Feel the crisp air. Savor apple harvest season with an apple pie or aromatic apple cider. Take in the wonderous beauty of the leaves changing color. It’s magic! The changing of the seasons heralds an end to the recent past while welcoming a new beginning.
In fact, September is an excellent time to release what was, reflect on where we are now and where we want to go. It’s a time to refocus our energies as we step into a new time. Go inward for a bit, find, or stay on the path of the right avenue for your success and agree to achieve your success. Be open to ideas and look for signs that are purposely directing you to greater success.
In addition, September 22nd is the Autumnal Equinox and marks the first day of fall. It’ the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. During the equinox, the Sun crosses what we call the “celestial equator”—an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this line.
Also during the month of the Autumnal Equinox is the annual Harvest Moon which we celebrated a couple of weeks ago on September 10th. As you can imagine, the Harvest Moon is so named because it is a time of bountiful harvesting of crops and celebrating the richness of the earth. It’s also time to start planting winter vegetables; the “root” vegetables that can withstand the colder weather.
And speaking of food, the Autumnal Equinox is the perfect time to start planning for the hearty sustaining food we all love on cooler days. Soups, stews, casseroles and all the things we’ve avoided making in the heat of summer! Just to get you started here is one of my favorite soup recipes which you will find in our Roaring ’20’s cookbook The Great Gatsby Cookbook:
Tomato Bisque
Thanks to Chef Ron Oliver
Soups, especially bisques and bouillons, were an obligatory course at ladies’ luncheons, and were served as a small introductory dish to the meal. Cream was a common component in soups, ether blended in to make a bisque, or whipped and served as a dollop atop a bouillon.
Makes 1 quart. Serves 8 as an introductory course.
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
½ cup celery, grated, peeled
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1/3 cup sherry wine
4 cups ripe red tomatoes diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
3/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable stock
½ cup heavy cream
Add oil to stock pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes. Add paprika. Saute” 10 seconds. Add sherry followed by tomatoes, garlic salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook at light simmer for 3 minutes. Add vegetable stock. Again, bring to a light simmer. Cook at a light simmer for 7 minutes. Stir in cream. Transfer to blender with vented lid. Blend until smooth. Strain through fine mesh colander. Add additional salt and/or pepper if desired.
Enjoy!
Hello, Cristina. Hope all is well with you! Russell