One of my all time favorite salads is a combination more than a specific recipe: greens, goat cheese, some kind of tart berry or fruit on top, and an easy homemade vinaigrette. For our Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner we used a leaf lettuce and spinach mix with pomegranates, which are perfect for autumn!

Ingredients: 

• 8 ounces greens--use leaf lettuce for a seasonal option in the September
• 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup to a full cup of fresh pomegranate seeds
• Croutons (optional)

Instructions: 

1. Wash and dry the lettuce. Add to a large serving bowl.
2. Top the salad with goat cheese and pomegranate seeds. Add croutons if desired.
3. Serve with the vinaigrette of your choice--we recommend a balsamic vinaigrette.

This salad is really delicious with La Crema's Monterey Pinot Noir, which is super easy to find in stores. We had so much fun pairing all of our dishes with their wines--it was truly a delicious culinary experience. Make sure to check out the rest of our posts to get the rest of our recipes, decor, and wine pairings.

Follow along with our Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner and get full recipes for each dish on Sweet C's Designs, Freckled Italian, and the La Crema Winery blog here:

Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Pomegranate Chevre Salad

Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Ghee

Perfect Sauteed Mushrooms

Garlic and Lemon Roasted Rack of Lamb

Chocolate Mousse Shooters

Fall-Inspired Tablescape with Succulent Centerpieces

Photos by Courtney O'Dell by Sweet C's Designs.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

When I was a kid, chocolate mousse seemed like the most grown-up dessert in the world. My mom used to make it for dinner parties and she'd pipe it into chilled martini glasses and I always felt like a really fancy lady, eating dessert out of a cocktail glass with a tiny silver spoon.

Courtney of Sweet C's Designs and I teamed up to throw a Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner and while we were planning the menu (which Minted was nice enough to supply for us) I knew we had to make chocolate mousse for dessert. This time we served them in little shooter glasses that reminded us of stemless wine glasses and fit in so well with our vineyard/farm-to-table harvest theme.

We paired them with La Crema's Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, because who doesn't love chocolate and wine together?

Ingredients: 

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate
• pinch of salt
• Garnish: more heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Slowly heat 3/4 cup of the cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. In a metal bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Once combined well, slowly stream the hot cream into the bowl.
3. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and and cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the vanilla and continue to stir.
4. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler and and whisk the the custard mixture into it until smooth. Allow to cool.
5. Beat the remaining cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Slowly fold the whipped cream into the chocolate custard mixture to lighten.
6. Spoon the mix into serving glasses and chill for six hours or more. Let stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Top with more whipped cream if desired.

Follow along with our Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner and get full recipes for each dish on Sweet C's Designs, Freckled Italian, and the La Crema Winery blog here:

Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Pomegranate Chevre Salad

Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Ghee

Perfect Sauteed Mushrooms

Garlic and Lemon Roasted Rack of Lamb

Chocolate Mousse Shooters

Fall-Inspired Tablescape with Succulent Centerpieces

Photos by Courtney O'Dell of Sweet C's Designs for La Crema Farm to Table at Home.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

This weekend was packed with those chilly mornings that tell you fall is on the way for sure. My mom was visiting and we woke up early and put on sweaters and socks and drank steamy mugs of coffee on the patio, which is one of my favorite ways to spend a brisk morning. The air smells wet and it's kind of gloomy but still so refreshing--it's everything I love about the changing seasons.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Roanoke for a couple of weeks to help my mom recover from surgery on Wednesday. I'm so glad we live closer now and that I have the time to be there--I don't think I've ever been more grateful for my blog and the opportunity it gives me to have a flexible schedule. I may share more details soon, but until then we would really appreciate any and all positive thoughts, prayers, and general good vibes. My mom is the strongest, most wonderful woman I know and I am so proud to be her daughter and friend.