The transition from summer foods to those of fall can be filled with great expectation and considerable warmth — a combination that feeds our hearts and souls as much as our bellies.
The abundance of autumn produce — bushels of apple varieties, a plethora of root vegetables, a constant stock of cruciferous vegetables, a wealth of mushrooms, and pumpkins in an exceptional breadth of sizes, shapes and colors — changes how we cook and how we connect at the table. We slow down, warm ourselves up, and settle into our homes.
For my farming family, fall meant a return to the stove and lingering more in the kitchen. Smells of pot roast and its rich gravy with caramelized carrots, onions and potatoes would waft through the staircase, waking us up on Sunday mornings before church. The sweetness of molasses-tinged stew beans bubbling in the slow cooker would beckon us down the stairs to the breakfast table. The memories bring me as much comfort now as when I experienced these moments as a kid.
Every October, my family would wait expectantly for a phone call from my great-grandmother, Mommom Cooper. The new chill in the air and the earlier dark sky made us long for her freshly made apple dumplings. As soon as she called, we would button up our jackets and pile into the car to head to the farmhouse for supper. Her dumplings were quite rustic, though special. The apples were enwrapped in a tender, cakey pastry made crisp by a loose cinnamon sugar sauce. Mommom made multiple pans of them because they went fast with our big family. She would spoon the extra-large dumplings into soup bowls and then pour cold whole milk over the top before we dug in.
Greens were plentiful, too. My great-grandfather Mitchell was especially well known for his garden, almost as much as his preaching and praying for people. He grew an exceptional amount of vegetables as part of his ministry to our town, including leaf lettuce. He was a tenant farmer who hailed from the hills of western Virginia, so “wilted lettuce,” a tender lettuce salad spooned with hot bacon grease mixed with sharp vinegar and a pinch of sugar, was a common dish on the table.
Not too far from my grandparents’ farms were a slew of mushroom houses growing the nation’s supply of white button mushrooms. It was not uncommon for neighbors to stop by with pounds of the earthy fungi as gifts. Creamed mushrooms was one of the easiest ways to cook a large quantity of them before they spoiled.
While all of these dishes are longtime family favorites, pumpkin remains my preferred fall ingredient. My friend Sarah Frey, referred to as “America’s Pumpkin Queen,” owns and runs the largest pumpkin farm in the country in Poseyville, Indiana. Over the past several years, she has introduced me to the notion that we should enjoy eating the wide variety of pumpkins found at the grocery store as much as we enjoy carving and decorating them. I have explored cooking with Blue Lakotas, Jarrahdales, Kabochas, and many more, and find them all equally delicious.
Whether cooked on their own or paired together with other dishes made with the bounty of the moment, it’s produce like this that provides us the unique warmth and soul of the fall season.
Chadwick Boyd is a food and lifestyle expert, food contributor to Hallmark, and cookbook author. Find his work at chadwickboydlifestyle.com.
RECIPES
The simple baked supper dumplings, easy salad and skillet side, and Dutch-oven entree all use fall ingredients and flavor combinations that have wide appeal and require very little fuss: apples and cinnamon, bacon and cranberries, mushrooms and cream, and pumpkin with beans.
Credit: Brooke Slezak
Credit: Brooke Slezak
Farmhouse Apple Dumplings
Every October, I continue my great-grandmother’s apple dumpling tradition, though I have updated her recipe a bit. Mommom was a woman of the 1930s and 1940s, so margarine and Bisquick were among the ingredients. Salted butter makes these supper dumplings more tender, and the scratch dough comes together in minutes. Sometimes I don’t peel the apples, which adds a nice peek of color.
Credit: Brooke Slezak
Credit: Brooke Slezak
Mitchell’s Ministry Salad with Hot Orange-Bacon Dressing
To make this stack salad more substantial and colorful, four different tender leaf greens are torn in large pieces and piled high on a dinner plate. The hot bacon dressing enhanced by orange and cranberry on this salad brings warmth and heartiness to supper.
Credit: Brooke Slezak
Credit: Brooke Slezak
Nana’s Creamed Mushrooms with Sherry & Rosemary
This stick-to-the-ribs dish can be on the dinner table in minutes. Many mushroom varieties, including cremini, shiitake, white button and trumpet, can be easily found at the supermarket these days. Dry sherry adds some depth and bite while fresh, piney rosemary balances the creamy richness.
Credit: Brooke Slezak
Credit: Brooke Slezak
Cinnamon-Roasted Pumpkin with Stewed Beans
This dish melds roasted sugar pumpkin spiced with sweet cinnamon and smoky paprika with pinto, kidney and butter beans. It’s a creamy, filling and flavorful vegetarian stew ideal for a fall Sunday supper main or side. It uses half of the roasted pumpkin. Mash the remaining cooked pieces and refrigerate for another night, or freeze and blend into smoothies.
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