savoring late october

Hi bento pals! This was a weekend of savory, foliage-bright food and fun. As is my custom, Saturday morning included a walk to the farmer's market...

Some market selections, back home

We spent Saturday afternoon making some nice appetizers to bring to a get-together that evening. One was a decadent squash, Gruyere and cream casserole, from a recipe I heartily recommend! Everyone seemed to enjoy this combination of rich and savory tastes.

Here's the butternut squash before being layered with cheese and cream:

Fresh from the oven...comfort food indeed

Today was warm and clear, a perfect day for ambling around outside and exploring. We visited Old Town Leesburg to try a Cajun restaurant recommended by friends.

Housed in a charming old building, The Cajun Experience serves up hearty homestyle fare...

A starter of crispy crawfish

Jamison's savory seafood gumbo

The Oyster Po' Boy was really delish

 This meal has me inspired to pore over my Cajun/Creole cookbooks!

Jamison's capture of a crow-filled tree, observed from our table in the courtyard

An 18th century stone building just up the street from the restaurant

Many antiques shops line the streets of this cute town, plus a bounty of cafes I'll want to explore when the weather turns cold...

I think I'll need to return to a sweet boutique of imported French items for this "Brown Bear" honey:

Tomorrow's bento features a variety of colorful and autumn-spiced foods. A purple pepper is filled with sauteed mushrooms, garlic, shallots, parsley and bread crumbs and keeps company with bright pomegranate seeds. In the upper right section, chicken in spicy red pepper-eggplant sauce with Greek yogurt, topped with dill and little butternut squash decorations.

Red stemmed spinach, walnuts, radish and baby marigold in the big section, to be dressed later with walnut oil for extra fall flavor...