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| Photo by Bernadette Durham in The New York Times |
Once Autumn arrives I can't get enough of certain foods. They scream HARVEST TIME ... THE FALL SEASON is upon us. Get your appetites ready for:
1) apples - My favorite apple variety is probably the tangy McIntosh. I also love a sour Granny Smith, or Empire, or Cortland ... there's no good reason not to mix it up!
2) butternut squash - So simple to cook too: Slit a few holes in the squash with a knife, then microwave until tender - about 8-10 minutes.
3) sweet potatoes - Either oven bake wrapped in foil (about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F), or microwave, rolled in a paper towel (about 8 minutes) until tender. At one time, I thought oven baked potatoes ruled, but I've gotten used to microwaved "baked" potatoes too.
4) pears - Softer than a crisp apple, but plump, sweet, juicy and scrumptious!
5) popcorn - A bowl of popcorn is so munchable!
6) peanut butter cookies - 3 ingredients: Mix 2 cups peanut butter; 2 eggs; 1 cup sugar in a bowl. Form the cookies, score the tops with a fork; bake on an oiled cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. Easy!
7) cabbage - savory, boiled and eaten with white potatoes; or made into kimchi, the spicy, pickled, national dish of Korea; or prepared as cabbage-tofu soup. Voilà! One head of cabbage, 3 ways to eat it.
8) soups: pea, bean, lentil, egg thread, vegetable beef or miso. Soups are warm and soothing after strong winds blow you to pieces.
9) cornbread - Several years ago, I bought a 10 inch cast iron skillet just to make pans of cornbread, but the skillet is versatile for most baking and stove top cooking. Meatloaf bakes golden brown in a cast iron skillet. Mmm, follow up with gravy.
10) real apple cider -- As an adult, I discovered alcoholic apple cider in a neighborhood British pub. Up until then, I only drank an apple-juice-like-apple-cider. I didn't know what I was missing. Real apple cider is very refreshing!
Ten tastes that ... well, um ... taste amazing at this time of year! Simple, inexpensive and healthy too. What would you add to this list?
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What a mouth-watering list Debra. Our Autumn is very quick, so barely a change in foods before Winter. I love apples, pears and butternut and sweet potatos. All great hearty foods. My mother made peanut butter cookies, and I always liked them too. Trying not to eat cookies at the moment - need to lose a few pounds for Summer :)
ReplyDeleteOften our falls are short also, Tricia. In recent years, Autumn has been warmer. This week we have lovely 70 degree F days. Don't even need a sweater really!
DeleteA couple of additions to the Apple item (#10). We recently had a Halloween party and one of the big successes was a mix of non-alcoholic cider (3 parts) mixed with bourbon (1 part)- with a tiny splash of cinnamon. Also, I could recommend some good stuff I had from a distillery in New Jersey, "Laird's Applejack". Laird Distillery claims to be the oldest distillery in the States (dating back to 1780) though my experience with them only goes back to last December, not quite one year.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'd love to try the local distillery apple ciders. Sounds delicious!
DeleteMy favorite fall dish to make is Hot Italian Sausage and Apples. After sautéing the sausage and removing them, you add a little butter and cook the peeled apple slices in the drippings. Add salt and pepper, if needed. Put apples and sausage in a heat-proof dish, deglaze the pan with Calvados (or equivalent apple liqueur), pour the liquid over the apples and sausage and pop in the oven for 15 to 30 mins. Easy and delicious. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteCheers, M-T
Hi M-T,
DeleteYour recipe sounds delicious and easy! Apples, sausage and a little heat ... a cook can't go wrong! I happen to have a suitable liqueur in my cupboard and now know what to do with it.
Thanks for stopping by and for the new recipe!!
What fantastic fall color!
ReplyDeleteI aggree. What a great eye the photographer has! I suggest enlarging it with the "+" button on your computer, then stare at it for a few seconds to get the sensation that you're standing under the tree.
DeleteLove that first photo. The trouble is that in the west we have a limited sense of seasons when it comes to food now. I remember (because I'm incredibly old) when certain foods only appeared at certain times - these days, you can get pretty much what you want when you want it. But I do think we eat differently in the darker months - huge, heavy, casseroles don't fit with lighter summer months. I like the sound of that hot Italian sausage and apple dish...and thank you for visiting my blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Mike,
DeleteIt's true, now we get produce at all times of the year exported from different parts of the world, but not always as tasty (nor nutritious) as when it's in season or grown locally. I do buy it, nonetheless, but I also try to be mindful about eating food that's in season.
That hot Italian sausage and apple dish sounds delicious! I must try it!
I enjoy your blog very much. Love you photos and posts!