My Favorite Recipes for the Autumn Equinox
Hello, Autumn!
Sweater weather, pumpkin spice, and my favorite recipes for the autumn equinoxThe air is crisp, the leaves are turning, and there’s that autumn glow all around . . .
I’ve always loved celebrating the autumn equinox, and over the years, it’s become my preferred time to have a harvest celebration. My mom and I actually talked about starting a “Thanksgiving” tradition around Mabon instead of November because Thanksgiving at the end of the month always felt like the wrong time of year. Here in the Midwest, by the end of November it’s usually snowing, the roads are icy, and family often have to travel 8–10 hours to get together.
Celebrating at the end of September just made more sense. The weather is still beautiful, the harvest is at its peak, and, honestly, it felt witchier to us. We always dreamt it as an outdoor picnic rather than a formal affair. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get the chance to see it fully come to life before my mom passed, but I’ve carried it on in my own home. Every Mabon, as I cook and gather around the table, I’m reminded of her and it’s a sweet little way to keep her memory alive. Below are a few of the recipes I love making to celebrate this time of year.
Sunday roasts are a tradition I intend to embrace fully this autumn/winter season and this recipe is going to be in frequent rotation. In the past, I’ve halved the recipe and only roasted one chicken, which gives the two of us a few leftover meals as well. If you’re serving more than 4, I’d recommend following the recipe as-is. It’s such a quick recipe that you can pop the bird into the oven, prep the caramel apple tartlets while they roast.
Is there anything better than browned butter? If there is, I haven’t found it! This recipe works best when you use the best butter you can find, my go-to is Kerrygold as I find it provides the most flavor and fat. And the pinch of nutmeg takes it to another level. * Chef’s Kiss *
We received so many spring potatoes in our CSA this past growing season that this recipe was in frequent use in our home. This one is perfect any time of day; from breakfast potatoes to a side dish with steak. I do like adding other seasonings like paprika, rosemary and onion powder (garlic powder in a pinch if I don’t have fresh) and always, always measure with my heart rather than a teaspoon.
The best part of our CSA was an opportunity to try different vegetables I wouldn’t typically purchase, like acorn squash. I’ve always found these to be the most adorable gourd shape for the season, but I’ve never tried baking them. This recipe adds the right amount of sweetness turning them into almost like a sweet potato. The best part: I end up roasting the squash, potatoes & chicken t at the same time…I just keep an eye on everything to ensure the potatoes and squash don’t burn.
Last Christmas we received an Omaha Steaks package that included these delicious caramel apple tartlets. After we devoured them, I was determined to find a simple recipe to recreate. I landed on a combination of recipes. The recipe linked above is certainly the inspiration and the filling. But the crust is my old tried-and-true recipe from Fifi O'Neill’s cookbook, “The Romantic Prairie Cookbook: Field-Fresh Recipes and Homespun Settings”:
INGREDIENTS:
2 c/225g all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks225g cold butter
1/2 c/120ml cold water
STEPS:
Sift the flour & salt together into the bowl of a stand mixer. Cut the cold butter (I find it’s helpful to cut the sticks into chunks) into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal. For this step, I like using one of my grandmother’s vintage pastry blenders as I feel it works better than the stand mixer hook. Add cold water by gently stirring it into the flour and butter mixture using the hook attachment until completely moistened (do not over stir!).
Divide the dough in half and refrigerate for at least two hours. Freeze half the dough for another time.
Roll the pie dough out to 12 inches/30cm in diameter and 1/8 inch/3mm thick. Press the pie dough firmly into a 10-inch/25cm pie pan. Pinch off any excess dough around the edges. Put in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F/200C
Line the pie crust with a sheet of heavy aluminum foil. Fill with dried beans, uncooked rice, or metal pie weights to prevent the shell from shrinking while baking. Bake the lined crust until it dries out, about 15 minutes. The crust is ready when the aluminum can be easily removed.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350F/180C. Remove the foil and weights and return pie crust to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
For the apple tartlet crust, I cut this recipe in 1/2 but I still bake the crusts separately for about 10-15 minutes before adding the apple mixture by placing them over the cups of an upside-down muffin tin.
For the caramel sauce, you can use store-bought caramel sauce or unwrapped caramels, but homemade caramel sauce is so quick & fairly easy to make; plus, you probably already have all the ingredients on hand. TIP: I would say that Fleur le Sel is not an optional ingredient, however, especially as you want that sea-salty flavor to come through in the sauce.
I hope these recipes give you a little taste of the season. Whether you’re celebrating Mabon or just enjoying the flavors of fall, it’s nice to take a moment to slow down, gather around the table, and enjoy the season. And if you’re looking to bring a little extra autumn charm into your home, you can check out The Shoppe where you’ll find my curated collection of harvest-inspired decor to make your space feel cozy and festive.