Canyon Crush

Hands stained purple, the vintner and his helpers pour bucket after bucket of grape must into the old wood press. Fermented juices squeeze past skins and seeds into the trough, whole grapes popping and pinging as they resist the turn of the screw.

Two weeks earlier, the winemaker and many of the same helpers harvested the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Zinfandel grapes now being squeezed in the press. Still warm from the sun, the grapes we picked retained their heat even as we reached into the barrels to remove their stems, and the occasional grapes we sneaked into our mouths were laden with sugar.

Now, watching the “pressing off” in the cool aftermath of the first autumn rain, I like to think we have harnessed the sun and that the rugged heat and light will emerge in the coming wine.

When the wine is put to bed for the winter in a French oak barrel, we gather on the patio, surrounded by the reddening leaves of the vineyard, and toast the end of the harvest with a “crush cocktail” made from some of the newly fermented wine that had been set aside. The air is sweet and smoky from the fire of grapevine cuttings and pecan wood that will soon roast our wine press dinner. It is a perfect day.

No, we are not in the South of France. We are not in Napa or Sonoma. We are not in Santa Ynez or even Temecula. Our romantic wine idyll is taking place in California’s unlikeliest wine region, Topanga Canyon, better known as a hideaway for movie stars and old hippies than for grapevines.

Here in this canyon that connects Malibu and the Pacific Ocean to the San Fernando Valley, Sandy Garber and Ralph Meyer, with their children, Jeremy, 16, and Jessica, 13, have made a family project of establishing their own vineyard and wine label, Topanga Vineyards.

“When we moved to Topanga 10 years ago,” says Garber, a wine broker and wholesaler, “we discovered that the hot dry climate and rugged topography are similar to the scraggly hillsides of southern France.”

Garber and Meyer soon began entertaining thoughts that they were living in the Provence--or even better, the Rhone--of Southern California.

Indeed, the Garber-Meyer goal is to produce a Co^tes du Rho^ne-style red, a peppery field blend with soft tannins, an easy wine meant to be consumed within a year of bottling. The addition of Zinfandel is their California twist on a French theme. They have 90 vines and are expanding by starting a co-op. Neighbors--and fellow grape pickers--Connie and Scott Ratner planted 125 vines of Syrah last spring.

“Having heard that French vines do best when they struggle,” Garber says wryly, “we were confident ours would be extremely successful.”

Wine is Garber’s livelihood. She was director of sales and marketing in Southern California for the Chalone Wine Group for 14 years until she resigned last year to start her own brokerage and wholesale business, Garber and Co.

In addition to Topanga Vineyards, which they do for themselves, Garber oversees the family’s commercial wine venture, TV, in which Central Coast, not Topanga, grapes are used. Last year, several tons of Syrah were harvested from the French Camp Vineyard in the Paso Robles area and bottled under the TV label. Steve Dooley, owner of Stephen Ross Winery, is the TV winemaker.

Meyer, a film location manager whose dry wit matches the Topanga terroir, tends the vines, applying the practical education he gained living and working in the Napa Valley for several years.

Garber and Meyer met in college at the University of Wisconsin and moved to the Napa Valley soon after graduation. He waited tables at Domaine Chandon and worked briefly in the vineyard at Trefethen Winery; she was a Robert Mondavi tour guide. They moved to Los Angeles in 1979 so Meyer could attend film school at UCLA. But wine was still part of their lives during this period: They worked as sommeliers to earn a living, he at Michael’s in Santa Monica, she at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

It can be said that the roots for Topanga Vineyards were planted 20 years ago when the couple spent six months touring the wine regions of France. Garber and Meyer witnessed joyous harvests with winery family members, friends and other volunteers pouring into the countryside for a couple of days in the sun, paid mostly with delicious meals and drink. These harvest festivities left a lasting impression.

“We especially loved the ritual of celebrating reaching the end of each row of vines by passing a bottle of the house wine,” Garber says. “As soon as we saw our Topanga property, we knew it was meant to be shared in that same way with our friends.”

In 1989, with a band of loyal friends, Garber and Meyer cleared and terraced a small hillside and planted 40 vines. After two years and a second planting, they produced one five-gallon jug of Zinfandel-Carignan blend at home, pressing the juice through a strainer with their hands until their knuckles bled.

It took several years of learning to cope with blue jays, wasps, coyotes and earthquakes before Topanga Vineyards had its first good yield. The day after the 1995 harvest, Garber drove enough grapes to Paso Robles for Dooley to make five cases of a five-varietal blend.

