By Mid-October. The foliage is past its peak now — the brilliant reds have faded, the leaves coming down in the wind, the landscape going honest and structural after its show. I find this phase equally beautiful in a less obvious way. The birches are still yellow. The oaks are going russet. The maples are bare and their bark is interesting when you actually look at it, which the leaves have been preventing for months.
The first frost came Tuesday night. I was ready: the basil already turned to pesto in October's first cold week, the peppers brought in, the last tomatoes harvested on Monday. The frost does what frosts do: takes what it takes, improves what it improves. The kale is extraordinary now — frosted twice and sweeter with each cold night. I made kale soup on Wednesday from the first post-frost picking and the difference from September kale is not subtle. The cold develops the sugars. The cold develops what is already there, waiting.
Halloween is coming and I've been making a carved pumpkin from the garden — a Hubbard this year, which is harder to carve than the standard variety but produces a more interesting result. The Hendersons' grandchildren will come for the candy. They always come. It's one of the small seasonal things that I find genuinely worth doing.
Thanksgiving is five weeks away. Carol is hosting again this year, the second time. She called to confirm and to tell me she's been thinking about the turkey all week. That's a good sign.
Wednesday’s kale soup used up what I’d picked right after the frost, and it was everything I hoped it would be — but it also left me thinking about the other things in the root cellar, the potatoes I’ve been sitting on since September, waiting for exactly this kind of cold, deliberate week. Potato gnocchi is the kind of cooking that fits this phase of autumn honestly: slow, hands-on, nothing to look at until it’s suddenly everything. I made a batch Thursday evening with the same frame of mind I’d had all week — that the cold doesn’t diminish what’s there, it concentrates it.
Potato Gnocchi
Prep Time: 40 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes (about 4 medium)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for finishing, optional)
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes all over with a fork and bake directly on the oven rack for 55–65 minutes, until completely tender through the center. Let cool just enough to handle.
- Rice the potatoes. While still warm, halve each potato and pass the flesh through a potato ricer or food mill onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Spread and let steam escape for 2–3 minutes — you want as much moisture out as possible.
- Form the dough. Make a well in the center of the riced potato. Add the beaten egg, 1 tsp salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Sprinkle 1 cup of the flour over the top. Using a bench scraper or your hands, gently bring the mixture together, adding flour a little at a time until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. Do not overwork it.
- Shape the gnocchi. Divide the dough into 6 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 1-inch pieces. If desired, roll each piece gently over the tines of a fork to create ridges.
- Cook the gnocchi. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Working in batches, drop gnocchi into the water. They are done about 30 seconds after they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Finish and serve. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and add the cooked gnocchi in a single layer. Let them sit undisturbed for 1–2 minutes to develop a light golden crust on one side. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 340 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 63g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 480mg