This eclectic menu is a good choice for autumn entertaining, combining warming spices and cheeses with such comfort-food staples as potatoes, apples, and breads to create sophisticated dishes that go great with a glass of late-harvest Riesling. These dishes make a fine vegetarian meal but would also welcome the addition of a honeyed ham or roasted turkey. Eat them outdoors if you possibly can, warmed by rays of weakening sunlight. Winter's coming--but not just yet.

Menu
Pears with Goat Cheese and Preserves
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Leek and Potato Tart with Gruyere
Pear and Roquefort Strata
Spiced Fig and Walnut Bread
Raisin-Rosemary Rye Bread
Honey-Apple Crumble with Dried Fruit