Orange Is The New Bake: Fall Flavors In Full Swing
I’m a city girl. I love walking down the sidewalk and experiencing the sights, smells, and sounds of urban life – the smoky and nutty aroma from a neighborhood coffee shop; the pungent smell of garlic from an Italian restaurant, baked breads coming out of ovens, and around the corner, curry from a favorite Indian spot. I am energized by the sounds of honking cars, shopkeepers opening doors and turning signs to greet customers, and the promise of a new local business in the pounding of jackhammers.
But, right around late September, as a chill greets the morning and the sun starts setting lower in the sky, I join urban pilgrims in vacating the malls and crowded highways for long drives on winding country roads, journeys through a corn maze; apple picking; the iconic pumpkin patch; and a stop at a little pub in a small town for a hot cider.
Labor Day makes us nostalgic for that transition from rollicking summer fun to a few months wrapped up in warm sweaters waiting at the stop for the big yellow school bus. This transition also comes with a yearning for heartier foods from the season’s rich harvest.
The autumn harvest comes in more muted earth tones and our wardrobes mirror that. We shake out our woolens in shades of eggplant purple, carrot orange, Swiss chard green, and mustard flower yellow. As the days get shorter and colder, we spend more time indoors with something warm and soothing to nourish us. While spring represents new life and high energy, autumn is nature’s quiet time of rest and renewal. It is a season with its own light, its own mood, and its own menu. This season’s bounty tastes best after a time in the fire – roasted, grilled, basted, and baked. The season’s star, the pumpkin, is one of my favorites.
The pumpkin is a hard working vegetable (okay, it is technically a fruit). It is the star of Halloween, a centerpiece for porch and table decor (therefore, a major food group for squirrels), a base for soup, and a ubiquitous addition to coffee, tea, and cookies (might I add, ‘ad nauseam?’). While the pumpkin has become commercialized in pop food culture, I still love the old girl and have a few recipes that I pull out every fall.
Here are three warm and spiced recipes that have made their way to my kitchen this season:
Red Truck Bakery Squash, Apple, and Pear Soup
This soup, from the new cookbook by Brian Noyes, owner of Red Truck Bakery, is luscious. I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian at an event celebrating his new book at Red Barn Mercantile on King Street. This book is full of easy-to-make and easy-to-eat recipes. Brian is a master at honoring classic recipes with a fresh take. The new book, Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook, is available (signed by the author) at Red Barn Mercantile.
This soup is special. The spices are wonderful and the sweetness from the apples and pears is a perfect balance to the squash. The brilliant addition is the topping of pecan butter – genius! Brian’s recipe is attached, but do yourself a favor and buy this book. It will become a staple.
Pumpkin Bread
The pumpkin originated in North America about 9000 years ago and is an important food staple in Indigenous cuisine. It is undoubtedly American.
This recipe makes a bread that can be a sweet treat or toasted for breakfast. It has the quintessential addition of nutmeg and cinnamon, but forgoes cloves in favor of cardamom – a nice little surprise. I use organic canned pumpkin purée, but fresh pumpkin will work, too. The bread is topped with pumpkin seeds that give a nice crunch to every bite.
Autumn Bourbon Cocktail
This cocktail was inspired by a find at Red Barn Mercantile. Shopping one day, I saw a collection of shrubs from woman-owned Mother Shrub, and the Salted Honey seemed a perfect addition to a fall-flavored cocktail. I have added cardamom bitters to this recipe, but you could easily substitute another flavor. Red Barn has a sample collection of bitters from Bourbon Barrel Foods – the Sassafras & Sorghum bitters would be a delicious alternative.
Wishing you a warm and delicious autumn from my kitchen to your table.
