It seems hard to believe that I have been on the East Coast for going on four years, with over one third of that time in New England, yet I had never gone apple picking. It just seemed almost too quaint for me; I buy my apples from the farmer’s market or the grocery store, thank you very much! Well, I will admit when I am wrong. I went to pick apples, and I loved it!
Over the weekend, I went with some friends to an orchard in Glastonbury, CT, not knowing what to expect. Would I have to climb ladders to pick some measly apples; what would the varieties be; and just how large was an apple orchard anyway? All of my questions were answered– and apple picking did not disappoint! Rows of trees were so heavy with fruit, the branches were bending to [...]

The berries are gone. At least the good ones are. They’ve rolled up their welcome mats and bid the berry-loving world adieu. It seems like months ago those final rosey apricots, their supple skin veritably bursting with juice, said farewell. Of course, there are those final hanger-ons, the colonels of summer stone fruit: the random plums, the sweet Georgia peaches, and the nectarines—firm, but still holding on.
But these fruits are having to share space in the market. Hold on—fall fruit is coming! Apples so crunchy and tart, their skin so shiny, it almost reflects that the final days of Indian summer fruit are rolling in. Pears, with their buttery, sweet taste, and sumptuous physique are earning their way onto the market shelf, making company with those stone fruits.
For only a few short weeks do we have these two emblems of their respective seasons [...]

When we moved to New York, we lost our outdoor space, that tiny patch of land, right outside our front door where Brian and I grew a sorry collection of succulents. We also lost our BBQ. But have no fear, I have a stovetop grill pan. And with that pan comes my latest fixation, the Grilled Pear.
Yes, a grill pan is an indispensable tool for getting the look and some of the taste of a classic BBQ. I use my grill pan to prepare all sorts of meat and fish. But now I can add the grilling of fruit to that list. Grilling pears proved to be the perfect use for an autumn fruit. It is early in the season. While the apples aren’t at their most flavorful, and the pears are sort of firm, I just don’t feel like eating the [...]