Fall is here and I couldn’t be happier

It’s my favorite time of year.

There is something magical about warm apple cider, a hayride through a farm in the back woods of Dartmouth, and of course leaf peeping in New Hampshire and Vermont.

All the beautiful colors of the leaves remind me of all the gorgeous vegetables that are available to us at this time of year – butternut squash, carrots, beets and my favorite, Macomber turnips which are sweeter than other turnips and originated in Westport, Massachusetts.

It’s slow food time

As the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter, the idea of cooking something low and slow all day tickles my brain and teases my tastebuds.

Think pulled pork, a whole chicken, beef stew. The aromas permeate the house, develop and deepen, and then by dinnertime I can’t wait to dig in!

Cool days call for warm spices

Pinch of Fancy spices go really well with all of fall’s bounty. Think about a nice pumpkin soup seasoned with Berbere spice or a beautiful spaghetti squash roasted with ras el hanout.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it. And of course, now that the weather is getting a little crisp it is the best time of year for a pig roast with you guessed it… Barbeque Rub.

If you’re ready to tackle a pig roast yourself, you definitely need a large pit and a sturdy rig.

If space is an issue, suckling pigs are much smaller, but the best place to start is your local trusted butcher to point you in the right direction. You would probably want the 16 ounce bag of Pinch of Fancy to cover a whole pig.

If you’d rather forgo all the work, check out local companies that can cater for you, such as Smoke and Pickles. Chef Marc DeRego is a phenomenal chef and pays close attention to the details.

I would love to hear about your favorite things to cook in the fall – join the conversation! Follow my group For the Love of Food on Facebook