Shockingly, October around Birmingham means more than just pumpkin spice season and SEC football. Alabama’s best-kept autumn secret is the delicious and vibrant locally grown produce.
That’s right —eating local, farm-fresh food doesn’t only happen in summer. Farmers' fields across the state transform into a bright hue of green with chicories (delicious bitter greens like radicchio, frisee and escarole), wild japanese persimmons, tall fennel fronds and funky Brussels sprout trees that will transport you to Jack and the Beanstalk.
In 2018, Will and I launched a small business only eight months after lovingly committing to each other with an "I do.” I'm not sure either of us knew what we were doing (actually, I am confident neither of us knew what we were doing), but we shared one similar mission: to connect more home cooks to locally grown, organic ingredients from artisan farms within the boundaries of our beloved Alabama. That led us to launch Birmingham's first and only fully digital farmers market with delivery: Till.
Cooking and eating seasonally, especially outside of the summer months, can be difficult. Seriously, who else wants blueberries right now?! It requires creativity, discipline and endless pages of proven recipes in your arsenal — at least, it used to.
But after five years of seasonal eating, we’ve mastered the simplest way to tackle it. We call it the 3 by 3 method. This term transforms one “seasonal star ingredient” three ways in three dishes. This keeps things fresh, even if we’re reaching for kale for the fifth time this week!
October’s seasonal star ingredient is autumn squash. Ever had it? You’ll find delicata or butternut squash scattered on menus of Birmingham’s top restaurants this month thanks to its natural sweetness and velvety texture. It’s an absolute treat and grown right here in Alabama!
Spinning autumn squash into a 3 by 3 is as simple and delicious as:
- Autumn Squash Risotto: Roasted and mashed butternut squash folded into creamy risotto, then topped with fried sage and pecorino.
- Delicata Carbonara: Roasted delicata squash surrounded by creamy pasta with farm egg yolk, brown butter sage and salty bacon.
- Simple Brown Butter Roasted Autumn Squash: Topped with sweet pomegranate arils and toasted pumpkin seeds over a honey goat cheese spread.
Who said squash was for summer only? Show them the door, please.
Over these five years, we've come to realize something special that has become an anchor in our own home: We believe your dining room table is the single most valuable piece of furniture you own.
No matter your belief system or life history, through times of tears or jubilation, food at the table is the common binder that connects us all; eating is truly a common denominator that we can share together. And our farmers have long been the origin point of those lifelong memories around our tables.
You’re invited to join us in celebrating October’s locally grown ingredients. For the full recipes of each of the dishes above (and nine more!), head over to usetill.com/autumn.
"[Will and I] shared one similar mission: to connect more home cooks to locally grown, organic ingredients from artisan farms within the boundaries of our beloved Alabama."
-Hayley deShazo