An End and A Beginning

I love summer. A large part of is due to the weather, but the whole truth is that the produce has almost as much to do with it. I get endless pleasure from going out to my garden and harvesting a bounty of fresh and delicious food. The basil and tomatoes are my favorites, but I also have a fondness for the peppers and zucchinis and beans…. (and everything else really). I’m almost sad to see it coming to an end. I try to follow the locavore philosophy and eat in season, no matter how difficult that is. It means no more tomatoes until the spring. The only basil I’ll have is from a greenhouse or my freezer. And the squash will be of the winter variety. Which brings me to my point. Winter squash is starting to creep into the market. With all end-of-summer lamentations aside, the fall harvest is delightful in its own right. Root vegetables of every variety, fall corn, lots of apples and pears, hazelnuts, fall greens, onions, Brussels spouts, broccoli and (and my absolute favorite)- mushrooms! I will say this for the wet and soggy Oregon fall- it is the ideal place for mushrooms. And that, in itself, almost makes up for all those days with wet commutes and matted hair. In addition to modifying our grocery lists and menus, it’s time to modify the cooking methods. While the summer is ideal for quick sautés and constant grilling, fall brings on the braising, slow cooking, and stewing. It may take longer overall to cook with these methods, but the “active” time is pretty minimal. You can start it, walk away for an hour (or more) and not worry about a dish in a slow cooker or stock pot. The more I think about it, the more I’m looking forward to the rich and hearty fall flavors. To get your fall food focus, try Pork Chops with Tapenade. Pork, rosemary and olives blend together in a flavorful dish that needs little more than a side of pasta tossed with olive oil.

For more ideas on fall flavors and cooking methods, join Molly Stevens Sunday October 5th for A Hands on Braising class. Molly has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share, as well as a delightful menu of slow cooked deliciousness. The menu includes Wild Mushroom Ragout on Crispy Polenta with Comte Cheese, Tuna Steaks Braised with Radicchio, Chickpeas & Rosemary, Flank Steak Involtini with Prosciutto & Pine Nut Filling, Braised Pork Chops & Creamy Cabbage, and Veal and Ricotta Polpettone Braised in Tomato Sauce over Hand-made Pasta. The class will begin at 2:00 PM.

-Josie