Autumnal Eats

Legends of the Fall

by Megan M. Erwin

Made with fresh Jersey pumpkins, this gnocchi offers a tasty break from your average pumpkin ravioli. Here, they serve it with roasted butternut squash and an amaretto sage cream. It's the perfect mix of fall flavors, which helps you get over just how much you're going to miss tomatoes.

Just like mom used to make -- except no Sara Lee box. Layers of Granny Smith apples cover a homemade crust, and are finished with a yummy sour cream topping. It's one of Pink Rose's best sellers, and orders go through the roof this time of year. There's something about this rich, homey pie that makes folks forget other fruits even exist.

Squash is an acquired taste, but if you're committed to enjoying the bounty of the season, you've got to give it a go. This casserole is the ideal dish for beginners -- layers of the knobby vegetable are mixed with spices and sauce, baked to a crisp and sliced up cheap.

Cooler weather calls for soup, and this delish concoction combines the best of what's in season. The richness of the mushroom is cut nicely with the chard; You'll never want boring vegetables again. Just be sure to call ahead, as all the soups here alternate.

If you're still lamenting over having to put down your margarita and pull on a sweater, you need to try Bump's hot toddy. Although they have several variations, the traditional mix of tea, brandy, honey and lemon tastes like something the Great Mum of England might sip.