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One requirement of living in New York is having a weekend retreat upstate somewhere. (It's true. It's in the "welcome to New York City, Sucker" resident manual.) As a result, when I lived there, I spent a lot of time in upstate Connecticut in a small idyllic lakeside cabin, grasping at decompression from the weight of city life in 48-hour intervals. It was there I became fascinated with how lakes act as telltales to the change of seasons.
Watching it in the fall was like watching Mother Nature put a fussy baby down for a nap; the lake didn't go to sleep quietly. Winds kicked up the surface, bullied wildlife, and changed moods. The change of colors became a tantrum as nature threw the last of its dying leaves on the ground. We never knew which dive off the dock would be our season's last. The still waters ran spitefully deep, and sometimes without warning, overnight, they ran really fucking cold.
This and every fall, I feel a little anxious for what is to come, I suppose. The surprises are less shocking than on the east coast, but in Southern California, the clues to the change of season are revealed by what is on the tables at the farmer's market. The apples are early this year.
Regardless of our locations, (our recipe swap group has grown to a worldwide cadre of fantastic bloggers) fall is a time to slow down, look inward and prepare for winter. Some of us celebrate the new year with Rosh Hashanah, which brings with it a lot of work in preparation for a seasonal and spiritual renewal. The actions we ignored for a year come back to the surface and we are asked to not only process them, but take responsibility for them. For lakes, this time is known as the final chance to punk the person confidently cannonballing off the dock with a shock of cold water, or by wrapping some mud-slime thing around their swim trunks on the way back up. Actually, that's how reassessing my behaviors of the past year has felt this time around. For the rest of us, it is a time to cozy up, settle in, and eat well.
From the original vintage "Hot Slaw" recipe came a shallot, cabbage and apple frittata; a mild, easy dish to ease our ways into cool fall mornings, perfect for a light brunch with family and friends. Happy Fall, and Happy New Year!
Fall Frittata
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
8 large farm eggs
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp agave nectar (or 1/2 tsp honey)
1/4 cup shredded cabbage
3 large cloves shallot, sliced
1/2 cup grated tart apple (I used Pippins, but Galas or Granny Smiths would work great)
3 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
2 Tbsp chopped dill
1/2 tart apple, sliced very thinly and held in water with a dash of lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for sauteing
Method:
Preheat oven to 375F.
In a 9" heat-safe saute pan on medium heat, pour 2 tsp olive oil. Add shallots, cabbage and apple and saute until the cabbage turns bright green. In a separate bowl, add eggs, cream, agave nectar, a good pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper and whisk thoroughly. Add contents to saute pan and top with goat cheese and dill. Place into oven for ten minutes. Remove from oven, tap the center to confirm the frittata is set (it should spring back), and turn the oven to broil. Place apple slices and cheddar cheese on top of the frittata and broil for two minutes or until bubbly and golden. Let cool for a couple minutes before slicing and serving with greens on the side and fresh bread and butter.
