Fall Food: It's Apple Time! Triple A Salad with Arugula, Apples and Almonds

Fall is my favorite season and the food has a lot to do with that. I love the savory flavors of fall: apples are coming in right now and there is so much you can do with them! I watched my friends Sam & Carolyn make apple jelly on Sunday with locally grown Jonathan and McIntosh apples. It's a lot of work for a small yield but sooo worth it. Delish.

Try my Triple A Salad for your next dinner party. It's easy, colorful, and everyone will love it. I like the tart flavor of the Granny Smith combined with a sweet apple like Gala but you can use only one variety.

MARTIE'S TRIPLE A SALAD WITH ARUGULA, APPLES & ALMONDS and SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

Baby Arugula leaves or you can use Spinach if you prefer or mix the two together

1 Gala and/or Granny Smith apple, sliced (slice just before serving to keep from turning brown)

1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted (toss in a skillet or pan over heat to toast)

1 cup dried cranberries (soak in apple brandy if you have it to hydrate them but not required)

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Sherry Vinaigrette Dressing

I love love the Sherry Vinaigrette they serve at Chef Frank Stitt's Cafe Bottega. I didn't have his recipe but I believe this is very close.

1/2 large shallot, finely minced

5 thyme sprigs- remove the leaves from the woody stems and finely chop the leaves

4 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

Add the shallot, thyme, and sherry vinegar to a bowl. Use a whisk and slowly stream in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Combine all salad ingredients. Just before serving, slice the apple and toss with dressing. 

Stay tuned! My Caramel Apple Martini is our Weekend Cocktail!

A Day with Guy Fieri and Ultimate Recipe Showdown at Food Network

Wow- a quick trip to New York is always a whirlwind but this one was a cyclone. I hit the ground running for meetings with some publishers and PR folks, then some super brainstorming/dragon slaying over drinks with some incredible new media types at King Cole Bar at the St. Regis--- I got the 411 on the history of the Bloody Mary from Conrad, the bartender there. More on that to come next week. Dinner at DBGB--- Daniel Boulud's latest restaurant was fantastic. Casual, cool and very posh, these weren't your grandmother's sausages! More to come on that, too.

I was also lucky enough to get to sit in on some of the action behind the scenes during Guy Fieri's taping of Ultimate Recipe Showdown--- Party Food. I really wanted to see Guy in action- he's such a pro at what he does. It was a blast. FYI, Guy's got a HUGE rock and roll type cooking tour coming up and I know this is going to be a show you don't want to miss. I think you can get info and tickets now at www.guyfieri.com

It's a crazy time of the year with football, festivals, birthdays--- charity events!!! So much going on that I'm going to have to catch you up next week because I am late for Arden's birthday lunch. We've got lots of pictures and ideas coming up to help you make your fall festivities easy, affordable and really fun! Have a great weekend!!

Baby Shower Themes: Duck, Duck--- Ducky!

Photo Credit: Arden PhotographyDoesn't it seem like there's always a new baby on the way? You can celebrate the new arrival in style and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Start by cutting back on expensive party decorations and use your food, beverages, dishes and serving pieces as your decorations. We used an adorable polka dot ducky cake as our centerpiece for this party. Break out your nice dinnerware to set a beautiful table. Your everyday dishes will usually work just fine. Add a colorful salad plate like we did here. You can even use plastic or melamine---- even paper! These days, there are no rules about using just one pattern. Mixing and matching patterns and textures are in!

Make or order a fun cake or cupcakes and incorporate a fun theme. This rubber ducky theme is adorable, no matter if your new mom is expecting a little boy or a little girl. Bright and colorful, this party theme is even fun for a little one's first birthday party. Add a pop of color with glassware or a signature beverage in party colors: pink like my favorite Pomegranate lemonade for a little girl or blue, like these Blue Breeze cocktails. Make sure to serve a non-alcoholic option also.

Send guests home with a rubber ducky of their own, along with a luxurious bath bomb (love the Lush bath bombs) as a party favor.

