Picnic at Horseshoe Falls

Are you in denial? Have you found yourself climbing into the car wearing iconic summer gear such as capri pants and flip flops (or manpri pants for you he-man types)? Sure it has been below 40-degrees at night and we’ve already had snow slide off the roof and fall on our heads as we slammed the door on the way out. But, for a few more weeks we can still pretend the tomatoes will turn red on the vine and there might be a warming spell from that delicious golden-Utah sun. To better illustrate my melancholy I turn to a picnic in the mountains, which fortuitously snuck in four days before autumn hit with a freezing hammer.

Horseshoe Falls sits halfway up the rugged convergence of two Alpine mountains. Little more than a natural spring rolling over logs in the waning days of August, it is a roaring thunderous waterfall in springtime. With a vigorous hour-long ascent through pine and granite, it feels tremendously gratifying to pass a natural meadow, take the bend and finally crest at the falls. With my treasured sister and dear friend (in the truest sense of the word—this friend is the one who stayed up all night to tend my baby when I was ill) we spread our checkered blanket next to the gurgling brook, took out our cache of goodies and picnicked like summer was a never-ending massage.

Note the San Pellegrino in plastic goblets, buttery Wisconsin Blue Cheese, crusty artisan bread, strawberries, and an outrageously good Lindt milk chocolate bar infused with orange essence and studded with roasted pistachio chunks. I would be hard-pressed to conjure a meal that would be more of an indulgence than this was to our sweaty bodies in that breathtaking setting. We took off our shoes and wiggled our tired feet in the warm air. All this while filling our expanded lungs with blue sky mountain air and watching the last day of snow run-off splash over rocks into the valley below. I raised my plastic cup to summer—and not a moment too soon. With my electric heating pad, extra down comforter, fuzzy purple robe, and slippers at the ready I can ease into freezing temperatures, but only if this memory cushions the blow.

Pumpkin, Kale & White Bean Stew with Sage

With the onset of cooler weather, my thoughts run to long-sleeve shirts, swaths of red and orange leaves staining the mountainside, and gloriously comforting fall food. Stews, slow-braised meats, home-canned pickles and preserves, sweet breads, and any excuse for chocolate dominate the autumn gastronomical landscape. Yet, it need not be a time when we stop listening to our bodies and pound a gut-bomb of chili with cheese, and fried scones. Instead, there are endless possibilities for fueling ourselves with premium food while heating up our core with warmth and satisfaction. Think savory sage simmered with onions, garlic, tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, kale, and silky white beans. These elements all come together in this recipe for Pumpkin, Kale, & White Bean Stew with Sage—a delightful way to use up those Volkswagon-sized zucchini left anonymously on your doorstep, along with the last home-grown tomatoes of the year. Entirely vegetarian, this dish needs no chicken stock or flavoring cubes for a rich stock. For fun presentation serve it up in a mini-pumpkin shell, a shaving of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and a hunk of crusty artisan bread. Bring on the tailgate parties, Halloween costumes, and firewood. But mostly, bring on the food.

Pumpkin, Kale, & White Bean Stew with Sage

Serves 6

This Tuscan vegetarian dish is the perfect way to use up late-summer herbs, tomatoes, kale, onions and zucchini. In a pinch, canned tomatoes will do. With bold flavors and a rich stew texture, it screams ‘comfort food’ as the weather turns colder.

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cups baking pumpkin (sugar pumpkin), peeled and cut into medium dice

3-pounds very ripe tomatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 15-ounce cans white beans (Cannelini, Great Northern, etc.), one can drained and rinsed

3 cups baby kale, chopped (if using large leaves remove center vein) or spinach

2 cups zucchini, chopped or shredded

4-5 large fresh sage leaves, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley or 1 teaspoon dried

a pinch crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot on medium heat. Add onion and pumpkin and sauté for a minute. Add garlic and cook for only 30 seconds stirring constantly. Add tomatoes with their juices all at once. Add the drained can of beans and then dump in the second can with its juices. Stir to incorporate. Add kale, zucchini, sage, and crushed red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. It may require a lot of salt- beans are funny that way.

Simmer on medium low for at least ½ hour, stirring occasionally. If mixture seems dry add water and a bit of olive oil.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Tres Hatch is the author of Miracle Pill 10 Truths to Healthy, Thin, & Sexy.