I love the fall. The way the natural world slows down, beginning its descent into winter. It colors our world, turning green into orange, gold, and deep hues of russet.
The slowing pace and the changing colors inspire me to bring both inside my home. Luckily, I can find them in abundance at the Napa Farmers Market. Every variety of winter squash that will grow in and around the Napa Valley makes an appearance at the market, and I gleefully pile them into my basket at the market and then arrange them in vessels or just in heaps on various surfaces about my home.
Add some colorful fall flowers and fruits (think apples, pomegranates and persimmons), and I’m on my way to home décor nirvana.
The best thing about this decorating aesthetic? It is completely sustainable. All of the elements can be beautifully displayed and then disappear into our stomachs and our compost bins when it is time to add their charming color, flavor, and texture to a nourishing meal.
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I encourage you to approach your fall farmers market shopping trips with an eye to beauty, sustainability, and exceptionally fresh flavor.
One of my favorite tastes of fall snatched straight from my tabletop décor:
Winter Squash Soup with Apple Confit
Adapted from Fields of Greens by Annie Somerville
Serves 4-6 people
INGREDIENTS
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
White pepper
3 tablespoons Calvados
4 lb butternut or other winter squash
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 flavorful, not too tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
½ cup apple juice
Crème fraiche
For the soup
Halve the squash, scoop out seeds, brush with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a roasting pan and roast at 400 degrees until soft, about 20-40 minutes depending on the density of the squash. When cool, scoop out the flesh and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add onion, some salt and pinch of pepper. Sauté over medium heat until onions slightly caramelize, about 15 minutes, adding some stock if they stick to the pan. Add one tablespoon Calvados and cook until almost dry.
Add the squash, stock and one teaspoon salt. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Add more stock if needed. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 30 min.
For the confit
Melt butter in a medium sauté pan and add the apples. Stir to coat with the butter and sauté over medium heat. When heated through, add two tablespoons Calvados and cook 1-2 min until pan is almost dry.
Add apple juice, cover the pan, and cook over medium heat 15-20 min, until apples are soft. Mash the apples, but retain some of their texture. Stir half the confit into the soup, reserving the rest to stir into each serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a swirl of crème fraiche to each bowl.
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