Fall has finally arrived in sunny Los Angeles and it’s that slight chill in the air that makes me yearn for warm soups, one pot stews, and hearty pasta dishes. One night a week pasta is on the menu and it was this dish that my eldest son chose for his week night pick. All three of my boys are “required” to pick a meal each week and it is their job to help me prep and cook the entire thing(those that don’t cook are on clean up duty). Eli, being 15, is pretty darn good with the knife and watching him dice the vegetables was a proud moment.
What I love most about this dish is that it has all the elements of a traditional bolognese without the addition of any form of meat. The lentils become the heart of the dish, coupled with spinach for your greens, and Parmesan for your milk, it’s one of those one pot dishes that’s covered all of our four basic food groups. Served with a crusty baguette, a glass of wine (for the adults) and a little something special for dessert, no one walks away from the table hungry or complaining.
We make a lot of fuss over heirloom peach varieties that date back to the 1960s and tomatoes that go back as far as the 1930s. But did you know that the Bartlett pear, that standard grocery store fruit, actually dates back to the 1770s? The Bartlett, called the Williams pear in England where it was first found, gets its name from Enoch Bartlett, who was the first person to sell the trees in the U.S. in the early 1800s.
Pumpkins are as much a part of fall as apples, cider, turning leaves, and chilly weather. The months of October and November call out for pumpkins—just think Jack-o'-lanterns and pumpkin pie! Like their brethren squash, pumpkins work well in countless recipes—and not just sweet desserts but savory dishes too.
German grandmothers mixing up sweet yeast dough to form coffee cakes filled with fresh fruit of the season and rich, creamy custard made with real cream have been passing along the kuchen tradition for generations.
Autumn begins this week, a season that is celebrated for the
bounties of late summer and of the harvest. And for many the season is
best represented by baking. Bread, pies, and tarts have become
synonymous with the season of change. Baking with fall fruit such as
apples, pears, plums, and quinces are a perfect way to celebrate. For me
the fruit that best represents fall is the pear. Even though most pear
varieties are picked unripe during the summer, the fruit can last in
cold storage all throughout autumn and winter. If picked ripe, the pear
is mushy, but when allowed to ripen on the counter or in a paper bag, a
pear can be the most flavorful fruit. Some criticize it for its grainy
texture, but I appreciate it for that uniqueness. The perfume of a
ripening pear is like no other fruit. With pears in mind, I decided to
put together one of my favorite tarts.