Fall Harvest

Fall harvest foods and cooler weather cooking is a tradition of kitchen lore that I'm willing to partake in, even though I don't fancy kitchen work much. Love my window framing wind blown golden leaves and the slanting light of early dusk as I chop and dice colorful produce. Love those oven roasted dishes that add warmth and aromas to my home as it takes on fall's early evening temperatures. Love the promise of supper's tasteful blessings. Love our traditional Grace, passed down from my Norwegian grandparents, blessing every meal.

Come Lord Jesus,

Be our guest.

Let these gifts to us

be blessed.

Amen.

You might enjoy adding this vegetable beauty to your menu one evening.

Layered Vegetable Casserole

Spray large casserole dish with cooking oil and fill with the following ingredients in layers:

1/2  c. uncooked rice, lightly salt

3 c. fresh or frozen cut green beans

3 sliced yellow squash, sprinkle lightly w/ sugar

4 green onion tops, diced

1 green pepper, diced

3 large tomatoes, sliced

salt & pepper to taste

Top with 3/4 stick butter, thinly sliced in pats.

Cover with aluminum foil. 

Bake for 1 & 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

Check rice after 1 hour, if still raw add 1/2 c. boiling water. Continue to bake.

Begin with the first layer of uncooked rice sprinkled in the base of the greased casserole dish followed by a layer of green beans, gorgeous bright green, either frozen or fresh.

Sliced yellow squash is the third layer of garden bounty to grace this dish, seasoned with a hint of sugar over these yellow rimed disks ( that culinary wisdom from my mom-in-law).

Diced green pepper [this one really belted out the pepper fragrance as I chopped] and green onion tops compose the 4th layer of dotted flavor.

Now look at the beauty of these colors and pattern! Thinly sliced quarters of tomato. That's where the moisture to cook that rice comes from. If  you use less tomatoes, add 1/2 cup of hot  water to insure fully cooked rice.

Flavor dripping essence of dotted butter pats, salt, and pepper will trickle down through every veggie layer as this dish simmers in the oven. Really, when it's in your mouth you'll love this part! Cover with that aluminum foil to capture all the fresh produce mixture that's about to be released. Let the cool late afternoon temperatures descend on your home. Your oven will add a cozy warmth and aroma as these vegetables soften and mingle flavors for the next hour and a half.

Out of the oven, bubbling, ready to eat as an entrée or as a side dish. At my house it's a one pot, stand alone dinner with very little left over after we've stuffed ourselves with seconds. Delicious fall supper!




And add this to your kitchen musings; home cooking contributes to longevity, as in, you may just live longer.

Joining Ann Kroeker at tasty Food on Fridays, and other posts of praise here:

SUNDAY & here ...