November Seasonals

Those long summer evenings—and the worry of forest fire smoke—feel far away, pushed into the mist by the autumn rains. Cold, hazy, and damp have mostly taken over, the grays and greens of November again impressing their cool beauty upon us. An occasional burst of low-angled sunlight illuminates the brilliant reds and yellows of autumn leaves, reminding us there are other colors, too. 

The fields are mostly fallow, but a few epicurean delights remain. Like spots of sunshine squirreled away for safekeeping, golden chanterelles pop up through the forest duff and brighten the autumn forest. Our friends at Foraged and Found Edibles (see photo above) tread softly through the trees and supply us with baskets of the delicate mushrooms for our Chanterelle Prosciutto pizza. Chanterelles have a meaty texture and a flavor that is lightly peppery, earthy, and almost fruity. We complement the mushrooms with delicate, salty prosciutto and creamy mozzarella on an olive oil and garlic base—an exquisite combination.  

Delicata squash, one of the stars of the late autumn harvest, is a light-yellow squash squash with a velvety texture. For our Autumn Harvest pizza, we roast the local squash to bring out its natural sweetness, then layer it with shreds of Brussels sprouts—a complex flavor mix of slightly bitter and lightly sweet. A base of mozzarella and olive oil supports the combo, and a dusting of Parmesan tops the pie. 

And finally, Gelatiamo's Pumpkin Gelato is back by popular demand! Gelatiamo’s Pumpkin Gelato is a satiny-smooth and creamy version of the best pumpkin pie ever. Maria Coassin, owner and flavor maestro at Gelatiamo, starts with fresh, roasted pumpkin and seasons it with ginger, cinnamon, allspice and clove. Try it and you’ll understand why what started in 2003 as a playful experiment cannot leave the stage—this is its eighteenth encore!