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Autumn Foods

         I guess we can connect food to almost anything, but the seasons affect us, too. We don't care as much for hot food in the summer or icy beverages in winter. Am I being obvious here? We don't think picnic food in the middle of January.

         In the fall, we want sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cranberries, apples, and stews.And the spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger. We don't want them in just dessert and baked goods, but in our vegetables, our tea, and our coffee. The more fragrant the air with spices, the more comfort we feel; the more excitement and memories we stir up.

         At our house, when fall nips the air, we start soaking dried beans, so full of fiber and filling. Serve plain with chopped onions or pickled beets. And, of course, spoon bread or corn bread.

         Greens are best this time of year. When the frost threatens to hit, the flavor of collards and mustard greens are at their finest. You can eat the small young leaves raw in a salad. But the long ones have to be cooked. They shrink. But cook with a little fat back, not too much, and some spices. We're talking good food. Vinegar is optional on the table. Cress (or creasy) salad is good in the spring if planted before the last frost. Then let the short stems survive the summer for a fall harvest again. They cook as well as collards or mustard or kale. We actually prefer spinach in raw salads, but if cooking, we mix with other greens.(Note; I've found that dirt clings to cress more than the other greens. You really have to wash well to avoid feeling sand in your teeth.)

         I'm not even talking holidays. That's a separate food topic. This is the time of year for butternut squash, acorn and spaghetti squash. With the right recipe, you have a low fat, high fiber meal, especially with those pumpkin pie spices!

         Nothing to do with fall, but I've been experimenting with turmeric. I've put it on roasted zucchini slices. rice, and even chicken salad. The family seems to like it. It's supposed to have healthful properties for you. It's colorful and has a little like mustard flavor, but milder.