OCTOBER 2025 46 A s I settle into the rhythm of composing this article, admiration swirls around for the authors who have changed my life by sharing personal stories. I’m stronger, wiser, softer and more powerful than I ever imagined. Five-mile walks begin each day, providing a time to pray, balance and dream. Where does my mind drift come October? Instantly it visualizes rich, colorful, crunchy autumn leaves, the opportunity to inhale the aroma of wood burning fireplaces, thoughts of cool temperatures that send a chill up my spine, and best of all: walking through pumpkin patches feeling butterflies from getting mud on my shoes. Autumn tends to evoke memories of joy and innocence of simpler times. Nothing describes the journey better than the thought of raking up piles of leaves and jumping into them. The scent is powerful while the wonder and awe of seeing the seasons change is alluring and magical. Though smell might not be the most obvious connection to nostalgia, it plays an important role in retrieving personal experiences. Memories triggered by scents are more emotional, more vivid, more likely to be from our early childhood and evoke stronger feelings of being “brought back in time” than memories triggered by visual or verbal cues. The memory of traipsing through pumpkin patches while breathing in the earthy aromas of decomposing vines, damp soil, and the pumpkins themselves ignites my heart. These fields have a way of blending the values of ancient harvest festivals and embracing the symbolism of the pumpkin. They offer a space for families to bond and create lasting memories. Autumn brings with it a wonderful assortment of traditions. It’s all about tranquility and being with those you care about and serves as a reminder of impermanence and the passage of time. Our senses can’t help but come alive seeing rows of orange pumpkins. The unhindered freedom to touch every smooth surface while at the same time inhaling the scent of apple cider donuts, candy corn, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, baked pies and homemade pumpkin bread makes for an indescribable setting. There’s something about being in nature that reduces stress, makes us feel better, makes our smiles more radiant, and makes food taste better. Whether walking through a corn maze, bobbing for apples, going on hayrides, or offering moments of kindness, a flood of memories is bound to tug at our hearts while capturing the forgotten essence of our childhood. Certainly, it sparks imagination as kids and adults envision how they’ll carve or decorate their chosen pumpkin, and which recipe will be best suited for the mild, sweet, slightly nutty flesh. In every sense of the word, pumpkin patches are filled with enchantment. There are different stages of its growth, from the planted seed to a sprout, to a vine with flowers, and finally, the green leaves and then orange fruit. The role honeybees, bumblebees, and other insects play in the life cycle of the male flowers of the pumpkin is one to be respected. Pumpkins are considered a winter squash and tend to be larger and slower growing than summer squash. They have hard, thick, tough skin and are 90 percent water, which allow them to vary in size and weight. Generally, the larger the pumpkin, the less flavor the flesh will have. For Halloween large is best, but for cooking or baking, choose a smaller one with dark flesh for maximum flavor. The excitement doesn’t end when the pumpkin is selected and brought home because next it’s all about experiencing various textures – smooth skin, slimy pulp, slippery seeds, and rough stems. Pumpkin seeds should never be thrown away because they make for an excellent snack. Simply throw the seeds into a bowl of cold water and swish them around to remove any stringy bits. Toss with your choice of melted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, or wildflower honey. Lightly sprinkle sea salt, chili, garlic, onion powder, and a dash of pepper then bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the seeds are dry and begin to crisp. Pumpkin flesh can be cooked in a variety of ways: steamed or boiled, sauteed or fried in butter, roasted, braised, broiled, or stuffed. Pumpkins have a slightly sweet creamy texture, while some are fibrous making them a versatile ingredient in many dishes. The true beauty lies in its flavor. If you’re up to it, peel, dice and roast the entire thing! If you have hatch green chilis, onions, tomatoes, sage, Gruyere, heavy cream, and a handful of herbs, that can mean you have the makings of a savory quiche. A quiche is deceptively simple, but it can be intimidating for some who think of it as being an elegant, sophisticated dish. It can be easy to get right if steps and ratios are followed. As pumpkins require a longer cooking time than the quiche, you need to roast beforehand the ¼ inch diced pieces at 400 degrees with a sprinkle of olive oil for 30-40 minutes. This brings