Just as songs remind us of people and places, and photos bring back memories, foods have the same effect on our senses, as well as our emotions. Fall flavors tend to be the most evocative of the season’s bounty, the holidays, and, oh yes, even football! With the cooler climate comes a surplus of hearty produce, sweet fruits, longer cooking methods, and comfort cuisine, not to mention Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, and tailgating foods that scream of tradition.

“Much of these ‘Fall Flavors’ are derived from learned senses,” explains Chef/Nutritionist Lisa Corrado of The Eating Well Center in New Canaan, “Apples and cinnamon, a turkey roasting in the oven, sausages on a grill, and holiday cookies—all of these foods can be made year-round, but through years of tradition, they conjure up thoughts of a specific time and season.”

Photo Courtesy Of: Sono Baking Company & Cafe

In addition to the ingredients themselves, different cooking techniques are what give these foods their fall-like reputation. “Unlike the warmer months when we do everything in our power to use the least amount of heat in our kitchens, and just simply eat less, the fall gives us the license to spark up the stove for slow simmers, heat the oven for long braising, and bulk up on more flavorful and filling dishes,” says Chef Corrado. She explains how the technique of roasting fruits and vegetables, especially the more dense, starchy, and sugary types, such as parsnips, potatoes, squash, apples, and beets, brings out their bolder flavors, as opposed to the spring and summer preparations of blanching, steaming, and just plain raw versions.

Lisa Corrado, M.S.
(203) 972-3447
www.eatingwell.biz

Along with the usual suspects of autumn crops, such as butternut squash, wild mushrooms, root vegetables, potatoes, apples, pears, cabbage, and heartier lettuce types as seen with kale, spinach, and arugula, there are some surprise produce varieties that harvest better in the fall, but are often equated to spring and summer finds. For example, “Heirloom tomatoes, such as the brandy wine and the rose variety, as well as string beans, sugar snap peas, and onions and garlic, while seeded in March, are not at their peek until September and October—and some can even sustain ‘til the first frost of December,” says farmer Patti Popp of Sport Hill Farm in Easton. “Because most produce can be bought throughout the year, consumers don’t (need to) live by a crop calendar, but it really is most extraordinary to eat these items at their peak, and to support their local farmers.”

Sport Hill Farm is located on 8 acres of land, with currently 3 acres in full swing, which includes a heated greenhouse for year-round seeding and favorite plants that are used during the winter months. Like most private farmers, Patti opens her farm one day a week for general store hours and sells her flowers, eggs, and produce at various farmers’ markets throughout Connecticut. (Visit www.ctfarmersmarkets.com for a calendar and locations of local farmers’ markets.) “My favorite time of the year is the fall, “ beams Patti, “the plants are at their best, full of flavor and color, with many of the squash (acorn), lettuce, and tomatoes at their peak of flavor.”

Sport Hill Farm LLC
596 Sport Hill Road
Easton, CT 06612
203-268-3137; www.Sporthillfarm.com