These days, there are more grapes than a family of four can pick. This is the second year our motley crew--doctor, lawyer, writer, artist, therapist, wholesale grocer, assorted kids and dogs--has bonded as we’ve learned the finer points of bird-netting removal and de-stemming. We adults are happy to swig last year’s vintage after we pick each row clean.

As it was for the rest of California’s vineyards, Topanga Vineyards’ harvest this year was nerve-rackingly delayed by the long arm of El Nino. But patience is a virtue; the longer time on the vine resulted in sweeter grapes. When Meyer squeezed a handful of grapes into the hydrometer to measure the sugar, it registered 24 brix, perfectly ripe grapes that will produce a wine with 12.5% to 13.2% alcohol.

In what has become a family tradition, Garber and Meyer’s children, Jeremy and Jessica, save the best part for themselves, stomping the grapes only after the rest of us L.A. vendangeurs go home. Crushing the grapes starts cellular breakdown, putting more of the juice in contact with the skins, and alcoholic fermentation begins. This first fermentation takes about 10 days. Then the wine is ready to be pressed into a French oak barrel where it will undergo malolactic fermentation to reduce and stabilize acidity, which brings us to today’s gathering.

Last spring, Garber and grape-picking pediatrician friend Howie Reinstein found a vintage wooden press at a garage sale, which means the entire winemaking process can be Topanga-based. Pressing off the wine at home is a perfect opportunity for Garber and Meyer to fe^te all the friends who have helped.

Our rustic Provencal-style buffet dinner is plentiful yet simple, with foods that can be readied the day before and easily cooked after the pressing. The menu reflects the bounty of the season and the Garber-Meyer land: grape leaves and the riot of herbs and lavender growing terraced outside the kitchen.

We start with crisp rustic pizzas, one lightly topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Kalamata olives and rosemary sprigs, the other with a thin smear of roasted tomato sauce, thyme and red pepper. Both are delicious made ahead and served at room temperature.

Garber and Meyer have a wonderful fire pit that Meyer tends with an old nine-iron. The pit has a huge grate that can be raised or lowered over the heat and swings away for the easy addition of sarments, vine cuttings that Jeremy and Jessica collect each January after the pruning. Meyer builds fires from aged oak and pecan hours ahead so the wood can burn down to glowing coals. Most of our dinner comes off this grill.

First, a Meyer family tradition: tangy grape leaves stuffed with creamy goat cheese. Tender leaves are dipped in olive oil and wrapped around a filling of goat cheese seasoned with black pepper and then grilled briefly until the cheese is molten and the leaves crisped and partly blackened.

With this appetizer, popular in wine regions, Garber pours a Viognier, a white wine typical of the Rho^ne, with strong tones of peach and apricot.

The rest of the dinner preparations are easily completed during the cocktail hour. In spite of Garber’s vow that we grape pickers shouldn’t lift a finger, we can’t resist pitching in.

Like an exalted form of convenience food, aromatic Cornish game hens, marinated in olive oil, garlic and black pepper as well as rosemary, thyme and marjoram from Garber and Meyer’s garden, are pulled grill-ready out of the fridge.

Creamy butternut squashes are split open, revealing their brilliant orange interiors, and brushed with olive oil, coarse salt, herbs and red pepper flakes. The alchemy of the fire fuses these elements into a new whole, each bite a satisfying combination of sweet, hot, salt and smoke.

Tossing whole unpeeled shallots with oil and more thyme--quintessential herbes de Provence--and roasting them in a hot oven is so easy. The papery skins act as a sort of steaming jacket for the shallots, helping them caramelize to incredible and fragrant sweetness. Wonderfully browned, some of the skins split open to reveal the treasure within.

Garber quickly dresses blanched green beans and roasted red, golden and red-and-white-striped Chioggia beets in a walnut vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, grill-master Meyer tends our main course, adding vine cuttings to the coals to give the Cornish hens and squash a fruity smokiness. As he works the fire, hungry vendangeurs pitch horseshoes nearby, in an American take on the Provencal passion for the game of boules.

Just as the game birds come off the grill, we slide a pan of seasonal fruits drizzled with lavender honey and Muscat, a dessert wine, onto the embers to roast slowly while we eat dinner. The juices of baking figs, Comice pears, Concord grapes, Fuyu persimmons, plums and Golden Delicious apples blend with the robust honey and sweet wine into an ambrosial syrup.

In keeping with the rustic theme, we eat the warm fruit with fromage blanc de chevre, a light fresh goat’s milk cheese bought at the farmers’ market. The mild tartness of the cheese showcases the sweetness of the fruit. (When fromage blanc is unavailable, yogurt cheese, made by draining off the whey from plain yogurt for several hours, is a fine substitute.)

We feast and sip TV Syrah as the sun sets and the French festival lights come on overhead. Although the snap of fall is in the air, we are reluctant to head inside. Meyer throws more wood on the fire, and we draw close to the flames for warmth, prolonging for a little while the the glow of a successful harvest.

Menu

Grilled Goat Cheese Wrapped in Fresh Grape Leaves

Rustic Provencal Pizzas With Two Toppings

Herb-Infused Cornish Game Hens

Oven-Roasted Shallots With Thyme

Grill-Roasted Butternut Squash

Beets and Green Beans in Walnut Vinaigrette

Slow-Roasted Seasonal Fruit

Grilled Goat Cheese Wrapped in Fresh Grape Leaves

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour * Vegetarian

This easy appetizer was adapted with slightly different ingredient proportions from a recipe by Marcella Hazan in “Marcella’s Italian Kitchen” (Knopf, 1986). Fresh grape leaves can be ordered from some grocery stores, ethnic markets and grape growers at local farmers’ markets. Grape leaves packed in brine are found in most supermarkets.

16 large young fresh grape leaves or grape leaves packed in brine

1 pound crumbly goat cheese, such as Montrachet

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

* Soak fresh grape leaves in ice water at least 30 minutes. Pat dry before using. Rinse leaves packed in brine, if using, and pat dry.

* Mash together cheese and 1 tablespoon oil. Set aside.

* Remove stems from grape leaves. Pour remaining 1/2 cup oil onto shallow plate. Dip dull underside of 1 leaf into oil. Place leaf, oiled side up, on work surface. Place 1 tablespoon cheese mixture in center of leaf and season with generous grinding of pepper. Fold sides and top and bottom ends of leaf over cheese to make square. Place seam side down on clean plate. Repeat with remaining leaves. Recipe may be made to this point and refrigerated, covered, overnight.

* Grill over medium-hot coals, seam side down, until leaves are no longer bright green and are nicely scored, about 2 minutes. Turn and grill other side about 2 minutes. Or broil close to heat source.

16 leaves. Each leaf: 143 calories; 104 mg sodium; 13 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 0 carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0 fiber.

Rustic Provencal Pizzas

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 45 minutes * Low-Fat

A very hot oven is critical to getting the thin crust crisp, brown and bubbled. These pizzas are also delicious at room temperature. Though not quite as authentic, Kalamata olives are easy to pit; use Nicoise olives whole.

CRUST

1 (1/4-ounce) package dry yeast

1 1/4 cups water

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal

* Mix yeast, 1/4 cup warm water and sugar in large mixing bowl. Let rest until mixture begins to bubble, about 10 minutes.

* Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and remaining 1 cup water. Add about 1 1/2 cups flour and stir with wooden spoon until blended. Continue to add flour little at a time, stirring, until dough comes together in ball.

* Sprinkle remaining flour onto work surface. Turn out dough and knead, incorporating flour just until dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not over-knead. Coat dough with 1 teaspoon olive oil and place in large plastic food storage bag or large bowl and cover with dish towel. Allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

* Sprinkle 2 (15-inch) pizza pans or backs of 2 (15x9-inch) baking sheets with 1 tablespoon cornmeal each. Divide dough in half. Roll out each piece on lightly floured surface to 14-inch circle 1/8-inch thick. Or roll out into 14x8-inch rectangle if using baking sheets. Place dough on pans, patting edges to make roughly even circle, leaving 1-inch border. Drizzle each crust with 1 tablespoon oil and smear over entire surface.

SPICY ROASTED TOMATO TOPPING

1 pound tomatoes, preferably plum

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

* Place tomatoes on baking sheet and broil about 2 inches from heat source until skins are partly blackened on all sides and tomatoes are soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then put through food mill fitted with fine disk.

* Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add tomato pulp and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and reduced by 1/4 if using plum tomatoes and by 1/2 if using regular tomatoes, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt. Sauce may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.

* Smear 1 crust with tomato sauce mixture, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, thyme, pepper to taste and red pepper flakes if desired.

OLIVE-ROSEMARY TOPPING

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/2 cup pitted and sliced Nicoise or Kalamata olives

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

Freshly ground pepper

* Sprinkle remaining crust with cheese to edges of dough. Top with olive pieces, rosemary leaves and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

ASSEMBLY

* Bake pizzas on lowest rack in well-preheated oven at 475 degrees until crust is browned and bubbled, 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into appetizer-size pieces.

12 servings with Tomato Topping. Each serving: 108 calories; 334 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.32 gram fiber.

12 servings with Olive Rosemary Topping: Each serving: 120 calories; 496 mg sodium; 4 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.20 gram fiber.

Herb-infused Cornish Game Hens

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Vine cuttings are available at some specialty shops and home center stores. Soak dried vine cuttings in water before adding to barbecue fire. Cuttings that are green inside when snapped in two do not need to be soaked.

4 Cornish game hens

6 large cloves garlic

1/3 cup fresh rosemary leaves, lightly crushed, stalks reserved

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

1 small bunch fresh thyme

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher or coarse sea salt

1 dozen grapevine cuttings, optional

* Rinse hens and pat dry. Split along backbone with shears. Cut away backbone and discard. Open out hens on work surface, skin side up. With palm of hand, push sharply and hard on breastbones to crack and flatten breasts. Make slit in skin at base of each thigh and tuck end of each drumstick in slit to anchor it.

* Place hens in large shallow nonreactive bowl or pan. Put garlic through press onto birds. Sprinkle rosemary, marjoram and generous grindings of pepper on birds and rub seasonings into surface. Layer whole thyme sprigs on and between birds. Pour olive oil over birds and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally, or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking.

* Heat gas grill to medium. Or place coals at sides of grill, leaving center as indirect cooking area. When coals are ashen and glowing, place game hens over indirect heat, skin side up, and salt to taste. Add rosemary stalks and cuttings to coals. Grill hens 15 minutes, then turn skin side down and salt to taste. Add more vine cuttings if needed. Grill hens until cooked through, about 15 more minutes. Move to hottest part of fire during last 5 minutes of cooking to crisp skin. Cut in half to serve.

8 servings. Each serving. 179 calories; 55 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.15 gram fiber.

Oven-roasted Shallots With Thyme

Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 50 minutes * Low-Fat

16 large shallots, about 1 1/2 pounds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried, plus sprigs for garnish

Kosher or coarse sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

* Place unpeeled shallots in shallow baking dish and toss with olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Roast uncovered at 400 degrees until tender when pierced with knife, browned and some of papery skins have split, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with more thyme and salt if desired. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Serve hot or at room temperature.

8 servings. Each serving: 29 calories; 2 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.16 gram fiber.

Beets and Green Beans in Walnut Vinaigrette

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes * Vegan

A recipe for beets from “The Greens Cook Book” by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown (Bantam Books, 1987) inspired this colorful combination.

BEETS

2 pounds red, golden or striped beets or combination

2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons walnut oil

1/2 cup olive oil

* Scrub beets, leaving tails and 1 inch of stem attached. Roast beets in 13x9-inch glass baking dish with 1/4 inch water, covered with foil, at 400 degrees until tender, about 40 minutes. Rinse beets under running water to remove peel. Cut in quarters. Set aside.

* Mix Sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste in bowl large enough to hold beets. Add walnut oil and olive oil and mix well. Add beets to dressing while still warm and mix to coat well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Beets may be made 1 day before.

GREEN BEANS

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons walnut oil

2 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

2 pounds green beans

1 cup walnut pieces

* Combine olive oil, walnut oil and shallots in small bowl and let stand at least 1 hour. Whisk together vinegar and salt in another small bowl and set aside.

* Snip off ends of green beans and discard. Blanch beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge beans into ice water to stop cooking process and preserve color, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well and wrap in towel until ready to serve.

* Toast walnuts at 400 degrees until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop.

* Combine shallot and vinegar mixtures and toss with green beans just before serving. Mound marinated beets in center of serving platter and surround with beans. Sprinkle with walnuts.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 8 servings: 427 calories; 828 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 37 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 2.90 grams fiber.

Grill-Roasted Butternut Squash

Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour * Vegetarian

A mixture of 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon dried marjoram may be substituted for the herbes de provence.

2 (2- to 2 1/2-pound) butternut squash

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher or coarse sea salt

Freshly ground white pepper

1 tablespoon herbes de provence

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon honey, optional

* Cut each squash in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard seeds and string. Brush cut surface with olive oil and season with salt, white pepper, herbes de provence and red pepper flakes.

* Place squash cut side down on grill and roast over medium-low heat, brushing several times with olive oil and turning occasionally, until browned and tender when pierced with skewer or knife, 50 to 60 minutes. Or place squash cut side down in shallow pan with plenty of space between each piece and roast at 400 degrees until tender, about 40 minutes.

