Welcome friends and family into your home to enjoy the tastes, fragrances, and warm colors of the season. Experts share a
bounty of tips forcreative touches that are fast, simple, and memorable.

As the humidity gives way to crisp air, and the vibrant colors of fall emerge, it is the perfect time for entertaining. “The autumn is very homey,” says Allison Sargent, founder and president of Allison Sargent Events in Montclair. “People want to entertain in their homes, but don’t know how.

“The first impression of any party is the invitation,” says Sargent, an event planner for nearly twenty years. Her go-to gal for everything paper is Melissa Hyland of Hyland Creative Design, a Verona-based custom invitation company. This fall, Hyland says, “Coppers and browns are huge. It’s all about using the natural elements.” For our harvest party, Hyland created textured beige and copper invitations, place cards, and menus with copper skeleton leaves for added interest

AUTUMN
COCKTAILS

For the menu, Diana Hart of Diana Hart Fine Catering in Maplewood, chose a spread that is entirely wheat-free. “Once you turn forty, more and more adults discover they are wheat-allergic,” she says. “When you take it out of your diet, you feel much more energetic.”

Sargent agrees simple food is best. “When you can recognize the ingredients, it becomes a lot less intimidating. People appreciate that a lot.”

In keeping with the harvest time theme, Hart recommends using seasonal produce. Her menu includes seared lamb loin with basil, red pepper, and kalamata olive confit, late-summer grilled corn chowder, grilled figs with feta, and a harvest halibut with turkey bacon and Vidalia onions. Cocktails like the Nyack Manhattan (with a touch of maple syrup), the basil teaser, or the non-alcoholic orange zinger elixir perfectly complement the meal.

Floral arrangements add color and warmth to a home, and provide an opportunity to bring the season indoors. “There’s a misconception that summer is best for flowers,” says Joe Richinelli, of the Garden Shop in Montclair. “In the fall, you can get exotic flowers you would never think of from places like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.” Create an autumnal theme by using casual sunflowers and black-eyed Susans, or terra cotta roses, calla lilies, and zinnias. Pair them with viburnum berries, crabapple branches, or lady’s Mantle to add an extra level of contrast.

“Brown has been hot in accent pieces for fall flowers—whether you use espresso-colored ribbon or dark wooden boxes,” he says. “Or make the colors pop by pairing raspberry, burgundy, and apricot shades with a Granny Smith apple- colored accent.”

To make your arrangements even more personal, Richinelli says ditch standard flower vases and “use what you have—crocks, pottery, mossy flower planters—anything that gives a natural kind of feel.”
Sargent agrees, adding, “My thing is using a [client’s] own pieces to show them what they can do with things they already have.”

Richinelli also suggests going for an even more harvest look by arranging flowers in hollowed-out gourds and pumpkins (remember to place another container inside) or by covering a regular pot with asparagus spears.
Of course, no harvest party is complete without everyone contributing something to the table. Sargent encourages her guests to bring along a favorite fall dish.

Make the most of autumn by inviting friends and family to enjoy the warmth of your home.

 

Highlight your hors d’oeuvres and drinks by displaying them with seasonal flower arrangements, like these orange and rust-colored calla lilies.




Add seasonal elements such as flowers, leaves, acorns, or branches to enhance your menu and place cards display.

Harvest Halibut

Ingredients:
6 slices of thick-cut turkey bacon
6 tbsp butter
2 Vidalia onions (quartered and sliced)
12 portions of halibut (4 oz per person)
3 oz water
Cooking spray to coat the pan
ground salt and pepper
fresh thyme

Heat large sauté pan, coat with cooking spray, and cook turkey bacon until golden brown.

Remove from pan, add butter and sauté onions until caramelized.

Remove onions, coat with cooking spray, and cook halibut for 4 minutes on each side.

Add water and cover for 4 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate with a slice of bacon and tablespoon of onions on top of each halibut portion.

Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme. Serves 12.

Late-summer grilled corn chowder

Ingredients
6 ears of corn (shucked, grilled,
and cut off cob)
8 oz sweet butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
2 tbsp rice or corn flour (masa mix)
1 qt half & half
1 qt water
4 Yukon Gold or new potatoes, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
ground salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp chili powder

Melt butter in a 4 qt stock pot and add onions.

Sauté until translucent. Add flour and stir until well incorporated.

Add half & half, water, and potatoes and bring to a boil.

Add corn, red peppers, salt, pepper, parsley, and chili powder and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Serve in a saki cup as an hors d’oeuvre or in a cup or bowl as a first course. Garnish with grilled corn and parsley. Serves 12.