Weekend Round-Up

Some of the Week's Best

Best Poem of the Week

In the Moon of Falling Leaves 

by Joseph Bruchac

Joesph Bruchac is of Abenaki Indian and Slovak descent. He is one of America's most respected and widely published Native American authors and poets. His birth date is October 16. Bruchac's poem is reflected in this autumn scene.

I was born in the Moon of Falling Leaves,
that time when summer's harvest
falls from every maple tree,
painting the forest trails
golden as sunlight
and crimson as Great Bear's blood.

Each October brings back the scent
of fires burning on the hills,
the first etchings of frost
on my bedroom windows,
the departing wings
of a thousand geese
cutting the clear cold sky.

There is no time closer to my heart,
than this season of changes
when the balance tips between
darkness and light,
when the last flowers
nod in our garden,
when so many things
are about to end,
so many about to begin.

Best Side Dish

Garlic Herb Roasted Red Potatoes

Cook's Note: Recipe adapted from Ina Garten and Damn Delicious
Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 pounds petite red potatoes, scrubbed and halved (quartered if extra large)
• 4 TB. olive oil, Lemon or Garlic Herb Olive Oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 TB. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 TB. minced fresh parsley

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
• In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, oregano, basil and Parmesan cheese until evenly coated. Turn the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning with a spatula two or three times, until golden brown and crisp. Pull the tray out and sprinkle the butter over the potatoes and stir to melt the butter. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Best Baked Item

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cook’s notes: This easy pumpkin bread with a sweet cinnamon sugar swirl is sure to be a fall favorite. Two teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix can replace the nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Recipe adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com
Ingredients:For the Bread:

• 1- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon or 1-1/2 tsp. Saigon/Vietnamese Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup oil (vegetable or melted coconut oil)
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• optional: raisins 

For the Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 0ptional: ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk in the pumpkin until mixture is smooth.
• Stir in the dry ingredients mixing with a spatula until just combined. Don’t over mix.
• In a small bowl stir together the sugar and cinnamon.
• Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the batter with the cinnamon sugar mixture, reserving about 2 tablespoons for the top. Pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar mixture and smooth with the spatula. Take a knife and swirl the batter. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture-walnuts over top of the batter.
• Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then carefully invert the loaf and cool on a rack until it reaches room temperature. Wrap cooled loaf in plastic wrap.

Link to 23 Healthy Soup Recipes to Make This Fall

http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/category/soups-stews/