Friends, hello.

This week, I had so hoped to make progress on the Tartine morning buns I shared last week, but I got distracted. Shortly after sending the email, one of you asked if the cheater's croissant dough could be used to make Christmas Star Bread, and shortly after that, the chocolate I ordered to make chocolate croissants arrived.

So I made a double batch of dough...

But that's as far as I got. The experiments will continue this week.

The real distraction this week was last night's pasta party for my 13-year-old's soccer team. The menu was simple — focaccia (x2), baked pasta (x3), Caesar salad, and a veggie platter — and easy to prep ahead of time. I've compiled all of my notes in this Google Doc should any of you be hosting any team dinners this fall and beyond.

Have a beautiful fall weekend, Everyone 👋 🍁🍃🍂

Pasta Party Notes, Grocery List, Timing

PS: I shared this Large-Batch Tomato Sauce recipe in my pizza Substack several years ago. It's a great one to turn to when you need large quantities of sauce or want to freeze a few quarts for the months ahead.

PPS: This year we added tiramisu to the menu. In some ways it was easier than cranking out chocolate chip cookies.

Review of the Week

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cinnamon-Sugar Focaccia

"PHENOMENAL. Absolutely worth the time. I cannot wait to make this for my family during the holidays instead of cinnamon rolls. Positively thrilled to have this recipe!"

— Joan

7 More Recipes to Make Right Now

Pumpkin Muffins... made in one bowl, spiced with all the cozy flavors of the season, these pumpkin muffins are heaven, a perfect treat for a fall morning or to pack as a snack on the go. The recipe will leave you with a little bit of unused pumpkin purée. What to do with it?...

Just-baked pumpkin muffins on a cooling rack.

... make bread:

NOTE: The pumpkin tinges the baked loaf a beautiful orange hue and lends a softness to the crumb. What it does not do is impart that much flavor — if you closed your eyes while taking a bite, you would never know you were eating a slice of pumpkin bread.

All of this said, this is a great recipe to put that leftover pumpkin puree to use! You can use the bread for sandwiches — it is soft but sturdy — and it makes excellent toast:

Orecchiette with Brown Butter and Brussels Sprouts: an old favorite:

In this super-fast pasta dish, a simple brown butter sauce dresses orecchiette, Brussels sprouts, toasted walnuts and Pecorino. While any pasta shape will work, orecchiette, which shares the same shape as the Brussels sprout leaves, is particularly fun. // alexandracooks.com

Blistered Green Beans: so fast, so tasty:

Blistered fresh green beans on a platter.

Sheet pan chicken and cauliflower “shawarma”: another old favorite:

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes:

French Apple Tart

Farm Share Friends:

... it's here! The season of ALL the greens, herbs, radishes, and more. While I am no longer updating The Farm Share Newsletter, these posts from previous years may be helpful: