Here in the Northeast, the plants and trees continue to show off their gorgeous fall colors.
This time of year, because of the changes in temperature and length of daylight, the leaves stop their food-making process. When this happens, the chlorophyll breaks down and the green color disappears, making way for all the shades of autumn. Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're still waiting for a hard frost, but the colors across the landscape are beautiful - various shades of orange, yellow, brown, red, and evergreen.
Enjoy these photos, and be sure to check out my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 to see what fall activity I did with my granddaughter this past weekend.
There are leaves everywhere this time of year. Some trees change early, others late – usually from mid-October to mid-November here in the Northeast.
Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs.
At my farm I planted many different types of trees in hopes that they would shade, provide climate control, and change color at different times, in different ways. It’s so beautiful to see them change through the seasons.
What a difference a couple of weeks make. I photographed this maple earlier this month when it was just starting to turn. Now, it’s golden leaves are falling off its branches. This tree is just across the carriage road from my tropical hoop house not far from the chicken yard.
This path is between my vegetable garden on the left and a horse paddock on the right. It was just freshly mowed – no leaves on the bold green grass.
I like to plant climbing hydrangea at the base of some of the large trees. These plants are true climbers, using the suckers on their branches to climb. These large plants sometimes reach 50 feet tall or more at maturity. They look so pretty under the changing leaves above.
The perimeter around my paddocks displays such wonderful shades of amber, brown, orange and green. I also get many compliments on the fencing – it is antique spruce fencing I bought in Canada, and it surrounds all my paddocks for the horses, pony and donkeys.
Here is the winding road leading to my hayfields and woodlands. This is always a popular viewpoint – in every season.
Another popular view is this linden allée that runs from the pergola to the Boxwood Allée. I loved it so much, I extended it all the way down to the chicken coops in the opposite direction.
The stand of giant white pines is majestic. Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, white pine, northern white pine, Weymouth pine, and soft pine is a large pine native to eastern North America.
This is one side of my allee of pin oaks, Quercus palustris. They are starting to turn a gorgeous russet brown.
Here is a look through the woodland – so beautiful with its palette of gold, green and auburn.
And this is what one sees driving out of the woodland on the carriage road to the back hayfield – what a glorious sight of colors.
At the edge of the back field is the giant sycamore tree – the symbol of my farm. The foliage of American sycamore trees is a vast crown of large leaves. In autumn, sycamore tree leaves turn shades of yellow and brown.
I love the layers of color created by the changing leaves. Although some autumn coloration occurs wherever deciduous trees are found, the most brightly colored foliage is found in Canada, the northern United States, Scandinavia, northern and western Europe, the Caucasus region near the Black Sea, Russia, eastern Asia, Argentina, Chile, southern Brazil, Korea, Japan and New Zealand’s South Island.
Just outside my kitchen on the terrace parterre is this weeping katsura, one of my favorite trees. Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum has pendulous branches that fan out from the crown and sweep the ground. Caramel-scented foliage emerges bronze or purple-red, turns blue-green, then fades to golden-apricot in autumn.
Nearby is this beautiful Nyssa sylvatica, or black tupelo. Its summer leaves are a dark green, but in the fall its foliage turns yellow, orange, bright red, purple or scarlet – all colors that may appear on the same branch. It’s just starting to transform.
But look closely, and one can see many of its berries. The fruit is a black-blue, ovoid stone fruit, with thin, oily, sour tasting flesh. These berries are very popular with small birds.
Here’s my handsome Emperor Han enjoying the fresh fall air and guarding his home.
This time of year is always so magical. Here’s my Fell pony Banchunch grazing in his pasture surrounded by the beautiful foliage. I hope you are able to enjoy some of these autumn colors where you are.
Did you see the post and story on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48? We cooked up another great dish from Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, the Parmesan Dutch Baby with Ricotta, Mushrooms & Spinach.
If you haven't already, you really must try our time-saving meal-kit delivery service - it features so many of our delicious recipes and cooking ideas. After a busy day at work, it’s nice to know one can prepare a beautiful and healthy dinner without the added stress of shopping for the ingredients. As with all our Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal kits, every chilled recipe box is delivered with pre-portioned ingredients from local purveyors and growers. This cuts down measuring time and food waste. And, every recipe is developed to be cooked and ready to serve in 40-minutes or less.
Enjoy these photos, and click on the highlighted link to find out how to order - get 60% off your first box, and then $20 off your second, third, and fourth boxes. Use promo code FALLFORMARTHA.
