Fall for the Foods of Fall

Ahh, fall.

Fall has always been my favorite season, from trick-or-treating as a toddler, to fearless jumps into piles of leaves beginning at age 8, to discovering the gratifying and heartwarming foods of the season beginning in my adult life.

You really haven’t experienced the true flavors of fall until you’ve delved into a warm pumpkin pie, savored a hot butternut squash soup, or munched on a crisp apple on the hayride back from the cool, sunny day you spent at the orchard. Nothing speaks fall better than drinking freshly pressed apple cider or sipping a hot pumpkin spice latte while you walk among the crisp, crinkled leaves, inhaling scents of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting through the cool autumn air.

Autumn, the more sophisticated term for the season, was derived from the Old French term, autompne, and later referred to as the Latin word, autumnus. Prior to the 16th century, the season was coined simply “harvest,” and as people began the transfer from working on lands to living in towns, “fall” and “autumn” were shaped into the name of the season I claim (with much bias, I admit) as the best of the four seasons.

September, October, and November (considered to be the fall months) means harvest time, holidays, and of course the food that goes along with ‘em.

Come September, the fall fruit and vegetable harvest is in full swing. Apples, pears, cranberries, pumpkins, squashes of all kinds, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, spinach, garlic, and onions are all harvested at their peak. The most popular fall produce is the apple, thus in abundance apple pie, apple cider, apple crisp, apple dumplings, and apple this, and apple that.

Let’s not forget the other biggie – pumpkins, consequently the reasoning behind the overdose of pumpkin pies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin coffee, and even pumpkin beers in stores around this time. In the vineyards across the country, the beginning of fall is crush time. The wine grapes are picked and crushed primarily in September and October to begin the fermenting process that will transform the grapes into wine. Cheers!

Then there are the foods coupled with fall holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. In October, break out the candy corn, bite into a chewy candy apple, or bake some ghost-shaped cupcakes to get into the eerie feel of Halloween. There are hundreds of gruesome (but delicious!) assortments of spooky-themed meals that ghosts and goblins would probably find appealing.

Entering November, the all-American holiday of giving thanks arrives. Nothing makes you think Thanksgiving like a plump slow-cooked turkey with all the trimmings, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and assorted pies. On the wine front, arriving just in time for the holiday is Beaujolais nouveau, a light and grapy wine to enjoy with your Thanksgiving repast.

Apple crisp with pumpkin ice cream, AKA the most amazing fall dessert you will ever eat.

Of course, fall, in my opinion, is a holiday in itself, and I suggest celebrating it by cooking an array of warm and cozy baked goods, from pies to cinnamon donuts, or a big feast complete with hearty stews and fresh fall vegetables. Also, take advantage of the seasonal activities being held, like putting your art skills to work at a pumpkin carving, get soaked bobbing for apples, or get lost in a corn maze. Get creative in the food department – you know, make your funnel cake more fall-esque by sprinkling cinnamon instead of powdered sugar on it at a fall fair.

Fall foods could be eaten year-round of course (who doesn’t enjoy an apple pie in April, seriously?), but fall would not be fall without them, and take advantage while you can.

This year, fall starts on September 23…on your mark, get set, go!