* Melt honey and drizzle over cut surface of squash if not sweet enough. Cut into thick slices.

8 servings. Each serving: 103 calories; 41 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.62 grams fiber.

Slow-Roasted Seasonal Fruit With Lavender Honey and Muscat Wine

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour * Low-Fat

This dessert was inspired by a recipe from “Patricia Wells at Home in Provence” (Scribner, 1996) using summer fruits. Whether using winter or summer fruits, be sure they are juicy. Apples should be a quick-cooking variety. Peaches, plums, figs and berries are great in summer. Fromage blanc de chevre is a fresh soft goat’s milk cheese available at some farmers’ markets. Yogurt cheese is a fine substitute, and vanilla ice cream, of course, is always a good alternative.

3 pounds mixed seasonal fruit, such as Golden Delicious apples, pears and fuyu persimmons

1 cup Concord or red grapes or berries

1/4 cup lavender honey or other strongly flavored honey

1/3 cup Muscat wine

Fresh lavender, optional

Fromage blanc or Yogurt Cheese

* Halve apples, pears and persimmons and remove pits or cores. Cut apples and pears in quarters and peel and slice persimmons. Place fruit cut side up in shallow baking pan suitable for use on grill. Scatter grapes or berries on top. Melt honey and drizzle over fruit. Pour wine over fruit.

* Place pan on grate over coals and roast fruit uncovered, basting occasionally, until fruit is tender and browned, about 45 minutes. Or bake at 375 degrees until tender, about 30 minutes. Place under broiler to brown edges.

* Sprinkle with lavender if desired and serve with dollop of fromage blanc or Yogurt Cheese.

8 servings. Each serving without fromage blanc: 139 calories; 2 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.95 gram fiber.

Yogurt Cheese

Active Work Time: 5 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 6 hours

2 pints regular or low-fat plain yogurt

* Line fine sieve with cheesecloth so that ends overhang. Spoon yogurt into sieve, cover with ends of cheesecloth and suspend over bowl to catch whey. Refrigerate at least 6 hours. Discard whey.

2 cups. Each 1 tablespoon: 200 calories; 320 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams protein; 0 fiber.

INGREDIENTS

Staples

Cornmeal

Flour

Garlic

Herbes de provence or dried rosemary, thyme and marjoram

Extra-virgin olive oil

Black peppercorns

White peppercorns

Dried red pepper flakes

Salt

Kosher or sea salt

Sugar

Balsamic vinegar

Sherry vinegar

Dry yeast

Shopping List

2 pounds green beans

2 pounds beets

1 pint Nicoise or Kalamata olives

1/4-pound Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 pounds mixed fruit, such as pears, apples and persimmons

1/2 pound Concord grapes or berries

16 fresh grape leaves, about 1/4 pound, or 1 (8-ounce) jar grape leaves packed in brine

Grapevine cuttings, optional

1 pound goat cheese

4 Cornish game hens

1 (8-ounce) jar lavender honey or other strong-flavored honey

1 bunch marjoram

1 3/4 to 2 pounds shallots

1 (8-ounce) bottle walnut oil

1/4 pound walnut pieces

2 (2- to 2 1/2-pound) butternut squash

1 (375-milliliter) bottle Muscat or other dessert wine

1 bunch rosemary

2 bunches thyme

1 pound plum tomatoes

2 pints plain yogurt or 1 pint fromage blanc

GAME PLAN

Day before: Marinate game hens and refrigerate. Make roasted tomato sauce for pizza.

Day before to morning of: Soak grape leaves in ice water. Pit Kalamata olives. Make yogurt cheese. Prepare stuffed grape leaves. Roast, peel and marinate beets.

Morning of: Cut and season butternut squash. Pluck herbs. Make vinaigrette. Trim and blanch green beans.

Morning of to 2 hours before: Bring all refrigerated food to room temperature. Roast shallots. Make pizza dough.

1 to 2 hours before: Make pizzas and cut in small squares. Cut fruit and drizzle with wine and honey. Light grill.

1 hour before: Roast squash.

30 minutes before: Grill game hens.

15 minutes before: Toss green beans in vinaigrette and arrange on platter with beets. Slice squash and arrange in serving dish.

Just before serving: Cut hens into serving-size pieces and place on platter.

Just before sitting down to dinner: Place fruit on grill.

When guests arrive: Serve pizzas. Grill stuffed grape leaves and serve.

After dinner: Serve fruit with yogurt cheese.