Entertaining 1011“2- (NAPSA)—Fall can be a wonderful time to gather family and friends for a festive meal. ’Tis the season to spruce up the house, bring out the good china and glassware, maybe that special tablecloth. It’s fun to create a beautiful table with personal touches, but many people are a bit apprehensive when it comes to cooking. No need to be if you keep the process simple, take sensible shortcuts and start with first quality ingredients. This recipe is an excellent example, based on ready-to-eat ham—or turn leftovers into planned-overs and a second “occasion” dinner. Berries star in the yummy, tartsweet sauce; packaged long grain and wild rice makes quick work of the dressing bound with rich, mellow Jarlsberg cheese. Serve the ham with a tossed salad and warm cornbread orbiscuits. For dessert, a simple caramelized sauce made by combining milk, apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon and Gjetost (another unique Norwegian cheese) can be the perfect topping for plain cake or lady fingers with ice cream. Festive Ham with Savory Dressing and Berry Sauce Sauce: 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries 2 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate 2 Tbsp. sweet Marsala wine or white grape juice 1 Thsp. sugar 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries 2 tsp. fresh lemon zest, optional Place first 4 ingredients in food processor or blender and Creating sumptuous feasts, for the holidays or any other gathering, can be simple if you use a few shortcuts. process until smooth. Push through a sieve to remove any seeds. Stir in blueberries and, if desired, lemon zest. Gently warm before serving—do not boil. Makes 1% cups. Dressing: 2 packages(6 oz. each) long grain and wild rice mixture % cup goldenraisins or chopped dried apricots % tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. thyme 2 cups (8 oz.) grated Jarlsberg cheese Prepare rice mixture according to package directions. Add dried fruit, pepper and thyme and stir to mix in evenly. Stir in cheese. Makes 6 servings. To assemble, steam 1 lb. of asparagus. Warm pre-cooked ham in oven or microwave. Fold each hamslice over 3 or 4 asparagus spears and serve with dressing. Spoon 4 cup sauce over each serving of ham.Serves6.
