Is it composing a menu or the cooking that inhibits us from inviting over a few friends for dinner? It is probably both because we continue to make things too complicated.

This Friday, a few of our friends are coming over. The Menu: foods in season and what we like to cook and eat - two key “food tenets” to keeping things simple. A couple others: keep it flexible (never feel locked-in to a recipe or menu) and serve colorful foods with different textures.

With this in mind, and as requested from so many of you, we have composed several new menus (a Fall Feast, an Indian Dinner Party, and a Cozy Sunday Supper), based on recipes sent to you in past e-bites. You will want to invite a few friends over soon and test these out.

Our Menu:

Slow-Roasted Salmon
Gingered Cauliflower with Aged Cheddar
Tender Cooked Greens

For dessert - less is more. Serve fresh cut apples, pears, or figs with a delicious cheese (try a farm market goat or your favorite aged cheddar from the recipe above).