Autumn. When the weather changes and we exit grilling mode and enter comfort food mode.
Like the beef noodle soup I mentioned a few days ago. That arm roast which has already given us two meals, now will give us at least two more. Made with the leftover beef and the broth from the crockpot.
This is only the beginning for me. We are most definitely soup people, but I also love to make stews and other one pot dishes.
This week our CSA, which is in its next to last “summer” delivery, gave us quite a bit to process. At the end of the season, we get very large amounts of food. It’s as if they are emptying the fields and sharing the bounty.
Squash. Cabbages. Potatoes. Carrots. Greens. Food destined to flavor those soups and stews.
New to us.
Japanese pie squash, and Guatemalan blue banana squash. Time to get creative and roast these.
We also got some very interesting apples this week.
The crispins on the left are organically grown apples. Not IPM. Let’s just say they aren’t the prettiest fruit in the basket, although they have a wonderful taste. I can understand why farmers don’t want to go completely organic with fruit, as many of these apples would never be selected at a market or farm stand. They have bumps, bruises and bug bites.
The Cortlands on the right are a perfect baking apple, and already my husband requested them for a weekend dessert treat.
Do you have a fall favorite that invokes your childhood? Mine is applesauce, and it seems to be time to make this year’s batch. Just another of those comfort foods.
For those who want fresh apples for baking, Larriland has a couple of weeks left. They also have all sorts of cooking pumpkins. Me, I’ll be dealing with what our CSA gave us. And wishing Indian summer didn’t make it too hot to want soup.
AnnieRie Unplugged 
I have a new favorite that I discovered last winter thanks to a local farm: slow-roasted pork shoulder. I’ve always cooked it in the oven, but the web has many crock-pot recipes for it.