Seasonal Plates & Dates - Summer/Fall Mishmash

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not ready to give up summer produce!!! I love the vibrant tomatoes, sweet corn and zucchini. I've also gotten so used to all things grilled since Garland and I moved in together in June...burgers, veggies, PIZZA oh my! Buuuuut I also have to admit that as the mornings get cooler, I feel a tinge of excitement for what's on the horizon: the transition back to hot coffee, winter squashes and gourds, apples, spicy baked goods, soups. I guess I'm about ready!

Here's a glimpse at some of my meals lately as we're slowly transitioning into fall.

BREAKFAST
When I'm not inhaling scrambled eggs or fast food after long morning runs, I'm still enjoying PB&J smoothes and parfaits at my desk at work. I'd almost forgotten about the bag of frozen blueberries I picked earlier this summer! I've been using a heavy hand with those and drizzly almond butter.

This next image is a bit hideous but I thought I'd share it anyways. I hate wasting food, so I always try to repurpose it for next day breakfasts and lunches. This leftover asparagus risotto from dinner the night before turned into breakfast the next day with a fried egg and bacon. 

And switching gears: A fancy, classic brunch at Southerly that just opened in Richmond this summer. I met a friend there on Sunday after church (and before apple picking). Typical me got blueberry pancakes, served with REAL maple syrup---so good!

LUNCH
It's mainly been salads with a few sandwiches here and there. A combo I'm LOVING is smoked turkey with apples, brie and fig butter on either store-bought sourdough or this homemade focaccia. The salty, sweet flavors + crunchy, smooth textures are awesome!

Here's a variation of this kale salad with pepitas instead of pecans, plus avocado. Every Thursday in the summer, there's live music during lunch hours outside the James Center in downtown Richmond. It's been a great excuse for a walk and fresh air!

Another apple-ly lunch item I'd be remiss not to mention is this crazy thing from Blue Mountain Brewery: the Bratwurst and Apple Pizza (local bratwurst with apples, caramelized onions, mozzarella, marinara and balsamic drizzle on a cracker-thin crust). This was lunch this past weekend when we went beer/wine tasting around Charlottesville---the BEST thing to do this time of year! After Blue Mountain Brewery, we visited Pollak Vineyards, King Family Vineyards and Three Notch'd Brewery. And there are so many more I can't wait to go back and try!

DINNER
I've gone a little crazy making my own marinara sauce from whole tomatoes this summer. Four large tomatoes from the farmers market make enough sauce for 3 people (maybe four conservative servings). One of Garland and I's "compromise" meals has been baked eggplant (her) and chicken (him) parmesan---for nights when I don't want to eat meat and, well, he always does! I make the marinara based off this simple recipe. I use real butter or olive oil and add in carrots, additional spices and either a tablespoon of brown sugar, balsamic vinegar or white wine; simmer for 30 minutes to one hour for the best flavor!

Ahhh grilled pizza!!! Even when it's 30 degrees, I'll be tempted to ask Garland to forge through the cutting wind for the sake of chewy and charred grilled crust. It's a good thing to have in my back pocket for when he makes me mad ;) This is tomato sauce, mozzarella, black olives and pepperoni slices; and Garland normally goes the buffalo chicken pizza route.

The second best thing to do this time of year? APPLE PICKING. I mentioned on Monday that we actually drove back to Charlottesville to do this on Sunday. So worth it. We went to Carter Mountain Orchard, which is probably the most popular one in this part of Virginia. The weather was gorgeous, the apples were plenty, and it wasn't as insanely crowded as it'll likely be in two weeks.

There's so much I want to do with my NINE POUNDS of Jonagolds! Apple sauce, more apple pizza (like Blue Mountain's or this one), apple biscuits, apple muffins...and maybe even some apple risotto or macaroni and cheese!

What would you do with nine pounds of apples?!