hello, fall

we have officially said goodbye to summer and hello to fall.   we did get an extra dose of
summer in the south of france where it was still 80 degrees.  but we are home now and back to the grind.  but also back to our comfy bed and our routine,  which feels good.  fall is actually my
favorite time of year.  i love to throw on a comfy sweater and curl up in front of a cozy fire.
it's the perfect time to make great soups and beautiful fall desserts.  and of course apple picking and pie making.   we walked a ton while we were in france and noted that must
be how the french stay so  thin.  how could they be thin with all of those amazing desserts and
amazing bread always within an arms reach.?

while we were away i had this fantastic puff pastry wrapped pork that i was determined to
duplicate.   it was wonderful and i have to say,  i think i did a pretty good job at duplicating it. it's super easy.  your guests will never believe that you did not spend
all day on it.

puff pastry wrapped pork

1 medium pork tenderloin
2 tbsp chopped dried apples
2 tbsp coarse mustard
5-6 springs of thyme
salt and pepper
5-6 slices of thin prosciutto
1 sheet of puff pastry thawed for 30 - 45 minutes.

1 egg 1 tbsp water beaten (for egg wash)

slice the tenderloin in half.  take one side and turn it so that the bottom of one side is
now laying next to the top of the other side.
stuff the middle with the chopped dried apples.
lay out 5-6 pieces of prosciutto over lapping slightly in a vertical direction.
lay a piece of parchment paper over the prosciutto and roll over with a rolling pin so that
the prosciutto sticks together. remove parchment. sprinkle with salt, pepper and liberally with the thyme.
place the tenderloin on top of the proscuitto and roll it around it.
roll out the puff pastry to approx 12x16 rectangle spread with the coarse mustard.
lay the pork on the bottom end of the pastry and again roll it to cover.  fold down the ends
brush the egg wash liberally over the puff pastry.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately
30 minutes until golden brown.  you must wait at least 10 minutes before cutting it so that
the pastry has time to solidify.
this is super easy and looks really elegant and  it tastes fantastic.  serve it with apple sauce, some
green salad and perhaps some roasted potatoes.
have creme brulee for dessert and you have a beautiful french meal that didn't take all day to
prepare.

so, unfortunately i deleted all of my iphone pictures this past weekend by mistake.  :(  my IT
guys tried to salvage them today but... they are gone.  i can be really bummed out about this
or chalk it up to c'est la vie...  so ... such is life.  not much i can do about it.  so you will have to take my word for it that the puff pastry wrapped pork is awesome.

sorry i lost all of my photos of the step to step.

apple picking was worth the trip.

"use what you have, use what the world gives you.  use the bright flame of fall before winters darkness. orange, harvest, amber, gold, cool nights and the smell of fire: our tree lined streets are set a blaze, our kitchens are filled with the smell of nostalgia.  apples bubbling into sauce, roasting squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, warmth itself."

love sent, xo