I feel like I say “this is my favorite season”, every time we start a new one. But for Fall, I really mean it – if I had to choose only one to live in forever it would be fall. The leaves are turning, the sun is out but the mornings are crisp or foggy. Plus my morning walk hits right when the sunrise is turning the bay aqua and orange. It’s time to pull out my favorite clothes, boots and even scarves and gloves. It’s all about orange and other cozy fall colors. It’s time to switch back to red wine, darken up the beer and enjoy some hot chocolate or apple cider. And… fall is the best season for cooking. The harvest is still in full swing so there are tons of fresh ingredients to pick from and I can turn the oven on again! I’m craving getting into the kitchen and making soup, pasta, pork, bread, anything with apple or pumpkin and of course it’s time to bake, bake, bake.

It was all about getting the house and yard ready for winter this weekend, but I did manage a trip to the farmers market first. And in between chores, I took time to play in the kitchen.

First up, Autumn Salad with toasted hazelnuts, goat cheese, arugula and roasted acorn squash.

Squash dish number two I’ve literally been craving since last fall! This was the first time I’d made brown butter on my own, so I’m sure that helped make it even more memorable. But what a perfect fall comfort food dish. Spaghetti squash with sage brown butter and parmesan cheese. (I know it’s not the most photogenic dish, but it sure is tasty!).

Just one more… Luckily I still had some acorn squash on hand from the salad, because after a trip to the dentist I needed some soft food. I heated the squash up, added some chilli, lime, garlic vinaigrette and a bit of parmesan and had an easy fall dinner.

Next up: pumpkin! (or maybe soup…)