Flavors of Fall

There are so many reasons to love this time of the year. From September through November, late fall in Santa Fe is truly a feast for the senses.

The arrival of morning and its soft blue light can sometimes come as a surprise, too often inspiring "just another fifteen minutes" snuggled in bed. Yet, fresh and clean, the cool, crisp morning air is invigorating, and it feels good to breathe deeply in anticipation of the day. The feeling of the sun at midday has a completely different quality; it warms our skin even beneath a thick layer of fleece.

Here and there across the landscape, the late fall foliage explodes in hues golden and rust as a few stalwart trees make their final showing before winter arrives in earnest. Those who make the effort can still find that a few splashes of purple aster dot the ground. While later in the day, the evening brings sometimes-spectacular sunsets, and as darkness falls, the cool nights offer an exceptional view of the clear starlit sky.

Here in the Tree House kitchen, the colors and textures are changing as well, but the real excitement is in the flavors of fall.

Although activity at the Farmer's Market has let up a bit, there's still plenty of good stuff to be had from among the local growers. You'll find that as the weather cools, the Tree House menu continues to highlight the bounty of northern New Mexico. For the past several weeks, fall produce has been taking center stage, and we've started to feature the subtle colors and bold flavors of winter: root vegetables and mushrooms, dishes made from stored grains, and our signature soups. We've also seen the return of quiches and frittatas.

Some of our recent menu offerings include:

• peñasco pumpkin ravioli. with sage brown butter.
• calabacitas tamales. served with red chile sauce and local greens.
• fall market salad. mixed greens with beets, apples and lentils and shaved goat cheese from sweetwoods dairy.
• carole's curry bowl. a heart-warming selection of curried vegetables served over rice.

Along with savory winter items, we begin to focus around this time on baked goods—often, but not always, made from sweet flavors and just in time to satisfy your holiday cravings. For over a month now, we've had the distinct pleasure of being able to offer Bee Tree Farms delicious apples in many of our baked goods. These mouth-watering delights come from a small organic farm just outside of San Juan Pueblo. They are truly among the best I've ever had, and been absolutely perfect for pies, tarts, and anything else we've tried to do with them. If you haven't yet had a chance to place your Thanksgiving special orders (the cut-off date is just about upon us), I encourage you to try one of our lattice top apple tarts or caramel upside down cakes made with Bee Tree Farms apples. They are, without a doubt, the cream of the crop.

Our holiday special order menu will be further expanded for Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza and the various celebrations that mark the end and beginning of the year. We hope you'll call the shop at 474.5543 or visit our Web site at www.treehousepastry.com for more information about placing holiday special orders and to find out about any changes to our hours of operation that accompany the holidays.

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. I do hope that for you this time of year is filled with good food and the incomparable pleasure of family and friends. And then maybe some more good food.

Buen provecho,
Maria