An Early Autumn Dinner Menu

Hosting a dinner party this time of year lets us take advantage of the best aspects of the summer-to-fall transition. The temperature can be quite lovely, and the timing gives us the opportunity to create a meal that incorporates our end-of-summer favorites alongside newly available autumn fare. To help us plan our next gathering, we asked the experts at Cleveland, Ohio’s Marigold Catering for a sample early fall dinner menu; here are their recommendations:

First course: Butternut squash bisque with candied pecan crumble and chive creme fraiche.

Entree: Sea bass topped with corn and black radish sauté—to take advantage of the corn and summer radishes still available in Ohio in September—accompanied by roasted fingerling potatoes and sweet pea puree with lemon-chile oil garnish.

Dessert: Stone fruit cobbler—fresh peaches and plums are fairly easily procured in Ohio this time of year—or caramel apple bread pudding served with spiced whipped cream.

Expert tip from Marigold Catering in Cleveland, OH. Photo of locally made bread puddling taken by Christy Ford, in Charlottesville, VA,