Falling for Fall

It can be hard to transition from summer into fall. One wants to lean back into long soft nights and keep revelling in the golden hues of sun-kissed skin. Skirts, sandals, grab your bag and off you go. That’s summer. None of this do I need a coat? or, where are my rubber boots? when the autumnal rains descend. Since this weekend pretty much marks the official start of autumn 2009, I’m glad to have the sun shining but be engrossed in what feel like fall pursuits. Once the idea of tea, crisp leaves and cozy sweaters takes hold, I’m happy to let summer pass until next year.

Yesterday saw us venture out to pick mushrooms. This is a somewhat illicit activity, in that we go to a local park, but what else is an urban mushroom hunter to do? Although it is very early in the season, we were blessed with just enough finds to make a delightful chanterelle & gruyere cheese choux pastry appetizer. Yum. I think I’ve found the best way to eat chanterelles!

Of course we gobbled all the puffs up before I thought about documenting there existence, so you’ll just have to imagine the glory. The components are simple: choux pastry piped into cream puff size and baked fresh, chanterelless sautéed in butter and garlic, and grated gruyère cheese. Once the puffs are baked, slice of a wee bit of the top, stuff with cheese and mushroom, and EAT. Upping the ante would mean returning the stuffed pastries to the oven for a few seconds of broil, to brown the cheese, garnishing with parsley or chives, inserting the lopped off cap at a jaunty angle, arranging on a plate, and then eating. More work.

Falling for fall also means I am happy to spend half my Sunday baking without jonesing for outside literary langour. (Not that I manage summer reading that often anyway, but it is idyllic to think about.) M has also made ginger beer and brewed pale ale this weekend with our own hops!!! It’s soothingly domestic to have us both working in the kitchen, and very much an autumn feeling.

Hopefully this week I’ll get some pictures of the pastry school creations: croissants and Danishes. Last week we made pot de crème, crème caramel and crème brulé, and started our puff pastry as well as making eclairs, Paris-Brest, and choux swans. I also made a choux turkey, which was documented but I don’t have the photo yet. Just wait. He was cute!