Taste Bytes – October 2019

Hello Fall

October has always been the month when fall seems to truly get rolling – when the rush of summer gives way to the calm of autumn.

And what an October it has been.

Spending time outside – an afternoon in the garden harvesting the last of my summer produce, a stunning drive across Stevens Pass as the first snow began to fall, a riverside hike traipsing through the autumn leaves.

Getting back into the kitchen and trying out new recipes – pumpkin spice waffles with butter pecan syrup, honey butter corn muffins, white chicken chili, and apple cider cocktails.

Preparing for Halloween – indulging my inner child with a trip to the pumpkin patch, searching for the perfect pumpkin, and stocking up on sweet treats.

Here is this month’s edition of Taste Bytes, a celebration of October’s top tastes.

Harvest Time

• 

Several years ago, I transformed my entire yard into an edible garden, and there are few places I’d rather spend time in – it’s a place that sustains me, invigorates me, and connects me with nature and the cycles of life.

And October is harvest time. As the weather begins to cool, it’s time to bring in the last bounty of the summer season, to reflect on the successes and the challenges, and to put the garden to rest for the winter.

Here are a few highlights from this year’s edible garden…

Planting and picking the first apples off this Honeycrisp tree.

• 

• 

• 

Trying my hand at growing corn for the first time. It didn’t quite reach maturity, but I’ll definitely try again next year.

Experimenting with new varieties, including these stunning Indigo Rose cherry tomatoes.

Watching the first flowers emerge from this regal artichoke plant.

Fall in the Cascade Mountains

There is little that compares to spending time in the mountains on a crisp fall day, and our local Cascades are at their best during this season.

A day hike on Robe Canyon Trail…

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Earlier this month, my boyfriend Chris and I spent a day hiking the Old Robe Canyon Trail, a spectacular path just off Mountain Loop Highway in Snohomish County, Washington.

The trail hugs the Stillaguamish River as it makes its way through narrow canyon walls, and follows an old railway line that once transported ore from the mines of Monte Cristo to the Everett waterfront.

It’s an invigorating hike filled with picturesque sights at every turn – vibrant fall colors, moss-laden trees, waterfalls, rapids, and an abandoned tunnel at the end of the path.

And nothing beats a little campfire on a chilly fall day.

Back in the Kitchen

As the school year gets rolling and the weather begins to cool down, I find myself wanting to get back into the kitchen, to try out some new recipes, to relax and lose myself in the simple act of cooking a good meal.

A lazy Sunday morning…

Quiet fall weekend mornings are my favorite, and I love making pancakes and waffles when I’m not rushing off to work.

This year I tried out Trader Joe’s pumpkin pancake and waffle mix for the first time – and it didn’t disappoint. I made a butter pecan syrup (just melt 2 T butter, add a 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup pecans, and simmer) that complemented the spicy pumpkin flavor. With the fireplace blazing and the Seahawk’s game playing in the background, these waffles were the perfect way to enjoy a lazy Sunday morning.

A cozy autumn dinner…

This Favorite Green Salad recipe from the Cookie and Kate blog is fall on a plate. Apples, cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, pepitas, and a honey-dijon apple cider vinaigrette – yum! It’s light, delicious, and even healthy.

If you’re looking for another excellent fall salad, check out this roasted delicata squash salad from my December 2018 Taste Bytes post. One of the best!

I love baking in the fall, and this honey cornbread muffin recipe is going into my keeper file. Topped off with homemade honey butter (whip 1/2 cup softened butter with 1/2 cup honey – also good with maple syrup), these are tender, buttery, and a little sweet. The perfect accompaniment to a hearty autumn soup.

Fall just screams soup, and this white chicken chili is one of my favorites. It’s a simple recipe, but packed with flavor – cannellini beans, chicken breast, green chiles, cumin, oregano, shredded Montery Jack cheese, cilantro, sour cream, and tortilla strips. A hot bowl at the end of a long day – yes, please.

And a few adult beverages…

I love experimenting with new cocktails, and this month I tried out a few recipes featuring apple cider.

This smoky harvest apple cider margarita from Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest, features an ingenious cinnamon sugar and salt rim (wow!), silver tequila (she suggests mezcal as well), apple cider, lime juice, and maple syrup. It was a little heavy on the lime, but I’ll try it again with a stronger cider. A fun and creative riff on the traditional margarita.

A cinnamon cider whiskey sour hits all the right fall notes. This seasonal cocktail from one of my favorite bloggers, Jessica Merchant of How Sweet Eats, includes apple cider infused with cinnamon sticks, whiskey, lemon juice, and a splash of maple syrup. I only had one, but I could have had more. Just saying.

My favorite cider from October is this Hollow Jack’d Imperial Pumpkin from 2 Towns Cider. It’s a blend of fresh-pressed apples and caramelized pumpkin and sweet potatoes, with subtle notes of honey and spices. Yep!

