Posts tagged fall

Hurricane Sandy blew all the leaves away! I didn’t take this photo, but this scene looks just like what I see when I drive to work on the back roads through the country. I’m sure when I finally go back to work tomorrow it will look much more barren. This is a nice tribute to what started my day off right every morning for the past month! There’s just something about those orange, red, and yellows against the stark green that comes together to make my favorite nature scene. And I’m finding it hard to picture a better place to go for a run… tropicalism: Fall by NightFox9 - TouTouke on Flickr.

Hurricane Sandy blew all the leaves away! I didn’t take this photo, but this scene looks just like what I see when I drive to work on the back roads through the country. I’m sure when I finally go back to work tomorrow it will look much more barren. This is a nice tribute to what started my day off right every morning for the past month! There’s just something about those orange, red, and yellows against the stark green that comes together to make my favorite nature scene. And I’m finding it hard to picture a better place to go for a run…

tropicalism:

Fall by NightFox9 - TouTouke on Flickr.

I can’t quite remember how I came across Pear Soup with Pancetta and Blue Cheese, but I believe it was during a search for something to double for the neighbors. That involved a fair amount of the aforementioned pear peeling, but my husband agreed to do so, as long as I allowed him to play Johnny Cash while he did it. Get that pancetta going. Someone is going to ask me if you can skip that to make this dish vegetarian. You can. But that little boost your onions will get from sautéing in that bit of fat is really good. Put the rest of your vegetables in there, and later, your stock, which hopefully is homemade. (I made mine with chicken necks during that freak October snowstorm, and it was indeed mildly flavored.) Have you noticed how all your simmering steps are just a few minutes each? You love that right? While the stock has this soup take form, make a salad, or send someone out for nice crusty bread. I pureed it all up with my immersion blender, which is truly the greatest kitchen invention ever — except for parchment paper, whisks, and maybe the zester that guy made in his garage. Top with the best blue cheese you can find.  This soup has all the elements of a late fall dinner: it is creamy, warming, tastes of fruit but is not fruity, and bats it smoky eyes as a tangy finish on the spoon. Plan to eat it all week. Pear Soup with Pancetta and Blue Cheese by fiveandspice Serves 4 - 6 5 ounces pancetta, cut into small pieces 1 tablespoon butter 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped 1 clove garlic, sliced 1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (around 1/2 inch) 1 medium-small carrot, cut into small cubes 1 tablespoon maple syrup 5 pears - I used bartlett - peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch chunks 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 3 cups mildly flavored vegetable or chicken broth 1/2 cup creme fraiche crumbled blue cheese (a creamy, potent raw milk one is best for serving salt and ground white pepper to taste Go to Food52 for the rest of the recipe! I’m a huge fan of fruit based soups and can’t wait to try this out. Although I’m not a fan of blue cheese, so will probably look for a replacements. Suggestions are welcome.

I can’t quite remember how I came across Pear Soup with Pancetta and Blue Cheese, but I believe it was during a search for something to double for the neighbors. That involved a fair amount of the aforementioned pear peeling, but my husband agreed to do so, as long as I allowed him to play Johnny Cash while he did it.

Get that pancetta going. Someone is going to ask me if you can skip that to make this dish vegetarian. You can. But that little boost your onions will get from sautéing in that bit of fat is really good. Put the rest of your vegetables in there, and later, your stock, which hopefully is homemade. (I made mine with chicken necks during that freak October snowstorm, and it was indeed mildly flavored.)

Have you noticed how all your simmering steps are just a few minutes each? You love that right?

While the stock has this soup take form, make a salad, or send someone out for nice crusty bread. I pureed it all up with my immersion blender, which is truly the greatest kitchen invention ever — except for parchment paper, whisks, and maybe the zester that guy made in his garage. Top with the best blue cheese you can find. 

This soup has all the elements of a late fall dinner: it is creamy, warming, tastes of fruit but is not fruity, and bats it smoky eyes as a tangy finish on the spoon.

Plan to eat it all week.

Pear Soup with Pancetta and Blue Cheese by fiveandspice

Serves 4 - 6

5 ounces pancetta, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon butter

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (around 1/2 inch)

1 medium-small carrot, cut into small cubes

1 tablespoon maple syrup

5 pears - I used bartlett - peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

3 cups mildly flavored vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup creme fraiche

crumbled blue cheese (a creamy, potent raw milk one is best for serving

salt and ground white pepper to taste

Go to Food52 for the rest of the recipe! I’m a huge fan of fruit based soups and can’t wait to try this out. Although I’m not a fan of blue cheese, so will probably look for a replacements. Suggestions are welcome.

food52.com

I went back out to Scott’s Run this morning to catch the leaves before all the gorgeous colors fell away and was not disappointed. The colors were amazing! There’s still a lot of green, but the yellows and reds and oranges were brilliant, especially in the sunshine.

What really surprised me, though, was how great it felt to run on the leaves that had fallen! It was so nice on my knees. The cushioning really made a difference in each step. My feet are usually a little tired after an hour from the pounding, even when on dirt trails, but I felt great all the way to the end.

blogilates: Healthy Halloween Muffin Recipe! Whole Wheat Pumpkin Banana! Super simple recipe, super deliciously dense & moist muffins. Mmm…just made these last night and they were spectacular! Only 100 calories a serving!

blogilates:

Healthy Halloween Muffin Recipe! Whole Wheat Pumpkin Banana!

Super simple recipe, super deliciously dense & moist muffins. Mmm…just made these last night and they were spectacular! Only 100 calories a serving!

blogilates