the harvest table: review and giveaway

I've done Gooseberry Patch reviews for a while now...I've been a fan of the books for years...and I have to say that this book is one of the best I've ever cooked from.

The Harvest Table is such a delight to read.  I got myself a cup of hot cocoa (who cares that it's 90 degrees outside!), curled up on the couch, and read it straight through!  Like other Gooseberry Patch cookbooks, it's got kitchen tips and ideas for fall activities and decor on every page.  It also features those heartwarming fall memories from Gooseberry Patch readers.  I just love those...they give me such great ideas for how to make the season a special time for my family.

But the focus of the book is the recipes!  There are over 225 recipes, and they all look fabulous.  I had such a hard time deciding which ones to review, simply because I wanted to try them all!  There are recipes specifically for the holidays, for tailgating at those autumn football games, for chilly nights sitting around the fire, for quick dinners at home, and for entertaining groups of friends.  The desserts chapter alone will blow your mind!  Gooseberry Patch (and all of the readers who submitted recipes) really outdid themselves with this book...it's one I'm going to go back to time and again.

Once again, we picked a recipe from each chapter to try out and share with you.  Here they are, each given its own "reward"!

Meat Lover's Dream

Wilderness Breakfast from the chapter "Hearty Autumn Brunch"

I wasn't shocked when my husband picked out this recipe to try (what man wouldn't want a casserole filled with cheese, sausage and bacon?), but I wasn't all that excited either.  I've had breakfast casseroles before, and they're usually nothing to write home about.  I changed my tune after trying this.  It was SO GOOD!  The sausage and bacon give it such an amazing flavor, and it's incredibly easy to make.  It's a recipe that is basic enough to be made on a camping trip and can also be assembled the night before serving, refrigerated, and then baked the next morning.  The possibilities are endless!

Most Versatile

Slow-Cooked Campfire Stew from the chapter "Soup Supper with Friends"

I love barbecue, so I had to try this stew.  The primary ingredients are pre-prepared shredded BBQ beef and pork (I used the containers of Lloyd's BBQ in the refrigerator section of my grocery store).  Add beans, corn, potatoes, onion, and tomatoes, and you've got yourself a "stick-to-your-ribs" kind of meal.  We gave this the "most versatile" award because you can do so much with it.  You can add or delete the additional vegetables, vary the types of barbecue you use, and serve with cornbread or dolloped on top of a baked potato.  We really enjoyed this one.

Most Subtly Delicious

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes from the chapter "Simple Harvest Supper"

We love sweet potatoes in our house, so we had to try this recipe.  (In fact, if you love sweet potatoes, this book is for you!  There are tons of great-looking sweet potato recipes.)  This was an easy side dish to prepare, and it looked beautiful on the plate.  My husband said it was one of those subtle dishes - it doesn't outshine the main entree but yet it is utterly enjoyable.  There are lots of great flavors with each bite that keep you coming back for more and more!

Most Likely to Appear at Our Next Holiday Meal

Granny's Cornbread Dressing from the chapter "Thanksgiving with All the Trimmings"

Every year at Thanksgiving, we have stuffing.  Every year at Christmas, we have stuffing.  We've been missing out!  This cornbread dressing is absolutely delicious.  Who knew that such a simple mix of cornbread, broth, onion, and celery could be so good?  I'm so glad that my facebook readers talked me into trying this one.  This recipe is completely traditional and the perfect accompaniment to a holiday meal (or any meal, for that matter).  There's not much to say except that we loved it!

Most Complimentary

Feisty Red Pepper-Bacon Dip from the chapter "Festive Fall Flavors"

We chose to try this dip because the mixture of cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish, red peppers, and bacon sounded absolutely divine.  In the end, it was tasty but not quite what we expected.  While it tastes good as a dip, we've decided that it works best as a condiment.  This is why we awarded it "most complimentary".  In our minds, it's meant to compliment other foods rather than stand alone.  Our favorite use for it - as a dressing on paninis!

Most Successful Flop

Double Chocolate Tiramisu from the chapter "Save Room for Dessert"

We have never been tiramisu people because we're not all that into coffee, but I decided to try this dessert because there was no coffee in the ingredient list...just chocolate!  Turns out, we're still not tiramisu people because we don't love the texture of the dessert (soggy ladyfingers aren't really our thing), but the taste was amazing.  My husband told me to just leave out the ladyfingers and serve it as a pudding! :)  If you love chocolate, this is definitely a dessert to try.  The reason I called it a "flop" is because I couldn't quite get it to hold it's shape...when I served it, it just flopped on the plate!  No biggie, though - still tasted good!

My sweetheart picked which one of the above recipes I shared with you.  Being a self-proclaimed meat lover, of course he picked the breakfast casserole!

In a large bowl, beat together 6-8 eggs.

Add milk, cream of chicken soup, dried minced onion, dry mustard, salt, and pepper.

Line a baking pan with croutons and cheddar cheese (I know...who would have thought croutons?!).

Pour the egg mixture over the croutons and cheese.  Don't worry about stirring it or mixing things together.  This is a no-fuss breakfast!

Sprinkle bacon and sausage over the top.

Bake it at 325 degrees for an hour, and voila...breakfast!  We love it served with bacon-fried spiced apples, (another recipe from The Harvest Table that I'll be sharing in a few days, so stay tuned!).

Wilderness Breakfast
from Gooseberry Patch's The Harvest Table
3 cups croutons
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
6 to 8 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
3/4 t. dried, minced onion
3/4 t. dry mustard
3/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 lb. bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 lb. ground pork sausage, browned and drained

Line a greased 13"x9" baking pan with croutons and cheese; set aside.  In a large bowl, stir together eggs, milk, soup, onion, mustard, salt and pepper.  Pour mixture over croutons and cheese; sprinkle with bacon and sausage.  Bake, uncovered, for one hour at 325 degrees.  Serves 6-8.

So...how can YOU win a free copy of The Harvest Table?  Just leave me a comment answering the following question - which of the other recipes featured above would you like me to share?  I'll tally up the answers and share that recipe when I announce the winner!  (Please also make sure I have access to a valid e-mail so that I can contact you if you win.  No contact info, no entry!)  Giveaway ends May 30 at midnight (Central time).  Winner announced May 31.

PS - Gooseberry Patch gave me a free book to review as well as another to give away, but the views and opinions (and pictures!) presented in this post are entirely my own!   Disclosure...check!