Fall Stuff We're Stoked to Eat
Show me a person who doesn't like autumn and I will show you a face that indicates that I think that person is a lunatic. Scarves, boots, falling leaves and an excuse to cuddle up to a body pillow when it gets dark at 5 pm are just some of the reasons we love autumn (let's not talk about the last one). But let's not forget the fall harvest bounties! While the two of us sit and swelter through a 100-degree L.A. October, we wrote up some edible reasons to get excited about the encroach of the autumn chill.
Let's break this down: thanks to shipping and refrigeration, apples are pretty much available all year round. And caramel — mainly just sugar, milk and butter — is always available. Wooden sticks: also perennial. But chomping on a caramel apple in the middle of March should be a food felony. Apples, particularly the tart ones like Granny Smiths, are in their prime in October, so get 'em fresh, make your own candied apples, and you'll forget summer even happened.
Fact: Pumpkin lattes are the beverage that ushers in autumn. As soon as you see a pumpkin spice situation on a coffee shop chalkboard, fall is ON. Sure, some of them taste nothing like actual pumpkin, and it's really up to the nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves (plus whipped cream) to do the work, but just having a hot one in your hand is one of the giddiest moments of October.
Emmer Schmidt
Imagine being on the beach, sun in your face, skin roasting in tanning oil, and also you're eating thick lentil soup. One word: NOPE. That's fine, because it's fall now which means you're wearing three sweaters and there's practically no daylight and you have nothing to do but slow-cook hearty soups and stews. So nuzzle up to a Crock-Pot with these recipes for Giada's lentil soup, Nadia G.'s beef stew, or Kelsey's Rustic Fall Vegetable Soup.
Fall and winter root vegetables are such an easy, healthy and cozy thing to make. Not only does the oven provide the warmth that your broken furnace may not, but the smell of roasted parsnips and rosemary is more comfy than a Snuggie. Fire up the oven and get your root on with Bobby Deen's recipe for Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables.
Sure, Halloween may not have happened, so it's not technically "left over," but just in case the little critters come early, it's a good idea to have a bowl of tiny candy bars handy all through October. And yes, you can eat them all and restock them before the 31st, and no we won't tell anyone.
Still thirsty after that pumpkin latte? Of course. Since it got dark before you even get home from work (unless you work nights for the FBI or you are a stripper), it's never a bad time for a warm cup of tea before bed — provided that the tea is decaf and also spiked with whiskey and fernet. We swear by our Dot Calm beverage (featured on Foodography) to help you sleep soundly — even if it's on the couch with all your clothes on.
With that, go cuddle up in a scarf and stuff your belly. Winter's coming and a little extra padding will help brace against the cold.
