I remember the first day I joined my book group. They had been meeting without additions to the group for about a decade, so I was a bit puzzled about why I had the good luck to be invited. They were smart and well read and covered a wide political and religious spectrum. But most striking was their unconditional support of each other and their honesty. They have taught me a lot over the last three years, but chiefly perhaps that a willingness to be truly honest, to be vulnerable, is a gift. It was my turn to host again today, so I cooked this meal. We laughed and ate and talked and nearly polished off the cake. It is always uplifting to be with friends who, whatever their diverse experiences, set aside time to share.
This menu is wonderfully simple and fairly quick to make. After a quick sear, whole pork tenderloins finish in less than 20 minutes in the oven. Cubes of roasted butternut squash, done in 20 minutes, and boiled buttercream potatoes are mashed together in their serving dish, drizzled with cream, dotted with butter, and topped with Emmenthaler cheese. They bake in the same 400 degree oven for 20 minutes alongside the pork. While the pork and the gratin bake, you stir up a quick pan sauce with the pan drippings, sliced onions, dried fruit, sherry, and a little currant jam and cold butter. It’s all table ready in less than an hour. And the cake and the sauce can be made well in advance. Make it for yourself, for your family, or for a group you love.
Fall Supper:
Pork Tenderloin with Autumn Sauce, (recipe below)
Butternut Squash and Buttercream Potato Gratin, (recipe below)
Dark Magic Gingergbread with Vanilla Ice Cream and Butterscotch Sauce (recipe here)
To make this menu gluten-free, skip the gingerbread and serve the butterscotch sauce over ice cream.
Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
2 whole pork tenderloins
salt and pepper
olive oil for the pan
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Pat the pork tenderloins dry and season them with salt and pepper. Dry meat browns better.
- Heat a cast iron or other skillet over medium high heat. When it is hot, drizzle in a few turns of olive oil.
- When the olive oil is hot, place the pork tenderloins in the pan. Do not lift, move, or disturb them.
- When they have taken on a crisp brown exterior, turn them and allow them to brown. Sear all four sides in this manner.
- Remove them from the pan and place them on a baking sheet. Do not wash the pan in which you seared them. You will use the pan drippings for the sauce.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the pork tenderloins for 18 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven, tent the pork tenderloins with aluminum foil, and allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice them thinly and serve them with the sauce.
Autumn Sauce
Ingredients:
1 small onion, sliced thinly
½ c. golden raisins
1 c. prunes, chopped roughly
¾ c. sherry
3 T. currant jelly
3 T. cold butter, cubed
salt and pepper
Method:
- Heat the pan in which you seared the pork tenderloins and drizzle a bit of olive oil into it.
- Add the onions, sprinkle them with a bit of salt and pepper, and sauté them until they begin to take on a bit of color.
- Add the sherry and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the prunes, golden raisins, and currant jelly, and reduce the sauce until it is syrupy.
- Add the cold butter a cube at a time and stir the sauce until it is melted for a glossy, rich sauce.
- Serve with the pork tenderloin.
Butternut Squash and Buttercream Potato Gratin
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
2 pounds buttercream potatoes
1 c. heavy cream (I love Cedar Summit Farms.)
3 T. butter, cubed
4 ounces Emmanthaler cheese, grated
salt and pepper
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Bring the potatoes to boil in a large pot of water and cook until tender, or until a knife inserted pierces them easily. Drain them in a colander.
- Place the buttnernut squash on a sheet pan, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, toss it together, and place it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cubes are tender.
- Place the squash and the potatoes in an oven-safe serving dish. Mash them a bit with a potato masher and mix them together. Season them with a bit of salt and pepper, drizzle them with the cream, dot them with the butter, and top them with the cheese.
- Place them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is brown and lovely.
Recipes in Concert
To make all of the recipes in concert:
1. Preheat the oven.
2. Sear the pork tenderloin.
3. Boil the potatoes.
4. Cube and roast the squash.
5. Prepare the gratin.
6. Put the pork and the gratin in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Prepare the sauce.
8. Allow the pork to rest and then slice it.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
wow, awesome blog post.Thanks Again. Much obliged.
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Thank you. I’m so happy you found it useful.