Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The Best Thing About Fall

Actually, there are many things to love about Fall...the glorious colour parade of leaves....squashes of every type and size...all those root vegetables...chilly weather. I know what you're thinking..."Is she crazy?" and yes, I'm sure I'll be whining come January. My daughter was telling me just today that I seem to suffer SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) more than most in the middle of winter...but I digress.

Let me clarify...what I mean by loving chilly FALL weather is...it's time to warm the house with long, slow, simmering soups and stews. Today was chilly and rainy and I didn't even want to head out to the grocery store.
I've been thinking about lentils and wondering what to do with my baby beet greens for a week now. I used the beets last week and didn't want to discard the tops. Often I saute them with a little olive oil, garlic, and a splash of balsamic vinegar and serve them as a side with roasted salmon or chicken, but I didn't feel like foraging through the freezer. It's tiny but packed...and frankly...scary at this point.
So I rummaged through the fridge and found, in addition to the beet greens, a half a bulb of fennel root (I like it better than celery for the "base" along with onions and carrots) some fresh thyme...too bad I didn't have any fresh rosemary on hand. Then I scrounged around the pantry (actually my hall cupboard, but that's for another story) and found some diced tomatoes, my lentils (the black turtle beans are now soaking in a pot - what will I do with them tomorrow?)

So without further ado....Fall Lentil & Beetgreen Soup....just lean in closer to the screen...can't you just smell the heavenly aroma?

Now that the season is changing...what's your favorite "new season" dish?

4 comments:

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Fall is definitely my favourite time of the year with a crispness to the air and apples.

Alisa - Frugal Foodie said...

Oh gosh, I love all things foodie about the fall. But, just the idea of enjoying more soups makes me giddy!

The Cooking Photographer said...

Ginger you're back! Glad to see your starting to post again.

I have hardly been on myself, and have been a bad neglector of foodie friends. I've been trying to squeeze every warm moment out of summer before the cold hit.

Laura

Ruth Daniels said...

Laura, it's not Ginger, but I am glad you dropped by.