✨ plus a new recipe ✨

Allô! 👋

Hello! Welcome to the nineteenth newsletter. If you're a new subscriber and would like to read the previous newsletters, you can click here to find them. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you and you'd also like to subscribe, feel free to hit the button below!

I know it looks like the picture above was taken sometime last year when fall had properly settled in (I mean, I'm wearing a tuque! and big gloves! the wind is practically blowing the dog away! there's snow in the background), but I promise it was taken this very September — just a few days ago, in fact.

Travelling to the mountains in Norway is always quite the experience. It's nature at its best, it's majestic peaks and breathtaking fjords, and it's also a bizarre feeling of seasonal time travel. As in, you leave your house where the trees are still mostly green and the days are pretty sunny and it's warm enough to go out in just a sweater or light jacket, you travel a few hours, and suddenly it is freezing, nothing is green anymore, and the sun has turned into nearly-non-stop rain and snow.

This isn't exclusive to travelling into and out of Norwegian mountains, of course. I can still vividly remember taking the train between Toronto and Ottawa years ago and witnessing the exact same phenomenon. Toronto was consistently warmer than Ottawa in the late fall and in winter, and I couldn't help but feel that I was fast-forwarding or rewinding through the seasons every time I made the journey.

Needless to say, transitions are weird and seasons aren't necessarily the same even within the same region. The point I am trying (and failing) to make is that although they may not be the same for everyone, changes abound at this time of year. Early fall is a time for new routines, be it in school or at work, and for old traditions, too — like putting away the shorts and pulling out the sweaters and candles, saying farewell to farmers' markets, swapping out fresh flowers for dried bouquets, and abandoning the lawnmower in favour of a rake (or two).

This fall is especially transition-y for me (not a real word, but you get it), as my time in Norway is, at least for a little while, coming to an end.

Next month I'll be headed home to Canada. 

The departure is bittersweet, as I've really come to consider Norway my home, but I also haven't been home home in nearly three years so it'll be both delightful and bizarre to set foot on Canadian soil again. I am excited about the maple trees and their changing colours (some leaves here have been known to go from green to yellow to dead without ever considering orange or red), about riding my bike on flat paths for once (have I ever mentioned that I live on a big steep hill that is made up of many small-but-still-steep hills?), and about being able to fluently speak with the locals again (what can I say? my fledgling Norwegian is still not as good as my native French).

I'll be back in Europe in time for the New Year but, in the meantime, I have a Norwegian life to pack up and a whole lot of friendly Canadian faces to catch up with.

All that to say: my month's been busy and this newsletter will be short! In it you'll find a little guide to the season's upcoming produce, a few suggestions for early fall meals, and a transitional recipe for a warmly spiced peanut stew. I truly hope you enjoy it.

Sending you warm hugs, and wishing you a smooth transition into mid-autumn, 

👋simone

it's fall:
what to cook?
🍂

Ah, fall cooking. The start of a long season of transforming tough roots, sturdy brassicas, and robust gourds into soft, gentle, and comforting dishes — all thanks to the generous application of warming spices, rich broths, and savoury sauces (something which, admittedly, by the end of February, gets to be a little bit humdrum). Some people refer to this time of year as "the start of brown food season", but I'd argue that it's far from that: vividly orange squashes, bright red and pink and golden beets, deeply green cabbages, snow white parsnips and chicories, and delicately pale celery, cauliflower and quince all dare to challenge the notion.

