Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Autumn Table



Autumn is well and truly here. Last weekend I worked at pulling up some of my vegetable garden - the green beans and squashes, and a large bowl of carrots. We covered the tomatoes with plastic sheeting to prevent them from splitting in the rain. I noticed several more young zucchini forming and left the plants, hoping the zucchini would grow a bit more. That was a mistake. When I went out yesterday, I noticed they are rotting. It's gotten too cool and wet. 

Fall vegetables are growing nicely - Kale and Swiss Chard, along with Broccoli. I cut some of the kale and chard and we enjoyed them this week. 


On the weekend, I like to do some cooking in preparation for the week. Recently, I cubed a few of the smaller butternut squashes, washed and chopped the kale and chard, trimmed and cut the last of the green beans, and made a batch of carrot ginger soup with coconut milk. 


While surfing the web for ideas for apple recipes, I came across Invisible Apple Cake a few times. It's a bit of a misnomer, for it's barely a cake, being mostly thinly sliced apples baked with a bit of batter. It's quite good, if you get your head around it not being a cake. I played with the recipe and came up with my own that is not very sweet at all, and uses almond flour in place of white flour. I've been eating a wedge of it for breakfast, topped with plain yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It does look like a piece of pie and whipped cream in the photo. Here's a link to my version of Invisible Apple Cake


And here we are, almost to the end of another week, and almost the end of September. Rain alternates with sun. I wear a sweater in the morning and regret it in the afternoon. En route to school I have my seat heater on. On the way home, it's the air conditioner. The dahlias in the garden continue to delight me with bloom after bloom. A few chive blossoms add some colour to the herb garden. Hydrangeas mellow to rich burgundy or pale green or pink, depending on their location in the garden. Cups of tea are made more frequently. The window that was opened wide during the night is now open just an inch or two. Last night I awoke to the sound of wind curling around the corner of the house, pulled up the blanket around my shoulders, and I thought, "yes, it's autumn."

24 comments:

  1. I love those nights when the wind is howling and you can hunker deeper down into bed. The Apple recipe looks delicious. Lots of apples still on my tree, time for picking them I think. You have had a wonderful year for dahlias with glorious colours. Enjoy your weekend. B x

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  2. Lovely post - much the same here and the old Girl Guide motto of "Be prepared" is needed if going out for the day as the temperature fluctuates so much, we have had the heating on some evenings here and yet during the day the doors and windows are wide open. Bizarre. Thanks for your comment on my blog good to know that there are still those who remember me!!

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  3. That carrot ginger soup looks beautiful, I just checked your food blog but couldn't find the recipe for it but I did copy the apple "cake". I not only would love to sit at your table, I would dearly love to already be having the kind of autumn you're writing about today--and writing it so beautifully. That last paragraph, I'm sinking into it!

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  4. The same thing happened here with the tomatoes...what I thought were new ones were actually rotting on the vine. Out those plants went. I am glad that you have been able to rescue yours.

    Beautiful description of autumn’s arrival...

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  5. You always draw us right in to your space with your words. Happy Autumn!

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  6. Sounds like your garden was a success this year. It is still in the 80's here.

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  7. Your garden yields such treasures! (Of course, I am certain that the careful work of the gardener has much to do with that!) Love your description of autumn's entrance. I am still waiting for it to arrive here. It is beginning to look a bit fallish, but the high temperatures and humidity are saying summer. Soon . . .

    Off to see about your invisible apple "cake" . . .

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  8. It's autumn here too, Lorrie. Cool nights and mornings, warm afternoons. I always love your photos, and they are so pretty in this post. Thanks for the recipe for the invisible apple cake. I'm going to try it, and will adjust the sweet just a tad.

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  9. That cake sounds delicious! We picked most of the apples off our trees so I may make this on the weekend.
    It’s definitely Fall weather...chilly in the morning but warmer in the afternoon.

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  10. The recipe for the apple cake sounds good. Your description of the Autumn upon us is much the same here cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon. Have a good weekend.

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  11. Dahlias are really a gift this time of year.... how beautiful (and productive) your early Fall days are! I haven’t looked at yourvApple “cake” recipe yet, but already know I’ll like it ... low carb is the name of the game at our house these days... and there are our son-in-law’s apple tree just waiting for a visit ))

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  12. I used to buy blocks of coconut cream years ago, but now with the tinned coconut milk I wonder just how I ever managed without it. I use it in soup too, and am just about to make some celery soup to which I will add a tin of coconut milk.

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  13. I envy you the cooler days and nights already Lorrie - we're still fighting 90+ and no rain whatsoever. Garden is just dying a slow death as watering doesn't even help much in these temps.
    The breakfast 'invisible not-cake' does look yummy, and healthy in your version. I love almond four and use it a lot. Also, like Rosemary, I use canned coconut milk in some of my soups such as Curried Summer Squash, yum!

    I'm packing yet again!

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  14. Beautiful flower shots! And thank you for the recipe. I'll definitely make it as soon as I can have almond flour again. Are you paleo or AIP?

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  15. Fun to see your signs of autumn. Lovely shots of the flowers. Such a fun time of year!

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  16. Your autumn sounds lovely! Our color is starting and I just love having any excuse to drive around town. We are in for a very cold and wet weekend. With possible snow! A bit early for sure...lol Have a great weekend! Kit

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  17. Oh Lorrie, you're making me truly long for cool, Autumn weather here. It was 90 degrees here in North Carolina yesterday. I want to get out the sweaters and be cozy. Maybe soon!

    Your dahlias are gorgeous, and your apple cake looks so pretty and very tasty. Puts me in the mood to bake. :) Enjoy your weekend, my friend!!

    Hugs,

    Denise

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  18. You are in autumn and we are in spring. The dalia is lovely. We like carrot soup too and the apple cake looks delicious. I will have to check out the recipe. Enjoy your weekend and thankyoo for visiting my blog this week.

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  19. Your autumn harvest sounds abundant! And the apple "cake" looks interesting. I will check out the recipe because this is the time of year for an apple pie and this might do in its place.

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  20. Yum and Yum! Both of your recipes look and sound interesting and delicious. I like the idea of the apple cake for breakfast as I'm getting a bit bored with my usual choices. I long for autumn as you so nicely described it. The A/C is still blaring 24/7 around here as the lawn is frying despite our attempts to irrigate.
    I am intrigued by the chive blossom. I thought that only happened in the spring.

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  21. I'm intrigued by the invisible apple cake.

    I heard that Alberta is getting hit by snow this weekend. Yikes!

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  22. I'm all for comfort food, sweaters, and fall decor right now! Brrrr. I'm baking with apples, making butternut squash soup and cabbage rolls. I always enjoy seeing the delights of the season through your lens!

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  23. A lovely view of Autumn. We are enjoying the cooler days too - and last week had torrential rainfall - did you get any of it over there?

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