In my humble opinion, fall is the most wonderful time of the year here in the Berkshires. Not that we didn’t have an incredible summer. The tomato seedlings that I started a little too late loved those hot July days, and now I’ve got a bumper crop. And the apples! Orchards up and down the county are getting ready for a spectacular harvest season—a true blessing after last year’s poor yield due to the late frost. Indeed, it’s the time of year when we all enjoy the fruits of our own labors and those of the farms and orchards that feed us.

Not that we’re relaxing just yet. Now it’s time to harvest, stock up, and preserve. Those last ears of sweet corn can be cooked and frozen to make corn chowder later in the year; cucumbers are crying out for pickling; tomatoes want to be canned or made into sauce; fruit is transformed into jam; basil becomes pesto. If we’re industrious, we can enjoy summer’s bounty throughout the year, just as many of our parents and grandparents did (including my own). And don’t forget to save some seeds for next year. In this issue, Lee Buttala tells you exactly how to do that. It’s both simpler and a bit more complicated than you may think.

But first, let’s get that harvest on our tables immediately! In this issue, Miriam Rubin turns her attention to our favorite tuber, the sweet potato (and for heaven’s sake, Miriam says, don’t call it a yam!). You should try this recipe right now, and if you love it (you will), tuck it away and make it again for Thanksgiving. The same goes for Miriam’s apple galette, a great alternative to apple pie that won’t give you pie crust anxiety (guilty). Feel free to substitute pears, or just about any other in-season fruit.

When I tested the Beaumes-de-Venise Cake from Evelyn Battaglia and Jean-François Bizalion, local grapes were not yet available, so I used seedless red grapes from the market. The cake was spectacular, so I can’t wait to try it with local grapes. Never heard of Beaumes-de-Venise Cake? Neither had I, but it’s now solidly in my dessert repertoire (yes, it sounds fancy, but it’s super easy to make). The recipe is made with Bizalion’s Olive Oil, and we share with you the story of how Jean-François became not only the proprietor of a lovely French café in Great Barrington but an importer of fine olive oil as well.

Also in our pages: a recipe for juicy, tender chicken with mushroom sauce from Once Upon a Table Chef Anand Singh; fava bean puree and broccoli rabe from Lee Buttala; and shakshuka from Katy Sparks, who was inspired by her conversation with Anna Houston of Off the Shelf Farm. Starting with this issue, our wine columnist, Philippe Jeanjean, has generously agreed to suggest wine pairings for our recipes, so be on the lookout for those, in addition to his always enlightening column.

In keeping with our commitment to introduce you to the people behind the farms you love, we give you Jen and Pete Salinetti of Woven Roots Farm in this issue. Regular contributor Hannah Van Sickle delves into the philosophy and farming methods that make this small Tyringham farm not only productive but meaningful to all who are lucky enough to be a part of its community. At the heart of their ethos: giving back more than is taken from the land. If that isn’t a message worth sharing, I don’t know what is.

Here at Edible Berkshires, we barely have time to enjoy the fruits of our labor before we are on to the next issue. But we do try to pause and be thankful for all we’ve accomplished with help from our team of writers, photographers, illustrators, designers, and, of course, our growing community of advertisers who continue to generously support us and the work we do. But most of all, we are grateful to you, our readers. We know you because we see you when we’re out delivering magazines (yes, that’s me hauling boxes, friends!), and we love nothing more than when you tell us how much you value Edible Berkshires. We can only hope that maybe we, too, are giving back more than we’re taking.

Happy harvest, everyone!

Donna