HARVEST GATHERINGS

 

                                        Harvest gatherings

          Festive fall country fairs have from time immemorial honored the harvest and those who have made it possible by celebrations of the season with sociability and food.  For city dwellers it often is the only way to get close to a farm and its animal inhabitants, displayed in various pens competing for a blue ribbon of excellence.

          The cooler fall days are also the time for the annual gathering for a group of women friends at our house for a harvest luncheon.  For more than 15 years, only interrupted by Covid, we have gathered to share summer experiences and of course food. To emphasize the harvest theme, my friend Ingrid again arrived with an incredible box of vegetable harvest from her husband’s extensive gardens. This year’s plan required a luncheon to please the eye and tease the palate without too many last-minute preparations.

The day was sunny and perfect as we gathered sipping white sangria with prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe cubes and warm traditional Latvian piragi (soft bacon and onion filled rolls). My main dish, stuffed shells, could be made the night before in a large baking dish and finished baking just before lunch.

                                                           White Sangria

          Combine the following in a large pitcher: 1 bottle Pinot Grigio or other dry white wine, ½ cup simple orange syrup, ½ cup Limoncello and ½ cup Tripple sec. Thinly slice: ½ orange, ½ lemon, ½ lime and 1-2 peaches or plums and add to the wine mixture to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. To serve, dilute with bottle of club soda and serve with an ice cube and a few slices of the fruit. Note: plums will give the sangria a pale rosé tint. Recipe for orange syrup: combine 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup water and peeled zest from one orange in a small pot. Heat until sugar is dissolved and allow to cool. The syrup will keep refrigerated for a couple of months for other occasions. 

                            Jumbo shells stuffed with Italian sausage and wild mushrooms

          Soak 2 cups dried wild mushrooms in hot water to cover for 30 minutes, remove from soaking water and pour soaking water through a paper towel lined sieve to remove sand and set aside. Chop mushrooms to bite size and set aside.

Cook 12 oz. Jumbo shells in salted water for 10 minutes, drain and set aside.

Brown 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage meat in a large pan, remove and set side.  Pour off most of the fat. In the same pan sauté 1 chopped medium onion, 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, ½ seeded and chopped red pepper for 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. lemon pepper, juice of ½ lemon, 1 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. oregano and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the browned sausage meat and 1 ½ cups the strained mushroom soaking water. Cook on medium heat while stirring until all the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Add 1 tblsp. chopped fresh basil, 2 tblsp. chopped Italian parsley and 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and stir well to blend.

Spread ½ of a 32 oz jar of Marinara sauce on the bottom of a 12x10x2 inch baking dish. Open each jumbo shell, fill with the sausage stuffing, and place it with open side up in the pan. Continue filling shells and fitting them in closely packed rows to fill the pan. Spread the rest of the sauce in strips on the surface of the stuffed pasta. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil before baking. At this point you can refrigerate the dish overnight but allow it to come to room temperature before baking the following day.

Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with a salad. 

                                   Tomato-Feta-olive salad with basil

Line a large platter with fresh basil leaves around large slices of fresh tomatoes, sprinkle with cubed Feta cheese and pitted Kalamata olives. Sprinkle with fragrant olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and serve.

Roasted vegetable ratatouille, dilly beans, pickles, sourdough bread with butter and a green salad contributed by a friend rounded out the main luncheon. Tiramisu, contributed by my Portland friend, was our incredible finale for this laughter filled harvest luncheon among old friends! 

   (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)