By Laleña Dolby

The angle of the sun assumes a sharp slant as it hangs closer to the horizon each day. Deciduous trees trade in their lush green summer leaves for showier shades of ochre and crimson. Overhead, a majestic harvest moon grows fat and eerily golden, illuminating fields of ripening pumpkins as if to shine a spotlight on what is about to be harvested. Contrary to what New Englanders might say, fall’s landscape and its riches are nothing short of stunning here in the Pacific Northwest.

At first, summer and fall harvests comingle to present some of the year’s most complementary pairings. Serve a sliver of blue cheese alongside a fig and honey galette; top grilled albacore tuna with spoonfuls of juicy prune salsa; or cozy up to a cassoulet of roasted peppers, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh borlotti beans. But, as the night air grows chilly, summer’s beloved stars—luscious melons, tender herbs, and fruiting nightshades—soon perish altogether. Other plants simply turn inward, devoting themselves to root development or seed formation.

Celery, fennel, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts perk up with the dropping temperatures and greens grow sweet with the season’s first frosts.

Taking a cue from nature, this is the perfect time to bid farewell to the dizzying joys of summer and embrace the quiet comforts of fall. Moving indoors with an eye toward the warm hearth, it is time to fill the pantry with dried beans, pickled vegetables, fruit butters, potatoes, braids of garlic, drying chilis, canned local fish, and even goose confit. When the larder is full, put an extra leaf in your table and throw feasts of heritage turkey, creamy rutabaga and celeriac purées, roasted chestnuts, braised greens, and plump apple pies, for this is the time to break bread together and to celebrate a year of plentiful harvests.

Laleña Dolby grew up on a farm in the Willamette Valley. She currently works at Ecotrust and serves on the Slow Food Portland steering committee.