The Bounty of Fall
Despite today's temperatures in the 70s, we've already had snow here in Santa Fe, and it definitely feels like fall. The aspens are golden and the cottonwoods will be next. Soon the mountains will be white and I'll be able to see my breath when I walk out to check my garden in the morning.
If I had to choose a favorite season (and I'm so glad I don't), I'd pick fall. Maybe because I grew up in NH where fall is inSANEly beautiful. Maybe because I've got almost zero tolerance for heat and the sweet relief of fall temperatures is a blessing in my book. Maybe because fall is harvest time, both for people who grow gardens and for people who forage in Nature's garden.
My freezer is so full I can't fit another bag of ANYthing in there. If I don't start cooking with all this food, we're going to have to buy another one. So this month I'm sharing some of my favorite fall recipes in hopes of motivating us all to cook up something delicious with the last harvests of the season.
Of course, if you live in Florida or SoCal, you can ignore all this talk about cold weather and plant dormancy and final harvests and go on about your merry way. In which case, I'd love to know where you forage and what you're finding. You know, for a few vicarious thrills.
Happy Foraging!
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Want to know more? Go to www.backyardforager.com.
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Crisp, delicate, rich, and airy, these acorn lace cookies are made with 100% acorn flour. Super simple to make and super fast to bake.
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Dandelion greens are less bitter in cool weather, making fall an excellent time to harvest. Combined with freshly shelled black walnuts, they make a perfect, fall-flavored sauce for rice or pasta.
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I use bitter roots (dandelion, dock, Mahonia) in my bitters recipes and now is a great time to harvest root crops. Stock up for winter cocktails.
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If you've got crabapples to juice (for jelly or syrup), here's a bonus for you. After you've strained the juice off the pulp, run that pulp through a food mill to make a gorgeous, flavorful fruit leather.
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