Be that as it may, there's absolutely nothing inherently wrong with brown foods. Let's not discriminate! Indeed, here are some ideas for meals of all colours to help you celebrate and make the most of your fresh produce this fall: 

mushrooms 🍄 although you can find button mushrooms grown indoors year-round, you'll want to be keeping an eye out for the forest-foraged varieties at this time of year. their unique textures make them great flavour-sponges, as well as the perfect substitute in any dish where you might be otherwise tempted to cook some meat. pair well with: cream, garlic, miso, white wine, thyme, soy sauce, black pepper

swiss chard, beetroot, spinach & other beet relatives now is really the time for these vegetables to shine, when they're still crisp and it's early enough in the year to enjoy dark leafy greens at their most fresh; roast them, sautée them, savour them raw! no matter how you choose to enjoy them, you're bound to feel delightfully nourished once you've absorbed their colourful goodness. pair well with: balsamic vinegar, goat cheese, rosemary, barley, hazelnuts, nutmeg, currants

apples, pears & quinces 🍎 though raw apples and pears make great fuss-free snacks, cooking them — as well as quinces — opens up a whole new world of flavour. these bake beautifully into crumbles or cakes, are fantastic poached in spiced wine for dessert, and will balance roasted meats and various cheeses with ease. pairs well with: pork, red wine, cinnamon, thyme, brie

celery, onions & leek each is fantastic alone in its own right, but together they can work magic in the shadows and make other ingredients truly shine. dice finely and soften in a bit of fat as a base for nearly any dish, or braise whole in a rich flavoursome broth, and you're practically guaranteed to have a nice meal. pair well with: garlic, white wine, bay leaves, mustard, chicken broth, white beans

winter squashes & pumpkins 🎃 excellent roasted with nothing but a lick of oil and a sprinkling of salt, you'll want to put these in your soups and salads and rice dishes and pasta dishes too. have extra time on your hands? try roasting the seeds (or not) and shelling them (or don't) for a nourishing snack, or a tasty garnish/topping. pair well with: sage, feta, coconut, curry spices, apple, cinnamon, whole grains

brussels sprouts, bok choy, kohlrabi & other cabbages easily overcooked by many, you'll want to steer clear from boiling them for hours on end. best sautéed, roasted or braised until their inner stem is tender and their exterior leaves are vibrant or crisp. pair well with: bacon, balsamic vinegar, orange, garlic, mashed potatoes, cranberries/lingonberries 

cauliflower, broccoli & other flowering brassicas 🥦 much like their fellow brassicas above, you don't want to overcook the flavour and texture out of these. consider sautéing on high heat, gratinating in a cheesy, creamy dish, or adding raw to salads. from rapini to romanesco broccoli, these come in a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes so try to find and enjoy as many as you can. pair well with: ginger, chilies, cheddar, sesame oil, tahini, almonds, lemon 

chicories & other bitter leafy things even though summer's gone, the days of beautiful bountiful salads have yet to leave us. from raddichio to endive, and escarole to frisée, you would be forgiven for wanting to eat these every single day. pair well with: wine vinegar, shallots, olive oil, chives, mustard, dill, walnuts, pears, goat cheese

carrot, parsnip, celeriac, rutabaga & other "roots" 🥕 these starchy fellows all make excellent mashes (and will undoubtedly give a much-needed boost to any plain mashed potatoes). consider slow-roasting for at least an hour or two, basting in butter and their own sweet juices as you go, to achieve something caramelised and tender and worthy of being the star of any meal. pair well with: butter, parsley, apples, coriander, fennel, hake and trout

rosemary, sage & thyme 🌿 they look great. they taste great. they're great for you. this is just a friendly reminder that having fresh, dried or frozen herbs in and around the kitchen is always a great idea. pair well with: pretty much anything, as long as you're creative

recipes from the site
(+ some ideas from insta)

🌰

Speaking of transitions, I don't know about you, but I've still got access to a(n admittedly) decreasing supply of locally grown tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, sweet peppers and hot peppers, plums, beans and corn. Their season is drawing to an end but it isn't quiiiite over yet — and I fully intend to make the most of it while I still can.

Whether you're in the same boat or have already sailed onto more autumnal seas, I hope you'll find some inspiration in these seasonally-appropriate recipes from the site, as well as these recent posts from Instagram:

a warmly spiced peanut stew
🔥

Transitional times call for transitional meals, and this dish makes no exception. Tomatoes, eggplant, sweet potatoes and peanuts all feel quite at home in this warmly spiced stew that is perfect for...

That's all from me this month :)

Stay cosy, and see you in the next newsletter!

💛

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