Autumn…there a few words in the English language as pleasant as that one.  Makes me think of tall, majestic trees turning all shades of orange, yellow, and red; of cinnamon and pumpkins, lighting candles, and pie.
I have always envied New England their proper autumns. 

New England is where you can start wearing your sweaters in September, where butternut squash risotto makes an appearance on menus long before Thanksgiving, where the crisp, fall air whispers “nutmeg” and sends home cooks fleeing into their kitchens to bake sweet offerings bursting with fruit from local orchards.

In our neck of the woods in sunny San Diego, we wear our cargo shorts into October, sometimes, all year long.  This phenomenon has been called “Indian Summer” as long as I have lived here. 

What is a southern California girl with autumn envy to do?

By the grace of Mother Nature, there is a little jewel of a mountain town named Julian, about a forty-five minute drive east of San Diego.  Julian has apple orchards.  Julian has a Main Street.  It has bed and breakfasts, but most importantly, it has pie shops. 

Pie shops…like culinary therapy for the masses, and the masses do flock to Julian.  San Diego is a big city, metropolitan, laid back ocean style too, but there are no distinctive traces of the four seasons within our city limits.  The changing leaves are within reach, however, which is why parking during the fall season in Julian is a nightmare.  All of the Midwesterners who moved to San Diego (and there are many of them) for our mild winters and sunny climate search for autumns past in Julian on the weekends.  They find the winding mountain roads and open fields they seek, but the first stop on the journey to Julian is Mom’s Apple Pie shop on, you guessed it, Main Street.  The line is out the door, the pie worth the wait.

...Excerpted from Little Grapes on the Vine...Mommy's Musings on Food & Family

ROSEMARY ROASTED CHICKEN

The ultimate comfort food.  When I get up in the middle of the night to check on the kids, I can still smell the roasted chicken and herbs throughout the house.  When I don’t scurry to the fridge to eat the leftovers at 2 A.M., I wrap up in the aroma like a blanket and head back to my dreamland of plentiful food for the world.

1 (3-pound) chicken
2 sprigs rosemary
5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 garlic cloves, sliced
5 sprigs thyme
Juice from ½ lemon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced into ½-inch rounds
Salt and pepper to taste.

Begin by seasoning cavity of chicken. Squeeze lemon juice into cavity of chicken, then place juiced lemon, thyme, and whole peeled garlic inside cavity.
Place garlic slices and rosemary sprigs underneath skin of the breast.
Rub chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Tie or truss chicken to ensure even cooking.
Place chicken on top of sliced onions and roast for 1 hour at 400º.
Check temperature of chicken. If temperature is not at least 165º, cook for 15–20 minutes more. Chicken is done when internal temperature is between 165–180º.
Let chicken rest after removing from oven. This allows juices to settle so that chicken remains moist.

...Excerpted from Little Grapes on the Vine...Mommy's Musings on Food & Family