In my family, Autumn brings with it some of our favorite meals, recipes and menus. Here is a full menu to pick and choose from to create that Autumn Harvest you can't wait to share with your own family.

Menu:

• Autumn Salad
• Sweet Potato Soup
• Zucchini Parmesan Bread
• Cinnamon Butter
• Lemon Marinated London Broil
• Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffing
• Pecan Stuffed Squash
• Pumpkin Risotto
• Glazed Carrots
• Poached Pears

1 bag mixed greens or baby spinach

1 apple or pear, sliced and treated with lemon juice to keep fruit from turning brown

1/4 to 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese

1/4 to 1/2 sweet onion, sliced

1/4 cup walnut pieces

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

salt & pepper

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast about 5 minutes. Set aside. Wash and dry lettuce and arrange in a big bowl. Add the apple through the onion. Make the dressing by combining the vinegar & mustard, then whisk in the olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste. Toss with the salad and sprinkle on the toasted walnuts.

4 large sweet potatoes, about 4 pounds, unpeeled and quartered

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup celery stalks, chopped

5 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Fill a 5 quart pot with enough water to cover the sweet potatoes and add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water - do not add potatoes yet. Bring water to a boil. Place unpeeled potatoes into the pot of boiling water on a low boil. Cook until tender. Drain potatoes and allow to cool. When potato chunks have cooled, remove potato skins by hand.Using the same 5 quart pot, add oil, carrots, onions, and celery. Over medium heat, sauté ingredients until soft. Add broth and sweet potatoes. Bring to a full boil and reduce heat to low; simmer for 40 minutes. Add seasonings while simmering. Before removing from heat, additonal seasonings, to taste. If soup consistancy is too thick add a bit more chicken broth. With a food processor, purée until almost smooth. Reheat before serving.

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup zucchini, peeled and shredded

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon onion, grated

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and flour loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix flour, zucchini, sugar, cheese, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Melt butter in a medium size bowl and add buttermilk, beaten eggs and onion. Stir. Pour this mixture into flour mixture and stir until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread into prepared loaf pan. Bake 1 hour. Test for doneness with toothpick. When done, remove from oven and cool 5 to 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely before slicing.

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve over sweet bread, muffins, or waffles. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

1 2- to 2 1/4-pound top sirloin steak or London broil, about 1 1/4 inches thick

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

6 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Place steak in freezer quality plastic zipper bag. Puree remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. Season marinade with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour marinade into zipper bag with steak and seal. Marinate steak at room temperature for 2 hours, turning bag every half an hour. Preheat broiler. Broil steak until cooked to desired doneness, about 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter; let stand 15 minutes. Slice thinly crosswise.

1/4 cup butter

2 cups chopped red onion

1 cup chopped celery

5 cups chicken stock

1-1/4 cups wild rice

1-1/4 cups long grain white rice

1-1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 cup golden raisins

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped coarsely

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and celery and saute until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside. Bring stock to a boil in a large saucepan.

Add wild rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in white rice, cover and simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir in cranberries, thyme, marjoram, sage, red onions and remaining butter. Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in pecans and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to baking dish and cover with buttered aluminum foil. Bake until heated through, about 35 to 45 minutes.

2 - 14 oz cans chicken broth

4 small acorn squash, halved and seeded

2/3 cups butter or margarine

4 cups dry herb-seasoned stuffing mix

4 oz pecan pieces

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Reserve 1-1/3 cup broth, then pour remaining broth into a shallow baking dish. Place squash cut-side down in the broth. Bake 30 minutes. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the reserved broth and butter or margarine until the butter melts. Stir in stuffing mix, and pecans. Remove squash from oven, turn squash over, cut side up. Spoon stuffing into squash cavities. Bake 20 minutes more or until squash is is done, basting with broth every 10 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe in "Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook Collector's Edition."

3 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and cubed

4 shallots, chopped

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white cooking wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wrap the pumpkin in aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. While the pumpkin is baking, saute the shallots in a tablespoon or two of white wine, water or stock. In a separate pan, bring the stock to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. In a food processor, puree pumpkin and set aside. Add rice to shallots and cook 2-3 minutes over moderate heat stirring frequently. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the pumpkin and 1 cup stock, stirring constantly. After that is absorbed, add the rest of the stock 1/2 cup at a time stirring constantly until absorbed until the rice is cooked (about 15-20 min). If you run out of stock add hot water. The risotto should be thick and creamy in consistensy and just a little runny. When done remove from heat, add the sage, parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Great served with white wine and crusty bread.

2 pounds baby carrots

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan over medium heat, in 1 inch of boiling water heat carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boiling.Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until tender-crisp; drain. Add butter, sugar, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return mixture to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until carrots are glazed.

1 cup cranberry juice

1 cup orange juice

Zest of one orange

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup honey

4 ripe but firm Bartlett or Comic Pears

4 cinnamon sticks

Combine juices, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey in a large saucepan, warming the juices on medium-low heat. Peel the pears, leaving the stem in tact and core from the bottom of each pear. Slice a small section of the bottom of each pear so they can stand. Place pears upright in warm juice and spice mixture and baste. Simmer pears for 20-30 minutes, depending on degree of firmness. The pears should be tender when pierced. Remove pears and transfer to a plate. Bring juice mixture to a boil and reduce by half. Discard cinnamon stick. Spoon syrup over pears. Serve warm and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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