Yum-scrolling..

If you’re like me, you’re spending waaaaaay too much time doing deep dives into the polls, and trying to make sense of every up and down shift. 

I decided to take a break from the doom-scrolling and scroll through delicious recipes to share with you instead. 

Fall is always the busiest time at the market and even more so when we get stretches of unseasonably mild weather as we have this year. I find it to be the most inspirational season in terms of cooking. 

This year, it’s a bit confusing, though, because the bins, brimming with purple-topped turnips, winter squash, sweet potatoes and kale, are screaming soups and stews, soups and stews! But the weather today is saying: don't cover up that grill just yet!

With all the free-floating anxiety right now, I think we can all agree that “comfort” food is what we need most. 

So, I went looking for recipes that tick all the boxes: seasonal, comforting, and not too rich and heavy. 

Naturally I gravitated toward some recipes from sunny Puerto Rico as in this classic pernil (slow-roasted pork) which you can then use to make pernil tacos.

A vegetarian curry is a great option to balance belly-warming comfort with the heaviness of meat stews and curries. This David Tanis adaptation of a Madhur Jaffrey is a great  seasonal option,  welcome any opportunity to use those sexy mushrooms at the Tivoli Farm stand and to use all the winter squash at the market right now.

What to eat on election night? Something you can make ahead of time, like this butternut quash and broccoli rabe lasagna. You can use whatever winter squash you like (though sweeter, better for this recipe). The bitter of the rabe will balance it out quite nicely. Serve with an escarole salad from Harlem Valley Homestead.

This Saturday is La Petite Occasion’s last market of the year. So make sure to stock up your favorite caramels including Michel's uber-popular seasonal Spiced Cider caramels. Treat yourself! (Much tastier than your kids’ Halloween haul....you know who you are.)

And while some are worrying about a stolen election, across the pond in the U.K, they are worried about stolen cheese. Nearly 1,000 wheels of artisanal cheddars — worth more than $389,000 — were reported stolen from London-based Neal's Yard  this month. No arrests have been made. The company has asked cheese fans to get in contact if they’re offered any suspiciously cheap cheddar.

Of course, you’ll know exactly where your cheddar comes from if you buy it from Aux Bons Fromages. 

See you at the market!

Don’t forget to breathe. And, of course, VOTE!