Oh my gosh… September is on its way out! How did that happen? By now you are well on your way to a fun and productive fall season. Our children are back in school, and where ever we are in our lives, we are ready to plan our days so that we feel good about our time spent.
The weather is cooler – long walks in the crisp air can lend themselves to planning fun times for all ages: Oktoberfest, Fall Festivals and Halloween are October’s claims to fame, and we are ready for them.
Connecticut’s Version of Oktoberfest!
Host an Oktoberfest around Connecticut’s own!
Plan flights of beer to sample and enjoy including this list from CT Magazine’s “5 must try beers from CT brewers”
A double IPA “Hobbit Jake” from Beer’d Brewing Company in Stonington – hoppy
Gandhi-Bot- hop lover’s dream from New England Brewing Company in Woodbridge
Two Roads Brewery in Stratford has a wheat beer style “Hefeweizen” which means “no limit”
Field Beer is just that… hops are grown on a farm in Kent from Kent Falls Brewing Company
Dock Time from Stoney Creek Brewery is a lager style with an ABV of 4.8
So when you are gathering your friends, the perfect Oktoberfest foods of course is German sausage (you could cheat and do great artisanal sausages and several German and artisanal mustards)
For an addition to your table and for your vegetarian friends try this yummy Potato Galette with Sage. You can always add shredded carrot or zucchini or spinach or whatever makes you happy!
Add a coleslaw and you are ready to go!
Sage Potato Galette
Ingredients:
6 large Yukon gold potatoes or other dense potato
2/3 cup olive oil
12 sage leaves, finely chopped
½ pound plus 2 TBS butter
Salt and pepper
Procedure:
1/ Grate potatoes coarsely. DO NOT RINSE OR STORE in water as you need the starch to bind the galette.
2/Drizzle ½ olive oil into large skillet and place on medium heat without allowing it get too hot so that it smokes. Once you have grated ½ potatoes or enough to cover base of pan to depth of ¾ “, mix with ½ sage leaves and any vegetables you have decided to add. Pat mixture down with potato masher so that its flat.
3/ Once galette has set in pan, start to add ½ the butter in very small pieces to the edge of the pan, letting it melt and run into the center. This will give a delish nutty taste to the potatoes
4/ Cook 8-10 minutes, until underside is golden brown. Gently slide galette onto wooden board. Then place the pan over the galette and invert it so that the galette is back in the pan, cooked side up. Cook for another 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
5/ Remove galette from pan and keep warm in 250’ oven while you repeat the process. Serve hot and cut into wedges.
October is also Halloween Time! Did you know that you have friends and neighbors who LOVE Halloween??
Firstly, I hope you know by now that I am a very big fan of creating traditions for our families. My mom, for some odd reason, always served ham and peas on Halloween, never any other time of year. The bottom line… It’s part of my Halloween memory bank.
Some fun ideas to start a tradition –
Spinach Pasta with Bloody Marinara Sauce, Mozzarella and Olive “Eyes”
(photos courtesy of Delish)
OR carve your pumpkin out and add mac’n cheese with meatballs!
Halloween isn’t just for the kids…so scare up some friends & celebrate the holiday in style with this Blood Red Sangria (photo courtesy of Kim Miller for Festivities)
Recipe for Blood Red Sangria:
1 bottle red wine
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup Cointreau
2 cups sparkling water
1. Pour wine, pomegranate juice & Cointreau into a pitcher, stir well
2. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight
3. Remove from fridge and add sparkling water
4. Shake individual servings in cocktail shaker filled with ice and strain into “black sugar” rimmed martini glass.
5. Garnish with Halloween themed swizzle stick.
Follow us on Pinterest for many other creative Halloween cocktail recipes!
For fun (and easy) entertaining give us a call! Our fall is full of heartwarming favorites! Don’t forget the holidays are upon us! We have designed such fun and delish menus for the holidays that are welcoming and comfortable. My favorite right now (as in right now)? Our Tuscan Farm Dinner complete with an 90 pound wheel of Parmigiana Reggiano carved out and ready for hot pasta to melt down that cheese!! A great focal point for a holiday dinner… full of cheer and fun! Please email me at [email protected] or call us at 203 847 7774/festivitiesevents.com
For your special events, our event designers and chefs are ready to plan your celebration with style!!!
Love sharing with you all… Until next time!
Hope you don’t get spooked!!
Xo – Roe
