As the weather gets nippier and we all start to pile on sweaters and scarves, I thought I would write about some of my favorite fall food activities. You may think of summer as the prime dining season with lush gardens and abundant produce at farmers’ markets. Yet autumn is really the peak season for harvesting. Fall in New England not only glows with reds, oranges and yellows, but ushers in a myriad of food-related activities, all of which are within 15 minutes of campus. So find a friend with a car and take advantage of the best season of the year.

Apples
I was shocked when I arrived at Wesleyan freshmen year and most of my friends had never gone apple picking. It is one of my favorite things about fall; the ability to wander around orchards, taking bites out of different apples and fill your bag to bring home and bake into pie. Coming from Vermont, I have gone pretty much every year since childhood. I was happily surprised to find out that there are at least five orchards within twenty minutes of Wesleyan where I could pick apples (and pears and peaches).

Lyman’s Orchard in Middlefield, about 10 minutes away if you go straight on Wadsworth St. and then left at the stop sign, is the closest and largest orchard. It lies atop a massive hill that is composed of both orchards as well as a golf course and Apple Barrel Store.  Many Residential Advisors organize hall-bonding trips to the orchard, and the Outing Club consistently hosts apple-picking excursions as well, so there is always a way to get there if you are car-less. It is actually within biking distance, only a hilly 15 miles away. Another big draw is the corn maze. Yet if Lyman’s feels a little too big and commercial for you, there are many other smaller orchards surrounding Middletown that are well worth checking out.

Belltown Hill Orchards in South Glastonbury is right off of Route 17 (head cross the Portland bridge and turn left). This orchard is a third-generation family-run farm that is a lot smaller in size. Fresh-baked pies are sold in the store as well as a variety of jams. Just down the road is Dondero Orchards, which has a similar feel, and also offers peaches, plums, and pears.

So over the weekend, eat as many apples as you can and pick some to bring home so you can cook up one of these delicious meals.

Ari’s Apple Crisp
My younger brother went through a phase when he loved to cook, but his culinary repertoire at the time consisted of three items. One of them was this crisp recipe. He made it all the time because it is easy and bakes quickly.

1. Slice apples until you have enough to fill a pie container, using about five or six.

2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and a few drops of lemon juice and pour in 1/4 cup water if the apples are dry.

3. In a bowl, mix together all of ingredients. It’s often easier to do this with your hands.

4. Pat the mixture on top of the apples.

5. Bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour.

Apple Sauce

I’ve written about this recipe before but I wanted to revisit it because it is so easy to make as well as delicious. The ideal apple for this recipe is a mushy apple.

1. Chop apples, skins optional.

2. Fill 1/3 of the pot with water and place the apples in the pot.

3. Bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat down and let it simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. Be careful not to let all the water evaporate or the apples will burn on the bottom. You will know it’s done when the apples on the bottom have turned into sauce and the ones on the top are easily mashable.

4. Add a few teaspoons of cinnamon (and nutmeg if you want), a few squirts of lemon, and a tablespoon of brown sugar.

5. Remove from the heat and strain out the skins if you want.

6. Eat hot! Before your housemates do.

 Apple and Squash Soup
If you are feeling in a savory mood or you still have apples left over, try this soup recipe which combines two of the best flavors of fall.

-1 squash (about 2 lb), halved and seeded – I used buttercup
-1 tbsp oil
-1 leek, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-2 apples
-4-1/2 cups vegetable stock
-1 bay leaf
-1/4 tsp nutmeg (or curry powder if you want it spicier)
-1 cup half-and-half (if omitted, add more stock)

1. Slice the squash in half and lay it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes until it is easy to poke with a fork.

2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and saute for about 5-6 minutes. Add the squash, apple, vegetable stock, bay leaf and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 30 minutes, until apple is soft.

3. Blend the soup in batches and puree soup until it is smooth. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper.

Photo by:  Cathryn Herlihy/Contributing Photographer