A September Lunch

The Lunch Bunch comes once a month

Except this year . . . 

We've missed many a month this Spring

I've a fat file of recipes I want to try

And no one to try them on!

But we were all together in Sepember

ALL

of us!

I first chose the menu,

then the table follows

I prefer white tablecloths and napkins

And, of course, there is my beloved

Blue transfer ware!

Yellow flowers in a Williamsburg flower frog

Store flowers -- the garden is winding down!

A menu, of course,

the French water goblets

A lace tablecloth

The Spode Blue Room

A white damask napkin in one of my silver rings

and Jim's grandmother's cutlery

The lunch?

If I do casseroles, I like individual ones

They look pretty when they're in a dish

versus piled on a plate

(piled on a plate looks like a dog's breakfast!)

A Gaida recipe

penne with roasted vegetables and cheeses

Served with a salad with tomatoes and carrot

and roasted garlic bread

Dessert is an old family dessert

Dutch Peach Pie

Grandmother made it,

perhaps her mother as well

And as far as I know it's never been written down

Passed from mother to daughter-in-law by mouth only

And only served in the summer

during peach season

For it is a fresh peach pie!

At home, we always cut it into fourths

(for it is a thin pie)

But the girls wouldn't hear of it

So I cut it into sixths

Which left two pieces

for Husband Jim and I for dessert that evening.

(Of course, my childhood serving size would have been only one piece

But I played nice and shared!)

(And it is the only recipe that I will never share)

The table setting that I like best

Is not that perfect table of the before luncheon

But the empty, messy table of the after luncheon

Not a crumb remains

The coffee pot is empty

It means that everyone had a good time!

The casserole is good, easy, and can be made ahead of time.

I baked it a little less because mine were in smaller dishes.

And I'm sure you can use whatever vegetables you want

PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1 inch wide strips

2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes

4 cremini mushrooms, halved

1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence

1 pound penne pasta

3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)

1 cup grated fontina cheese

1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

NOTE:   I only made a half recipe which filled 5 gratin dishes plus one bigger one.    I also baked it at 350 instead of the higher 450.   And since I couldn't find smoked mozzarella and fontina cheese, I used the Italian type cheeses I could find at our grocery store.

It's Thursday and I'm sharing my September Lunch table with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for Tablescape Thursday