Summer food, fall menu

Nothing is more difficult then coming off a summer vacation and coming  up with a new fall menu. Staring blindly at my computer screen as I scoured my brain trying come up with some new dishes, instead my mind  was running a  blank! I was thinking how nice summer had been and  how bountiful the harvest was when I was in Europe! there is nothing like picking your own fresh  vegetables from a garden instead of the local cold aisles of a  supermarket. Instead you can enjoy some handpicked berries from a bush in the forest as you walk to some castle nestled on a picturesque hill. I always look forward to get away from "The Big Apple"  in august,instead of walking amongst the crowds in the concrete jungle I was picking fresh apples from a tree!

Seasons really do exist outside of the city where so many chefs and cooks don't have the opportunity to harvest what they can prepare for the table.My sister would plan the menu according to what she had ready and picked. Our days and evenings were spent enjoying the food produced locally, literally in the backyard , and the most wonderful feeling is sitting at the table enjoying the fruits of your labor,literally! So as I put my finishing touches on this fall menu, I sip a glass of schnapps, cherry red from the orchard picked in July; now that is seasonal! Here are some views from the trip.