Fall Harvests

I'm piling on the sweaters, and socks, as the temperature is dropping in Toronto, and all I can think of is warm bowl of curried roast squash soup.

Fall is the season for comfort food. It's when I make chilis and stews, and hearty-stick-to-your-ribs soups.

But it's also harvest time. Apples, pears, plums are all ready for the picking now, along with a variety of squash, pumpkins, beets, Brussels sprouts and more. A pick-your-own apple adventure often leads to an afternoon of pie baking or better yet, caramel apples. And the smell of chestnuts roasting in the oven remind me that winter is just around the corner. The wine regions of Niagara and more recently, Prince Edward County host their festivals this time of year too as they begin to harvest the last crops before ice-wine season.

But as winter settles in over the next month or so, Canadian Bon Vivants who enjoy that fresh-from-the-farm experience will have to look a little further abroad. In Crete, for example, November is the time for the olive harvest. Imagine being able to walk up to an olive tree, heavy with fruit and being able to pluck it off with your own fingers from the low-lying branches, before ending your day with a freshly caught feast of seafood off the Greek coast. Talk about a foodie paradise.

Although personally, I might be more tempted by the warmer climes of California where the Napa Valley is still bursting with fresh figs and dates. Pair some of those with a hunk of soft cheese, a great loaf of bread and a bottle of wine and you've got an instant picnic to go, just don't forget the corkscrew!

And as fabulous as that sounds, I really need to just get a warm bowl of soup to fight off this cold I’ve been battling. I think I know just the kind I want too…