entertaining

september 99

When Fall arrives, we begin to think of sit-down dinners in the house, not on the patio or balcony. Fall flowers are everywhere. The children are back at school and our work schedules seem to perk up. Invitations start to arrive for fall and early winter occasions and fund raisers and we get back into planning ahead instead of the al fresco, quick meals of summer. Here we give you a menu that will bring a smile to those meat and potato eating people in your lives. It is not a fancy meal, rather it is comfort food, so leave the best china in the buffet and get out your second best colorful dishes, tall water goblets and a fall colored table cloth. We like to use a deep purple or gold cloth with napkins that match the colors of the mum and aster center pieces we will use. Get small containers of flowers and place down the center of the table on a bed of straw or raffia. Tie the pots with raffia also and tuck leaves into the straw for color. Too much for you? Let me share with you my favorite center piece that our florist recently shared with me. That, after years of using her for all events. Get a round low bowl. Place apples and oranges in the bowl making a mound in the middle. Place flowers between the fruit in colors that combine well, making sure that the stems reach the water you place in the bottom of the bowl. The arrangement will form a mound of fruit and flowers. Add green leaves where necessary, and viola. Use the same round bowl, place a flower holder in the middle and stick with colorful flowers making a semi-circle of the blooms. Place small leaves in-between the flowers and there you are. I have made three of these in different colors for a table, and they were dynamite. Don't want to invest in flowers? Make a cornucopia of fresh vegetables that cascade onto your table. Use vegetables you like as you'll be eating them that week. Do use a variety of shapes and colors, i.e., eggplant, red onions, artichokes. fennel, asparagus and scallions. Add the moss or straw and you have a beautiful centerpiece that exudes fall. Our meat and potato meal says," football season is coming." One excellent reason for making this roast is that you can prepare it the day before and reheat it. In fact, it tastes better the next day. The mashed potatoes are fluffy without butter and the green beans, spiked with mustard, are a counterpoint to the sweetness of the meat and its sauce. We even include an apple cobbler for dessert. So get ready to cook again; make a list of friends or family to invite and go for it. Informal Dinner for Friends   Roasted Pot Roast with Mushrooms and Onions Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Scallions Sautéed Green Beans Apple Cobbler (for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)