See our upcoming article in Birmingham Home & Garden magazine! Special thanks to Bromberg's, Arden Photography and Diane Olexa of Olexa's Cakes.

Update on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 10:46PM by Martie Duncan

My friend from back in the day, Toni Graves Whitten passed along this too adorable idea for a baby shower and I wanted to share it with you. Here's what to do:

These are made with paper nut/mint cups and look like baby booties. Take two paper cups, a Kleenex, two jumbo cotton balls and a piece of ribbon for each bootie. Place one cup roughly centered on the Kleenex. Then place the two jumbo cotton balls side by side directly in front of the cup (this will make the toe part of the bootie.) Pull up the sides of the Kleenex up and tuck into the cup. Take the second cup and put inside the first to hold the Kleenex. Finally, take the ribbon and wrap it around the cup that is sticking up slightly and tie a bow with the ribbon. Use different colored Kleenex and ribbons to match your baby shower color scheme. Fill with nuts, candies, mints, etc. Enjoy!

Weekend Cocktail: Firefly Iced Tea Vodka & Lemonade

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and LemonadeIf you are from the South, you know Sweet Tea. When the waitress comes to your table in restaurant around the South and you ask for tea, the response is always the same: "sweet or unsweet?"

Sweet Tea is wonderfully refreshing on a hot day. AS IF there could be any improvement on a standard like sweet tea--- the folks at Firefly Vodka took that tradition to a whole 'nother level. For our cocktail recipe this week, try this one. The perfect tailgating cocktail, it's a spin on the classic Arnold Palmer-- half iced tea, half lemonade--- and so easy because you only need two ingredients. They have tons of recipes on their site if you want some other ideas.

Firefly Spiked Sweet Tea Lemonade

1 part Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka

1 part lemonade (worth it to make fresh!)

Pour in a tall glass over ice. Stir well. Add a lemon slice for garnish. This one should be served in Mason jars--- you can get a dozen for under $10 and then use them for canning after the party is over.

Let's raise a glass and say a prayer today in honor of all of those who lost their lives on 9/11. And to those servicemen and women who serve and protect our country around the world--- thank you.

Labor-Free Labor Day Party Ideas: One Pot Seafood Boil

Hey everyone! I just got back from a great weekend in Charleston with friends and am inspired to try a little Lowcountry cuisine for Labor Day. A Lowcountry Boil is what's on my mind. It's the end of the summer so I want my party food to be really simple. What could be easier than putting everything in one pot to cook and serve? No labor for this Labor Day party! I love it!

A good boil starts with the freshest seafood. I think you can put just about any kind of shellfish in your pot---- so go to the market and get what is the freshest but traditionally it is made with shrimp and clams. And here in the South- Old Bay Seasoning is a must with shrimp. You can usually find it at the grocery or ask the guy at the fish counter. You can cook your boil on the stove, on the grill or over a fire.

One Pot Lowcountry Boil

5 pounds whole fresh shrimp (in the shell)

3 dozen small clams in shell-optional (make sure the shells are closed when you purchase!)

3 pounds smoked sausage (I like Hilshire Farms Smoked Beef Sausage or Hot Chipotle Smoked Sausage)

3 pounds small red potatoes, skin on-- cut them in half if they are large

3 large white onions, cut in quarters

5 pounds of fresh corn-on-the-cob cut into 4 inch pieces

1/2 stick butter

2 lemons, sliced

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

Old Bay seasoning to taste (add a little at a time)

1 bottle of your favorite beer (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Put the potatoes and onion along with all of the seasonings (garlic, butter, lemon, too)  in a huge stockpot with enough water to cover and add  the beer. Put the lid on and simmer until almost done. Add corn and sausage and simmer until the corn is almost done. Add the shrimp and clams. Cook until the clams just open and  the shrimp turns pink. Don't keep cooking once your seafood is done--- it will get tough.

For patriotic decorations and backyard party games- check out this blog post from Memorial Day! 

You can get tons of great party decorations from Oriental Trading Company and they can still get them to you in time for your Labor Day bash!