There’s something about the light this time of year that gives one pause; not quite stark winter light, but more a luminescent cast that makes color dance. Shadows deepen, and when night falls it does so like a curtain dropping with no long summer twilight. The temperatures change quickly too. We’ll be outside appreciating the warmth, maybe even having a meal on the porch, and in just a few moments, we’re headed inside to find our sweaters.
What a beautiful autumn we’ve had! Mild temperatures, enough rain, with a mix of both nippy and warmer days. It poured all day yesterday, but this morning the sun came out and the colors looked even deeper, cleaned. The foliage has been superb and is lasting. We are not far from Lake Champlain, so we’re just at peak right now and the weather is picture perfect. When walking the dogs this morning, we didn’t even need a sweatshirt and I’m thinking dinner outside on the patio. I’m saying this now very quietly so as not to tempt the fates, but we haven’t had a frost here yet and none predicted, so I’ve still plenty of annual flowers and greens, although quite raggedy at this point. I know it will catch up with me since this feeling of endless summer has put me way behind on fall yard chores. It’s 60 degrees out, I don’t have to be thinking about putting away the hoses.
Time to get the wood in
But we’ve had our share of chilly nights, so plenty of sitting by the fire, although every log we toss on reminds us that we haven’t got our wood in yet, all of it still needs need to be hauled and stacked. One of our least favorite chores to do, but once done gives great satisfaction. There, the wood is in, we can exhale. We feel like squirrels all set for the winter.
Here comes the color, everywhere
In the kitchen, the fall vegetable lineup is here, dressed in brilliant colors to rival the foliage on our trees. Orange carrots and squashes, purple cabbages, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, bright pink, lavender, and black radishes, darkest of green kale and Brussels sprouts, confetti speckled beans, deep red and striped beets, blue roasting potatoes, lemon fingerlings and sweet turnips, and melon tinted rutabagas. You almost need to wear shades to the market!
The deeply colored vegetables are not just tasty, as the darker the color the higher nutrition. Thus, a blue potato will have more robust mineral content than a white one and the added benefit of being quite pretty as well. So when given a choice, a hot pink watermelon radish is slightly more nutritious than a white one, but both are excellent choices depending on what is available.
Stew some vegetables, let them cook themselves
This is a perfect evening for a slow stew using some of those wonderful autumn vegetables, including something new. Here I chose a sweet garleek, a mildly garlicky leek of the same allium family that I’ve been seeing everywhere all of a sudden. Have you spotted them? They look like a massively overgrown scallion, smaller in width than a leek but about the same size lengthwise. Delightful to find them grown locally. In addition to this dish, I’ve also used them in a stir-fry and I loved the mild garlic flavor, but next time I will probably add a few garlic cloves as well because we all appreciate a lot of garlic.
You can spice these stewed vegetables any way you like, I started with the five-spice and sprinkled this and that in just for fun. Often when braising cabbage, I’ll add carraway seeds because it is a great flavor combination. If you have other sturdy vegetables such as beets, squash, or rutabaga, you can certainly use those.
Hearty and tasty
Quick to put together, effortless while it cooks itself, and a delicious and hearty end to a beautiful autumn day in New England or anywhere else in the world for that matter.
I think I’ll make another pot, a really big one, and invite everyone over for a wood stackiong day. Are you busy? It won’t take us long.
Stewed Sweet Potatoes and Cabbage
- 3 sweet garleeks, or 1 large leek, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed, or if using leek, 5
- 1 tsp. Chines five spice
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
- ¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 12 oz. (320 g.) mushrooms, sliced
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 1 lb. (450 g.) purple or orange sweet potatoes, diced
- 1 small head purple cabbage, or half a large one
- 6 cups stock or water
- 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
- Balsamic vinegar
Into a large soup pot, drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and add the garleek. Sauté for a few minutes until softened, then toss in the garlic and spices. Give this a minute or so, and add the mushrooms, carrots, sweet potatoes, and cabbage. Let these get to know each other for five minutes or so, then add the beans and the water and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, cover, then simmer on lowest until everything is tender. You can also tuck this in the oven at 300 degrees F. (150 C.) and forget about it for a while.
When done, garnish each dish with a drizzle of your best balsamic vinegar if you like, or perhaps a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up. Or, you can just serve with a nice slice of crusty bread and sit by the fire – once the wood is in.
“And I rose
In rainy autumn
And walked abroad in a shower of all my days…” ~ Dylan Thomas
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Love, love the fall weather and love, love this fall stew.
The fall air is the best! Crisp and clear, with all those aromas from wood smoke to hay!
