Fall wedding entrees -- from duck with pear sauce to ravioli stuffed with pumpkin

Fall wedding menus include Swiss chard, pumpkin and pomegranate

By guest blogger Sharon Naylor

This is the second in a multi-part series by Sharon Naylor on fall wedding topics. (Read her first piece on fall wedding cocktail stations here.)

Fall is rich in color, texture and taste, and that’s why autumn weddings are known to have some of the best catering inspiration. The cooler weather calls for warmer, creamier culinary creations, each sensationally satisfying -- way more enticing than a sliver of prosciutto draped across a thin half circle of melon as is the usual summer main course.

Here, we’ll get your mouth watering with just some of the top entrée trends in fall fare. Before we do, though, keep in mind that seasonal foods are fresh and fabulous now, so chefs build their autumn entrees around the creamy, crunchy, colorful experiences of the following in-season produce items:

• Acorn squash
• Apples
• Belgian endive
• Butternut squash
• Cauliflower
• Figs
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Grapes
• Mushrooms
• Pears
• Pomegranates
• Pumpkin
• Sweet potatoes
• Swiss chard

While it may look like we just built a shopping list for side dishes and salads -- and while that is quite true! -- these seasonal tastes elevate the standard chicken, pasta, pork, beef and even seafood that you find on your caterer’s entrée choice sheet. Your cheaper chicken breasts become expensive-tasting -- but not actually expensive -- extravagances if your caterer dreams up a pear and mushroom ragout and serves the entire entrée over a bed of cauliflower gratin, with a tower of fried sweet potato straws on top.

As I mentioned in my earlier post on fall cocktail party stations, it always impresses guests and makes it look like you spent more when you dream up dishes that the guests don’t cook for themselves. You don’t need lobster tails and foie gras to impress your loved ones. A pumpkin and goat cheese-filled ravioli entrée will impress beyond measure, because it’s delicious and different.

Here are some fall entrée inspirations to share with your caterer:

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