The Ideal Menu For An Autumn Evening

The ideal menu for an autumn evening is boneless center-cut pork chops and apples, smoked paprika roasted red potatoes and shallots, blanched broccoli, followed by a celery root, pear, and pistachio salad on baby arugula. For dessert, serve assorted cheeses with red and green grapes with Carr’s water biscuits and chocolates, and pour a full-bodied red wine with dinner. Bon appétit!

Boneless Center-Cut Pork Chops With Apples(Serves 4)4 boneless center-cut pork chops, about 1/3- to 1/2-inch thick, trimmed of excess fat

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Two or three pinches of roasted cumin

About 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lime, juiced

2 lemons, juiced (for marinade and sauce)

About 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilFor the sauce:1/3 cup calvados or applejack

About 1/2 cup chicken or veal stock

1 Granny Smith apple, sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnishTo prepare:Trim excess fat off the pork chops, score the edges and place them in a nonreactive shallow dish. Season each chop with salt, pepper, roasted cumin, and coriander. Scatter garlic around the chops, add lime and half of the lemon juice and olive oil, cover, and marinate at least one hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.To cook: In a skillet over moderate-high heat, lightly coat the bottom with oil, sear the chops on both sides until light brown, about one minute per side. Transfer the chops to a shallow baking dish. Add marinade with garlic to the skillet and cook until the garlic is tender, about three minutes. Add calvados, raise the heat, ignite (then turn off the stove) and allow the alcohol to burn until the flames die out. Add stock and more lemon juice, bring to a simmer and cook about four minutes. Swirl in the butter, add apples and simmer until the apples are nearly soft, about four minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Spoon the sauce over the pork and hold until serving time.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cover the dish with parchment paper and seal the dish with aluminum foil. Reheat until the chops are tender and hot, about eight to 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.Smoked Paprika Roasted Red Potatoes And Shallots(Serves 4)About 10 small red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

8 medium shallots, peeled and halved

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

About 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish

Smoked paprika for dusting

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to tasteTo prepare:Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, toss potatoes and shallots with oil and arrange on a shallow baking pan, sprinkle with paprika and pepper and bake, stirring every now and then until they are brown and tender, about 25 minutes.

After baking, season with salt and transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.Celery Root And Pear And Pistachio Salad(Serves 4)1 medium head of celery root, trimmed and peeled and julienned

About 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 lemons, juiced (divided into thirds)

1 pear, cored, peeled, sliced and cut in half

3 lemons, juiced (divided into thirds)

8 or 9 dried apricots, slicedFor the yogurt and balsamic glaze dressing:About 1/2 cup plain yogurt (full fat or low fat)

2 teaspoons balsamic glaze or more to taste

1 teaspoon honey balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup pistachios, roasted and salted

About 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint for garnish

4 to 5 cups baby arugulaTo prepare:Working quickly, cut celery root in half, peel, and cut into thin matchsticks or fit the shredder blade in the food processor and push celery root through the feeding tube. Transfer shredded celery root to a mixing bowl, add juice of one lemon and salt, let stand for at least 15 minutes. Immediately drizzle lemon juice over sliced pears. Grate the zest of one lemon and then squeeze the juice.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk yogurt, honey balsamic vinegar, balsamic glaze, salt and pepper, plus lemon zest together. Taste and adjust the seasonings with additional lemon juice.

Pour off most of the accumulated juices from the bottom of the bowl of the celery root and reserve. Add scallions, pear, and apricots to the celery root and toss and spoon just enough dressing on the salad to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

Just before serving, taste and adjust the flavor by adding reserved lemon juice. Add pistachios and mint. Divide arugula among salad plates, top with a large spoonful of celery root salad, and garnish with mint.