My favorite time of the year is here. I’ve shared this before, and I’ll share it once more: September always feels like the beginning of something new for me. I become so inspired and revitalized, from the clothes I wear to the food I cook to the pages I write. It’s a time for resetting oneself. For me, it’s reorganizing my kitchen, giving my salad spinner a rest, and breaking out the Dutch oven to roast fabulous Sunday dinners.
As the evenings become longer and the cool fall air reintroduces itself, it’s time to reach for ingredients that hold more weight. I’m talking about the foods that feel rooted to the darker half of the year. But there is a bridge we must cross between summer and fall when one season of produce leaves and another comes in. And I like to call that bridge …
The Equinox Table
It’s the place where we create and share meals when we are smack dab between two seasons. We hold onto stone fruits, summer corn and root vegetables, all the while leaning a little more into the staples of fall: roasted things, browned butter, apples and winter squash. During this transition, we must honor the seasons through the food we prepare, blending summer’s sweetness with fall’s earthiness. Oh, fall flavors, I love you so.
It’s no secret that Texas weather can be wildly unpredictable. One day, it’s 92 degrees and I’m eating sliced peaches with salt and lime. The next day, I’m pulling on a sweater and roasting squash with maple and cinnamon. If the weather can throw us a curveball from time to time, why can’t we do the same when it comes to cooking? For instance, I might add grilled plums to a summer burrata and heirloom tomato salad. Or I’ll layer delicate roasted squash with arugula and a citrus vinaigrette that still tastes like August.
Weaving through the farmers markets and grocery store produce sections lets us know when prime equinox season is here. You’ll see those fall fruits, and veggies will catch your eye, snagging your mustard-colored cardigan as you make a beeline to the Italian parsley. That’s your hint that they’re ready to start a conversation with you! Apples start showing up in different colors. Pears, beautiful squash in every shade, and sweet potatoes that don’t look rushed are ready to be chosen.
A Love Letter to the Flavors That Hold Me
I have several favorite ingredients that carry me through fall. I don’t come back to them over and over because I’m out of ideas, but because they always feel like home.
Apples: Ah, my tart, crisp and endlessly useful friends. I’ll roast them with onions and serve them alongside roasted chicken or slice them raw into salads with shaved fennel and pecorino. And when I have a sweet tooth, I’ll stew them down with a little cinnamon and eat them warm over yogurt or toast. Sometimes, the simplest things are indeed the very best.
Winter Squash: We have our pick of many varieties in the fall, including delicate acorn, kabocha and butternut squashes, each with its own unique personality. I love roasting them until the edges caramelize and letting them shine with just olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Sometimes, I’ll toss them with a maple vinaigrette, cinnamon and fresh herbs. For my vegetarian friends, I’ll fill them with wild rice, roasted mushrooms and cheese, and serve them as a gift to the table.
Sage and Brown Butter: This is a pair that never fails me. I’ll use it over angel hair pasta, roasted carrots, sweet potatoes and even popcorn. Brown butter tastes like the very definition of fall to me. I can only describe it as a coat I’ve been waiting to wear again. And when Thanksgiving hits, it’s the duo that turns my cooking into a more ritualistic experience.
Figs: These are a no-brainer when it comes to the things that deserve a love letter. When I can find them, I treat them like treasure. I’ll split and roast them, top with goat cheese, or tuck them into a tart with honey and rosemary. Figs never last long in my kitchen. When they’re there, I make sure they are loved and noticed.
Peach-Glazed Chicken Thighs with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Mixed Greens
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
¾ cup peach preserves or jam
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional, but encouraged)
1 clove garlic, grated or finely minced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1½ tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, pepper and a pinch of
cinnamon or smoked paprika (your call)
2 to 3 handfuls mixed greens
Drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon
Optional: crumbled goat cheese or feta
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and a touch of cinnamon or paprika. Spread on a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden and crispy on the edges.
While sweet potatoes are roasting, season chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (cast iron is great) over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs skin side down and sear for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and crisp. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
While the chicken sears, whisk together peach preserves, Dijon, vinegar, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a small bowl. Brush peach glaze over the top of each chicken thigh. If you’re using a cast iron skillet, slide the whole pan into the oven. If not, transfer to a baking dish.
Roast at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees internal temp), basting with the pan juices halfway through.
Toss the spring mix lightly with lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. On a platter or individual plates, layer roasted sweet potatoes followed by salad mix and top with peach-glazed chicken. Spoon extra glaze from the pan over everything. If you’re using a little goat cheese or feta, lightly crumble it over the top.
Makes 4 servings