The photo is so stunning, the way the colors weave together in such harmony. I will look forward to stews and crusty loaves, but it will be a while yet here. It is back to 90 degree days again.
And we thought it was a heat wave when it hit 70 last week!
Beautiful colors both in the kitchen and the landscape. 🙂
Thanks Judy! It’s been a marvelous year for color.
Yum
Thank you! I’ll save a bowl!
Love stew weather and your sweet potato/cabbage stew looks phenomenal! What a glorious autumn photo on the lake; who needs TV? Lovely post, D! ♡
It really was beautiful, the whole trip!
I’ll help with the wood stacking if there is this lovely stew to look forward to. :)) The quiet of the water scene induces calm.
Mary :))
It’s always so relaxing to just sit by water, whether a pond or an ocean. Thanks for helping with the wood! I’ll make an apple crisp too!
Gosh, that sounds delicious! 😋
Thanks Misky! It was really satisfying.
Oh, those colours . . . talk about a rainbow on a plate! 💕 Lovely description of the seasons, too, I also love the light and that point of balance between warmth and the need for sweaters and a fire (we are on for a frost this weekend so definitely time to light the woodstove). Good luck with the log hauling, it’s an activity I actually quite enjoy and the idea of your stew at the end of it is certainly a tempting one. Just one question, Dorothy: what are fingerlings?
Fingerlings are the lovely little oblong potatoes that come in a rainbow of colors and are perfect for grilling or roasting. I remember years ago, rather decades, when our kids were small and I grew most of our produce in the summer, I found a source in Maine for hundreds of varieties of potatoes, including fingerlings. I had never seen them before and they had these beautiful colors and names “Ruby Crescent” “Peruvian Blue” “Russian Banana” and I tried about a dozen different varieties. They were without disease, and one little seed potato planted produced upwards to 40 potatoes in the hill. Loved growing those, and now most of the farms around here have them as a regular crop.
They sound delightful! Thank you, Dorothy, I’ve learned something new today. 😊
They are one of my favorite potatoes, and there’s not much I like more!
can’t go wrong with fall colors on and off the plate, and a hearty fall stew. Love it! 🙂
Thank you Natasha! Rainbows everywhere.
Color my world, Dorothy. 🍃🌎
Considered it all painted in! 🌈
Mmmmm. 😋🍃
Nature’s paint pots! We’re on the same schedule. Firewood arrives next wk. The garden & yard have been “put to bed”. There hasn’t been a killing frost yet so there are still a few marigolds & rudbeckia hanging on as well as the castor bean plant. The perennial bed has been cut back. No snow yet but snow means slow.
Beautiful colors all around!
It’s been stunning all season!
What a lovely post. You caught the essence of our beautiful fall. It’s been so fine this year. And that soup! Going on my tbc. I’ve never used five spice, and I love the rich color of the broth.
Thanks Laurie! We’ve certainly been lucky this year with our foliage and warm weather, but we still know what’s coming!
These photos not only look delicious but this was fun to read!
I am hungry for stew! I’ll be making this!!
Enjoy! Along with all those autumn leaves!
You are right on target. Stews are Autumn and Winter perfect. With our family, stews comfort our gatherings with coffee and pies.
Save me a slice, and a cup? dear friend!
This sounds like pure Autumn bliss! Lake Champlain, wood prep, and a massive roast of root veggies and stew – I think you are doing it exactly right!
Well thank you very much Mary!!! How has the weather been your way?
The Stewed Sweet Potatoes and Cabbage looks perfect autumn dish. We don’t need to stack wood, but it always feels good as the various fall chores get checked off – rake leaves, dig dahlia and gladiola bulbs, etc.
I’m behind, but it’s going to be sunny this week and I should get a handle on it all!
Your veggies are so colorful and beautiful! I’m sure the soap is flavorful.
It was really tasty, thank you! Happy beautiful autumn!
Thank you for the heads up on garleek, Dorothy. I will look for it and give it a try. I’m a subtle garlic lover, so this might be perfect for my dishes. I love the photo of the bright vegetables. Happy Autumn!
Happy autumn to you too my friend! I hope you find your garleek , it does sound like something you’d love.
Happiness in a bowl! Love seeing the fall colors too! 🍂🍁
This year was the best for color and is still going on.
Terrific analogy regarding people being like squirrels preparing for winter. The colorful food presentation belongs in a food magazine. I had no idea that food colors reflected nutritional content.
Thanks Pete! Yes, the mineral content in many vegetables is greater in the most colorful. Stands to reason. So look for those dark blue potatoes!
I volunteer! But I’m probably safe as I’m reading this now! I’ve never heard of a blue potato or a garleek!
Well, after we’re finished stacking the wood, i’ll make a stew with both!