out the subtle sweetness that pairs beautifully with the roasted tanginess of vine ripened tomatoes and the savory flavor of the chili which now has concentrated flavors by way of reduced liquid content. Caramelizing the onions will elevate this quiche from ordinary to memorable. To ensure a perfectly cooked crust, blind baking involves baking the crust by itself at a higher temperature then allowing it to sit before adding the filling and baking it again for a longer period at a much lower temperature. If you purchase your crust or use puff pastry, you won’t need weights, but you will need to poke holes in the crust to keep it from bubbling up. Brush the crust and bottom with an egg wash (one egg and one tsp. of water) and return it to the oven for a few minutes. There’s another ingredient that helps to insulate the bottom of the quiche: cheese. It isn’t merely a topping that melts and turns golden-brown, it can be scattered on before layering the rest of the ingredients. As heat from the bottom of the oven works its way into the quiche, it will melt the cheese before the filling sets. That layer, like the brushed-on egg wash, will help keep the filling from soaking into the crust and making it sodden and doughy. If a bit of extra cheese gets used for the bottom and some on the top, that’s an acceptable indulgence. There are downsides to baking the crust beforehand so be careful that it doesn’t get too dark and overbake around the edges. Most stores sell lightweight aluminum or silicone crust protectors which help prevent burning. When the edges reach that perfect shade of gold, simply open the oven, drop the cover over the crust, and close it again. The shield also helps keep the custard from overbaking near the edges of the pan. If you don’t have a crust protector, wrapping the edges with aluminum foil or parchment paper works too. At the end of the day, remember that you’re not eating a quiche for the crust, you’re eating it for its ingredients. The key to a perfect quiche lies in achieving the right texture for the base – it’s all about balancing the ratio of eggs to dairy. The eggs need to be properly aerated by whisking them to allow air to pass through. For a standard deep dish nine-inch quiche, whisk together four large eggs and 1¼ cups of heavy cream to fill the crust. In my experience, using 1½ cups total of add-ins is the practical limit. It provides contrasting colors and textures without losing the beauty of the quiche’s classic, silky custard texture. Overloading makes it nearly impossible for the custard to hold everything together. A tasty filling with the right texture is most important! You often see recipes calling for a ‘pinch’ of nutmeg whenever heavy cream is used. If you’re ‘pinching’ correctly, you shouldn’t be able to identify the nutmeg flavor at all, only it’s comforting aroma. Nutmeg has an affinity for eggs and brings out the nuttiness in bold cheeses like Gruyere. The visual appeal of brightly colored aromatic vegetables welcomes the addition of sweet paprika and sage when fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary are present. Thyme in My Kitchen BY SHERRY KLUSMAN thyme.in.my.kitchen INGREDIENTS: • One 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust • 1 onion – slice into ribbons, caramelize • 1 tbsp. olive oil • 1 tbsp. hatch green chili – seeded, diced, roasted • 2 medium tomatoes – sliced, roasted • 1 cup pumpkin – diced, roasted • 4 large eggs (plus 1 egg for egg wash) • 1¼ cup heavy cream • ½ tsp. onion powder • ½ tsp. garlic powder • ¼ tsp. sweet paprika • ¼ tsp. sugar • ¼ tsp. kosher salt • ¼ tsp. white pepper • ¼ tsp. sage, finely chopped • 1/8 tsp. rosemary – finely chopped • 1/8 tsp. thyme – finely chopped • 3 oz. Gruyere cheese, fresh grated • Pinch nutmeg INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Thaw the pie crust for roughly 10 minutes until soft and blind bake on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes after pricking with a fork, brushing the crust using an egg wash, and if using cheese, sprinkling over the crust. 2. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. 3. In a bowl whisk the eggs. 4. Add the heavy cream mixture and blend in the herbs. 5. Spread the caramelized onions and pumpkin over the bottom of the cooked crust. 6. Top with all the cheese. Gently pour the egg/cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle the chilis around the positioned tomato slices. 7. Slide the quiche into the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Enjoy! Caramelized onion and roasted pumpkin quiche COOKBOOK: “THE DELICIOUSLY CHEESY COOKBOOK” CIDER MILL PRESS NOVEL: “IN DIAMOND SQUARE” BY MERCÉ RODOREDA OCTOBER RECOMMENDATIONS MUD ON MY SHOES: The best pumpkin patch memories nely chopped nely chopped 3 oz. Gruyere cheese, fresh grated 4 large eggs (plus 1 egg for egg wash) 4 large eggs (plus 1 egg for egg wash)

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