Celebrating Fall: Focaccia and Stone Soup

There is a special magic that begins to stir as the calendar turns toward fall.

The air feels less heavy, just a little fresher. Though the sun can still beat down and temperatures may still climb, there are cooler breezes, the first hints of bright color in the leaves, and a growing yearning for hot tea and warm sweaters.

Windows can finally be opened, at least at night, allowing fresh air to move through every corner of the home. Perhaps it is time to add an extra blanket to the bed or make the switch from iced coffee to hot. The craving to make a big pot of soup or bake a loaf of pumpkin bread may suddenly appear. And apples are abundant and delicious, offering a natural sweetness to all kinds of fall recipes.

Early fall is also a wonderful time to slow down and reflect on the year that seems to be passing far too quickly. Did you make New Year's resolutions? If so, are you seeing the harvest of those intentions? If not, are there small changes you could make now to move closer to the hopes you had for yourself at the beginning of the year?

And if you are happy with where your life is leading you, this is a lovely time to simply slow down and savor it. Notice the beauty around you as the temperatures fall and the leaves begin to turn golden. It is also a good time to look ahead—to begin preparing for the coming holidays and make sure your home, calendar, and finances are in order before the celebrations begin.

For me, though, right now it feels like celebrating fall is less about getting ready for what comes next and more about savoring the simple pleasures of the season.

Take an evening walk and look for the first leaves beginning to change. Bring home a few colorful leaves or fallen pinecones to tuck into a vase or scatter across the dinner table. Visit a local apple orchard or farmers market and pick up a new variety of apple to try. If you have children, make an afternoon of apple picking and come home to make applesauce or an apple crisp.

This year, I'm going to try something a little different with my apples: an apple focaccia. I'll replace the water in my basic focaccia recipe with apple cider, then add chunks of apple and a generous sprinkling of streusel. I'm not sure exactly how it will turn out, but that is part of the fun of cooking with the seasons—trying something new and seeing where it takes you.

Basic Focaccia Recipe

• Salt: 2 teaspoons

• Flour: 3½ cups

• Quick rise yeast: 2 teaspoons or 1 packet

• Lukewarm water: 2 cups (Replace this entirely with apple juice to try this variation).

• Oil: 2 tablespoons—olive oil for savory focaccia, canola oil for sweet (adjust according to taste)

• Sugar: 1 tablespoon

• Butter: 2 tablespoons, for greasing the pan

• Toppings: There are endless possibilities. Flaky salt, roasted garlic, and rosemary are wonderful savory options. For a sweeter version, try dried fruit, streusel, or chopped nuts.

Combine water with yeast, and sugar and set aside for about 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and oil. When the yeast has bloomed combine wet and dry ingredients and gently mix together to form a wet dough. Cover and leave in a warm area for two hours to allow the dough to rise.

Now fold dough over itself 4 times, rotating the mixing bowl one quarter turn for each fold. This is a good time to add seasonings or other additions.

Thoroughly grease a 13 by 9 inch pan. You can also use oil for this. Be generous. The crispy exterior of focaccia comes from cooking the the bread in this butter or oil. Transfer the dough to the pan, stretching it as close to the edges as possible. Let the dough rest for another two hours, stretching it about every thirty minutes to fit the pan.

Preheat oven to 450 when you do the last stretch. Add any toppings you wish to add. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Remove the bread to a cooling rack immediately when it is done to prevent the edges from becoming soggy.

Streusel

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

  

Early fall is also the perfect time to gather friends and family around the table. One idea I love is to invite everyone over for a pot of "stone soup." Provide the stock and one ingredient of your own, then ask each guest to bring a favorite ingredient to add to the pot. You might end up with something truly unique and delicious—and how special to know that the meal came from a blending of the people you love and the things they each chose to bring.

However you choose to celebrate, remember to celebrate intentionally. There is beauty in our everyday lives if we take the time to notice it, and there are simple pleasures all around us waiting to be enjoyed.

So open the windows. Put the kettle on. Buy a bag of apples and pull your favorite sweater from the back of the closet. Take a walk. Bake something. Invite someone to dinner.

Fall doesn't need to be rushed. There is plenty of magic in simply being present for it.