On this sunny day, I am beginning to think of harvest food. The seasons move pretty fast in this country so you look forward to your favourite foods of the season as the last one ends.
Roasted squash, apples, pumpkin, the last of the tomatoes and whatever basil you have leftover growing in your garden. All of these ingredients are part of the end of summer and the beginning of fall.
I was thinking the other day about the length of fall and how short of length it actually is. It really only is 2 months and I think some of the best cooking comes in this short season.
Here are a few things I love to do as the leaves begin to drop from the trees
Make a Soup-Maybe it's because I haven't been feeling great in the past week, but I have been eating a lot of soup lately and I love it. I love the warm feeling when you eat it. It's like wearing a blanket to cover your cold shoulders. I like to make a big batch of minestrone some weeks which will last a whole 5 days in our house. It's nourishing and really healthy, so try and make a big batch for your house.
Drinking Big Beautiful Red Wine-As the summer ends, I go off cold drinks and begin to dig into the big red wines I have living in the cellar. Something like Malbec, Rioja or my favourite grape Syrah are the perfect wines to be drinking on a cool night by the fire.
Baking-I don't know if it's the weather or the heat that comes from the oven as you turn it on, but I love the feeling that baking creates as the months get cooler. I use canned pumpkin a lot in the fall and bake different breads and muffins with it. It has good vitamins and some natural sugars, so it's healthy-ish and doesn't make you feel as guilty about making something with it.
Raking the Leaves- As a child I resented this part of the house chores. I thought it was a waste of time and something that only my parents should have to take care of. Well now that I'm the similar age that my parents were when I was a child, I am starting to really enjoy it. You get to be outside, move your body, put on a true crime podcast and get a bit dirty. Plus if your family is driving you crazy and you need some space, it's a good use of an hour.
Watching Classic Movies-There is nothing like watching an old movie, while consumed by a giant blanket on your couch. Lighting your favourite candle and popping some popcorn to snack on as you laugh at old jokes makes you think if that humour has aged well or not. One of my favourite movies to watch around October is Beetlejuice. I'm a sucker for fantasy movies and anything with a young Michael Keaton in it just gets me.
A good use of a pumpkin at a costume party Drinking Craft Beer and Cider- I don't know if it's the season or the mood the brew masters are in during the fall months, but what they come up with is way better than the summer. Gone are the saison's and grapefruit beers, now it's time for Amber ale's and darker brews. Each year I used to go to Cask Days where they would release the new types of beer each brewery had for the season. It was a fun event to try all the new styles each brewery was offering. I also like to go to the actual brewery and taste the beer before I buy it. Sometimes you buy a dud at the LCBO which could have been avoided if you had the opportunity to try it.
So those are some things you can find me doing over the next couple of months. Let me know in the comments if you enjoy these things too and what you love to do in the fall.
If I show up to your house with a pumpkin cake, don't be surprised!
*On a side note, this week I tried sweet potato pie for the first time. I have to say I loved it and thought it was great. It could be a different option to anyone who is tired of pumpkin pie. But also who is tired of pumpkin pie?
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