Fall is my favorite time on the Outer Banks. The light has changed. The air is crisp. I see it as a comfortable transition from the lighter table fare of summer to the heartier meals representative of the season, using fall produce from my garden and local seafood.

Rosie’s Cioppino

For my first course, I’m serving cioppino, a fish stew popularized in San Francisco in the mid to late 1800s by immigrants. After a hard day’s work, the fishermen would gather and throw different pieces of fish and shellfish into a communal pot for supper. There was no set recipe. It was the daily catch. A cioppino comes about from the various ethnic tastes of its inventors and the largesse of the ocean. Depending on whatever the ocean is serving up, cioppino is a happily versatile dish. Clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and some type of firm white fish can all be used. It’s a matter of preference and availability. Get the Recipe 

Kale, Butternut Squash and Wheat Berry Salad

For a side dish, I’m picking kale and butternut squash from the garden and combining them with wheat berries for a healthy, earthy, sweet, and nutty treat. Top with crumbled bacon and serve on Parmesan crisps to counterbalance all that health and you have a lovely and hearty fall dish. Get the Recipe

Cranberry and Pomegranate Cream

For the ultimate fall dessert, I recommend Cranberry and Pomegranate Cream. Get the Recipe 

Author: Rosie Hawthorne

Rosie Hawthorne is a blogger, gardener, wanderluster, and mother of three.  She learned to cook by watching Julia Child every Saturday afternoon on her 11-inch black and white TV with legal pad and pen in hand. For the Hawthornes, every meal is a celebration of life.