Ever have one of those moments where a sound or a scent trans�ports you back to a favorite memory? That hap�pened to me last Sunday morning and it made me smile because that moment told me, more accu�rately than any cal�endar could, that the Fall season is fast approaching.

Let me explain.

We have had some warm nights recently, so my hus�band and I have taken to sleeping with the window cracked a little bit to take advan�tage of any breeze that might blow our way. This is why on Sunday morning, I awoke to the sound of the freight train in the dis�tance and a light breeze that had a cool bite to it. There is some�thing about the sound of a train and a cool breeze that takes me back to waking up on Sat�ur�days in Eugene, Oregon, with fallen leaves on the ground, the smell of a wood fire hanging in the air, and stu�dents walking along the Willamette River to Autzen staduim to watch the foot�ball game. In my mind there is nothing that paints a more accu�rate pic�ture of the Fall season, and It hap�pens every time I hear that train.

Even if the train thing hadn't hap�pened, I would know that Fall is upon us merely because I find myself buying a lot more apples, and using them for more that just school lunches. My favorite way to use the great sea�sonal apples that are now avail�able is to make apple�sauce. We use apple�sauce a lot in my family. We eat it straight, or on pork, or even mixed into the pan�cake batter on the weekend. Some�times, I spread some on a ham sand�wich. (Yes, I've been known to do weird stuff like that.)

Below is my favorite recipe for apple�sauce from Alice Waters' cook�book Chez Panisse Fruit--which is an incred�ible book, by the way. There couldn't be an easier recipe, and it's a per�fect way to cel�e�brate the begin�ning of Fall. 

Apple�sauce
Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters 

Read the recipe on our website...