And then there’s last year’s favorite from my November Taste Bytes post – this pumpkin spice cider from Seattle Cider.

Taste Trips

Getting out and exploring new restaurants, markets, and shops is always fun – and here are a few of this month’s top taste trips.

A coffee and molten cake at Hot Cakes…

Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery in Ballard is a popular spot, and I finally tried their Dark Decadence – a molten chocolate cake that they first began selling at the local market. And it absolutely lived up to the hype. Theo chocolate, dry-burned caramel, nib toffee, and vanilla ice cream – bliss in every bite.

• 

• 

• 

Their coffee is also fabulous – I loved this caramel latte and Chris raved about his Irish coffee (a salted caramel latte topped off with Jameson whiskey).

We also tried their seasonal special – a creative pumpkin milk chocolate cake with a spiced pumpkin cream cheese center, candied pepitas, dry-burned caramel, and vanilla ice cream. So good!

Its’s a fun place with a relaxed vibe and food that is simply fabulous.

A Sunday at the Ballard Farmer’s Market…

In last fall’s post on Seattle’s Fall and Winter Farmers Markets I detailed my love of our local markets, and we enjoyed every moment at this October’s Haunted Ballard Farmer’s Market. Fresh apples, hot spiced cider, pumpkins and squash of every variety, decorated booths and costumes, and sunny weather to boot. What a perfect day out.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

And even the pets got in on the action.

An ice cream flight at Salt and Straw

Salt and Straw is one of my favorite ice cream makers, and I always look forward to their monthly featured theme. This October’s Spooktacular Series piqued my interest, so we headed to Ballard to check it out.

We ordered three of the five October seasonal offerings and one classic flavor, including: The Great Candycopia (salted butterscotch ice cream with homemade trick-or-treat candy favorites), Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbon, Mummy’s Pumpkin Spiced Potion (a unique combination of pumpkin, caramel, blackberry, and tea), and Creepy Crawly Critters (matcha ice cream with toffee-brittle mealworms and chocolate crickets).

And yes, I did try the Creepy Crawly Critters (one bite – my boyfriend polished off the rest), but my absolute favorite was the Great Candycopia – rife with caramel notes and candy goodness.

Halloween Preparations

A trip to the Pumpkin Patch…

• 

• 

• 

This October was packed with so many fun memories, and our visit to Bob’s Corn and Pumpkin Farm was one of the best, including these highlights.

Savoring fresh doughnuts and a cup of hot cider on a chilly autumn afternoon.

• 

• 

Wandering through the 10-acre corn maze.

• 

• 

And searching for the perfect pumpkin.

A sweet tooth…

And of course, there’s always the Halloween treats.

Popcorn balls at Halloween were a staple of my childhood, and I was exited to try out this candy corn popcorn ball recipe from the Pioneer Woman. Kettle corn, butter, marshmallows, candy corn, and roasted peanuts – sticky goodness and a blast to make.

And if there isn’t time for Halloween baking, these Little Rae’s “Hello Fall” shortbread cookies are a great alternative. Buttery, rich, and perfect for the season.

• 

You can’t go wrong with Halloween cupcakes from Seattle’s Cupcake Royale. I always look forward to their monthly flavors, but this chocolate salted caramel cupcake (a regular feature on their menu) is at the top of my list.

What’s Halloween without a little candy? Or maybe a lot? I branched out this year and stocked up on Halloween treats from some of our Pacific Northwest craft candy makers. From the upper left: dark chocolate espresso bark with coffee, caramel and sea salt (wow!) from Joe Chocolate, caramel cubes from Spokandy, pumpkin spice milk chocolate truffle bars from Seattle Chocolate, the Flavors of Fall truffle collection from Moonstruck Chocolate, and dark chocolate toffee from Pete’s Perfect Toffee (one of the best around).

Another fabulous new find – brittle bark from Sweet Jubilee. Buttery, salty, and sweet with an array of creative ingredients.

Williams and Sonoma candy is always excellent, and two of my seasonal favorites are their pumpkin seed brittle bites (featuring toasted pumpkin seeds, California pale ale, and pumpkin pie spice), and their sour pumpkin gummies. A little pricey, but worth it!

And, of course, you can’t go wrong with the traditional favorites!

Happy Halloween

It’s been a special October – full of new experiences, new tastes, and new moments to treasure.

And my favorite moment of all – when Chris surprised me with this pumpkin that he’d carefully carved with my blog’s logo.

There’s no one I’d rather go on these adventures with, and as I sat composing this post, I realized what made each of these October moments just a little more special – having that right person to share them with.

So, here’s to being young at heart and enjoying a Happy Halloween! Wishing you all the best, Kimberly.

Upcoming Posts

I’ll see you soon with new editions of Taste Bytes in November and December.

Thanks for stopping by!