The ebb and flow of seasonal eating

September 7, 2020 by
 |  7 Comments  |  Leave Comment

In the depths of winter, while comforted by hearty stews and decadent pies, I dream of the first raspberries plucked off the vine in late spring and ripe tomatoes adorning a BLT in August. When August finally rolls around, I look forward to cozy nights by the fire, apple desserts, and warming soups. This is not to say I fail to enjoy the foods described above at the height of their respective seasons, but there’s always a bit of anticipation about what is coming next. With the evening temperatures here dipping down into sweater weather and the nights becoming noticeably longer, fall foods occupy my thoughts.

While influenced by the natural change in the seasons, this dreaming of culinary segues is enhanced by social media news feeds, which tout a site’s favorite fall cakes, their fall slow cooker recipes, or a huge collection of fall recipes the food writers are looking forward to eating. While I am moving toward warming foods and long bakes, those in the Southern Hemisphere have been posting about the first bites of spring, as with ten Ottolenghi dishes perfect for Australian springtime, and over thirty asparagus recipes to take advantage of spring’s most beloved vegetables.

I can never decide which season’s food I like the best – it is like choosing which child is the favorite. Each has attributes that endear you to them, and each is the favorite at one time or another. I will be making more long cooking soups, stews, and braises (bolognese is top of mind right now), and my husband will soon be requesting apple desserts (especially apple pie). What is your favorite fall food?

Category: Antipasto

Post a comment

7 Comments

  • lean1  on  September 7, 2020

    Pumpkin muffins, baked apples and roasted butternut squash in salads

  • Indio32  on  September 8, 2020

    Very prescient…. this morning I came out of the house not just feeling but knowing that things have flipped from being the end of summer into the start of autumn. Time to dust off the Le Creuset and look forward to slow cooked stews and more comforting and robust flavours.

  • Rinshin  on  September 8, 2020

    Except for the midsummer months of July through mid Sept here in Bay Area, I enjoy other seasons for their own seasonal bounties, pleasant weather and start of vacation seasons for us.

  • rosajane8  on  September 8, 2020

    Give me all the fall foods!!!!

  • MarciK  on  September 9, 2020

    Seasons by Donna Hay is a nice cookbook for seasonal eating. I’m also looking through my new purchase of 365 – A Year of Everyday Cooking & Baking by Meike Peters, and these seem to mostly track seasonal foods as well.

  • averythingcooks  on  September 10, 2020

    I responded to the recent forum question re: the changing seasons but I’ll add here that a beautiful Canadian title is Lucy Waverman’s A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen which celebrates the 4 season’s in chapters dedicated to each of the 12 months. It focuses on prime produce, various special days and seasonal techniques (examples from throughout include Robbie Burns Night, garden tomatoes and slow braising).

  • TeresaRenee  on  September 10, 2020

    Favourite fall food? I don’t think it’s possible to pick just one. There are so many to choose from: bourbon apple pie, cinnamon cake, ma po tofu, penne a la vodka, cheese fondue, beef fondue, chocolate fondue, broccoli chowder, beef stew, lentil soup, bolognese sauce, rack of lamb, and so many more. Time to make a grocery list and get cooking!

    I have to admit, I would like some farm fresh strawberries just once more before winter sets in… We pick buckets of them in June and I have to scramble to use them up but when they’re gone, I miss them.

Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!

Categories

Archives