Food, Family & Fun: Autumn

Recipe

Food, Family & Fun

Autumn

Autumn, or fall, is the season of harvest. Across the country, farmers are bringing in their crops. So are gardeners. In many parts of the country, fall blankets the countryside foliage with brilliant reds, oranges and yellows.

In supermarkets and the farmers' markets, the best of the season's bounty is on display. In September, summer fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, summer squash, and peppers are still available. By October, the month that ends with Halloween, pumpkins and winter squash, such as acorn and Hubbard, begin to appear. They are inexpensive and very nutritious. Crisp fall apples come into season; potatoes and sweet potatoes arrive. By November, we celebrate our national bounty with Thanksgiving, when we eat harvest foods and turkey, join together, and give thanks for the season's gifts to the kitchen.

September is also the beginning of a new school year in most areas. This year school children will be enjoying new, more healthful, tastier school meals. They will be learning about how food is produced, how it affects their bodies, and how to make better food choices to stay healthy.

The recipes that appear on the following pages take full advantage of the foods that are at their peak in the fall. You'll find every food group in the Food Guide Pyramid represented here: Bread, Cereal, Rice and pasta Fruits; Vegetables; Milk, Yogurt and Cheese; and Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts. In September, we take advantage of still-available tomatoes and summer squash in a casserole, dip fresh string beans in a yogurt dip, and invite our children to help us "skewer" fresh fruit kabobs in chocolate sauce. In October, we pair pork chops with apples and make a meal out of a potato. and in November, we bake beans in the New England style.

Have a fun Fall!

Autumn Chef Teams Included:

Michael Romano, Tom Colicchio, Alan Harding, Alan Tardi, Nora Pouillon, Carole Wagner, Randall Warder, Cass Peterson, Stacey FitzSimmons, and Jeffrey Tomchek.