What I made today...

With the rain and the beginning of school, it was hard not to start thinking of warmer dishes. The warmth of Fall, of oranges and yellows and deep browns that conjure visions of cozy evenings. (Never mind the heat and humidity...)
This week's menu featured all of my favorite flavors, but nodded to summer with the inclusion of grilled vegetables, and sunny slices of grilled pineapple as a complement to the pork.
This week's menu:
*Blueberry buttermilk pancakes
*Fennel and tomato soup
*Honey whole wheat bread
*Sweet potato puree with roasted pears
*Maple glazed pork tenderloin
*Pesto
*Roasted red peppers
*Grilled asparagus

I am anxious to get the reviews on the pesto, since I tried out a new technique that is supposed to be helpful if you want to freeze it for later. The idea is that you should very quickly blanch the basil in boiling salted water, then plunge it into ice water to revive it. Ideally the blanching is meant to "fix" the green color of the basil and prevent it from browning. In practice however the basil turns into a seaweed like substance that seems really unappealing. I managed to dry it as best as possible and then ground it with the additional ingredients as usual. I also toasted the pinenuts and blanched the garlic cloves very briefly to tame the bite of the pesto (because of the kids).
Notes: Despite the fact that I made 3 tenderloins instead of the 2 that the recipe required, I ended up with waaaayyyy too much glaze, which is a waste considering how expensive maple syrup is... Next time I would use 1/4 of a cup rather than the 3/4 that the recipe calls for.