioli with Sage
This is the kind of main dish that feels special without requiring much fuss.
Ingredients
Deer Park Farm ravioli
4 tablespoons butter
Fresh sage leaves
Parmesan cheese
Black pepper
Toasted walnuts or pecans, optional
A small splash of pasta water
Directions
Cook the Deer Park Farm ravioli according to the package directions.
While the ravioli cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the sage leaves and continue cooking until the butter turns golden and smells nutty.
Transfer the cooked ravioli directly into the skillet.
Add a small splash of pasta water and gently toss everything together.
Finish with Parmesan, black pepper and toasted nuts if desired.
Serve it in one big bowl and let everyone help themselves.
Roasted Sausage, Apples & Ginger Kraut
A warm, savory side with enough tang to balance out the rest of the meal.
Ingredients
1 pound sausage links
1 apple, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
Olive oil
Deer Park Farm Ginger Kraut
Deer Park Farm fermented mustard, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange the sausage, apple and onion on a sheet pan.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning everything once, until the sausage is cooked through and the apples and onions are browned around the edges.
Remove the pan from the oven.
Add a generous serving of Deer Park Farm Ginger Kraut just before serving.
Serve with fermented mustard on the side if desired.
We like adding the kraut at the end instead of roasting it so it keeps its bright flavor and a little crunch.
That is really all you need.
Something warm to snack on, ravioli in brown butter, roasted sausage and apples, and the sharp brightness of Ginger Kraut to balance everything out.
The nice thing about a fall dinner party is that the food does not have to be complicated to feel generous. Put everything on the table family-style, let people serve themselves and leave room for the part of dinner that usually ends up being the best part anyway: sitting around longer than planned, going back for one more bite and talking until the plates are mostly empty.
That is our kind of fall gathering.
