Turn, Turn, Turn

Mix-and-match dishes from Noritake China

Apparently it is fall. Well, not technically – not until the 22nd – but to me, once Labor Day Weekend is over and school has begun: it’s fall.

The weather here would like me to know that I am wrong on this point. Yesterday was without a doubt the hottest day I have experienced since I moved to California. (I’m not entirely sure that it technically was, but it definitely felt that way; I was practically fainting by the time I got home from school pickup, and ended up stealing my son’s second apple juice from his backpack so that I didn’t actually pass out. Granted, my assessment mayyyy have been influenced by the fact that I spent a couple of hours prior to that wandering around in the open sun collecting petition signatures – which is another story; the salient point for the purposes of this particular post is that 95 degrees feels like approximately 1,000 degrees when you are standing in a parking lot explaining student-to-teacher ratios and getting all fired up about what constitutes a “fair wage.”)

Aaaaanyway.

Fall.

Years ago, my friend Stephen (who long-time readers may remember as one half of the couple who lived below us on the Upper East Side, then moved into the coolest apartment ever in San Francisco) and I were sitting on my couch bemoaning the approach of winter, and he said, “You know what? I’ve decided to love every season.” Daffodils and breezes in the spring; sand and the smell of Hawaiian Tropic in the summer; chai lattes and leaves in the fall; fireplaces and movie nights in the winter. There’s always something beautiful about where you are; it’s what you choose to focus on that matters.

(Apologies for the mush factor. Apparently all I have to do is catch the faintest whiff of the holidays, and I turn into a cheese factory.)

And so every year, at the end of summer, I decide to get myself as psyched as all get-out (who am I? Why am I saying something like “as psyched as all get-out”?!) about the arrival of fall, and for me that involves a bit of a home makeover. I swap out our coverlet for a duvet; replace tasseled throws with wool blankets; take down our sheer curtains and hang soft grey linen ones. I’m also retiring the blue-and-white themed dishes I had going on this summer, replacing them (for the time being) with warm chocolates set off by wintry whites (and hints of gold, obbbbviously).

The Tablescape: I thought it’d be fun to take “mismatched” a step further and not only mix together different styles of dishes and glassware…but actually let each place-setting be unique. To make the overall look still feel cohesive, I kept the foundation piece (that gold charger plate) and the overall composition of each place-setting consistent.

Rochelle Gold gold-rimmed charger plates
Crestwood Gold covered vegetable bowl
Cher Blanc dinner plates
White Wow Swirl salad plates and bowls
Vintage glasses
Rochefort cutlery
Chocolate Colorvara salad plates, dinner plates and small bowls

The Food: For my first time trying out an ingredient- and recipe-delivery service (which I signed up for in hopes that I’d be able to 1) Create a more varied menu for my family; 2) Save a little money on bulk buys of fruits and vegetables that quickly go bad; and 3) Have a little more fun in the kitchen), I made a dish that may not exactly scream “autumn”…but is so delicious. And pretty. Mostly delicious.

Pan-Fried Francese-Style Chicken topped with Arugula and Pecorino and Green-Bean Potato Salad (adapted from Blue Apron)

What You Need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 farm eggs, beaten in a medium-sized bowl
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, poured onto a plate
A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
A large handful of arugula, washed and dried
6-10 red potatoes, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lemon, quartered
1 lb green beans, stem ends removed and cut (on an angle) into 2″ pieces
1 1/2 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 shallot, finely diced
1/3 cup grated parmigiana

What You Do:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Place diced shallot in a large bowl with the juice of 3 lemon wedges.
Add the diced potatoes to the pot of boiling water. Cook 11 to 13 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the green beans. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the beans are bright green and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain.
While the potatoes cook, place the flour in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season both sides with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick pan, heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high until hot. Working 1 piece at a time, coat the seasoned chicken in the flour (tapping off any excess), then in the beaten eggs (letting the excess drip off).
Carefully add chicken breasts to the pan and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside in a warm place.
To make the dressing for the green bean and potato salad, first add the mustard to the shallot-lemon juice mixture. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes, cooked potatoes and green beans to the bowl of dressing; gently toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside in a warm place.
Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine the arugula, cheese and the juice of the remaining lemon wedge; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil; toss to mix.
Top the cooked chicken with the dressed arugula, and serve alongside the green bean and potato salad.