This is what comes in the box for the Parmesan Dutch Baby. Everything is pre-portioned, well-packaged and labeled, so there’s absolutely no confusion in the kitchen. The kits are designed to feed two or four people. It’s a superior, money saving meal kit delivery system. Just have on hand the salt, pepper, olive oil, eggs and butter – items you probably already have at home.
The first step is to preheat the oven to 425-degrees Fahrenheit and then place a large cast-iron ovenproof skillet in the center to heat up while all the ingredients are prepared.
Meanwhile, Elvira transfers the mascarpone to a liquid measuring cup and adds enough water to make a total of 3/4 cup. Mascarpone is a soft Italian acid-set cream cheese. Mascarpone has a looser, velvety texture than American cream cheese, and a rich mouthfeel similar to a double-crème brie. And in comparison, American cream cheese contains about 55-percent butterfat, while mascarpone contains 75-percent.
In a mixing bowl, she combines three large eggs with the mascarpone.
She also adds half a cup of flour…
… a teaspoon of salt.
… and a few grinds of pepper.
And whisks it all up until the batter is very smooth and few bubbles are visible on the surface. This takes about one minute.
While the batter is set aside, Elvira finely grates all the Parmesan cheese provided. What’s so great about our meal kits is that all the ingredients are pre-portioned, so nothing is wasted.
Elvira pours the batter into the skillet. If you’re not familiar with Dutch Baby pancake, it is sometimes called a German pancake, a Bismarck, a Dutch puff, or a Hootenanny, or a large American popover. And, unlike most pancakes, Dutch babies are baked in the oven, rather than being fried.
And then tops the Dutch baby with half of the grated Parmesan and places the skillet back into the oven until the Dutch baby is puffed and browned in spots. Depending on the oven, this can take anywhere from 15 to 27 minutes.
Elvira thinly slices the mushrooms.
She also chops the parsley leaves.
And finely chops two teaspoons of garlic – about two cloves.
In a small bowl, she combines the ricotta, olive oil, and half of the chopped garlic along with some salt and pepper.
In another skillet, she adds the mushrooms until tender and browned…
… and then the spinach, half the parsley, the rest of the garlic, and two tablespoons of butter.
It is all cooked until the spinach is wilted – about two minutes.
And just in time – look how beautiful the Dutch baby is fresh from the oven after 19-minutes.
Here, one can see it is nicely puffed with light brown spots.
Elvira spoons the ricotta into the Dutch baby and covers the bottom…
… and then tops it with the mushrooms and spinach mixture.
And finally it is garnished with the remaining Parmesan cheese and parsley. The Parmesan Dutch Baby with Ricotta, Mushrooms & Spinach… another easy-to-make meal you and your family will love. Order your Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal kits right now! Just click on the highlighted link and enjoy our menu offerings!
The calendar says October, but it's never too early to start planning for the holidays - Thanksgiving will be here before you know it!
This year, you can get so many of your favorite holiday entertaining pieces and cooking essentials right from our new website at Martha.com - a turkey roasting pan and pie pans, enameled cast iron cookware, copper cookware, serve ware, bowls, decorations, and so much more. And don't forget my Collection at Macy's, and those delicious side dishes from Martha Stewart Kitchen. We're here to help make your celebration just perfect.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Whether you’re cooking this year’s feast for the first time or looking for a new and more versatile roasting pan, you’ll love my Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Roasting Pan with Rack from my MARTHA By Martha Stewart Stainless Steel Cookware Collection. This workhorse of a pan features premium 18/10 stainless steel tri-ply construction with a base-to-rim aluminum core that promotes heat retention and consistently even cooking – I designed it myself.
If you’re cooking pies for the holidays, you’ll want to use my Martha Stewart 9-inch Pie Pans. These are made from heavy-gauge aluminum that won’t rust or warp. Plus, the expertly crafted shape and depth will encourage even cooking for all those flaky golden-brown crusts.
You can find lots of kitchen essentials for all your baking at Martha.com.
Make sure you have my Vanowen 12-inch Baker. The 12-inch size provides ample space to expand the recipe to feed a crowd, and the dishwasher-safe design means cleanup will be so easy. Behind it is my Patterson 2.5 Quart Pitcher – also available on Martha.com.
For easy preparation, Martha Stewart Kitchen offers a variety of great sides, such as my Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese – just like Big Martha used to make. These are fluffy mashed potatoes made with an indulgent combination of cream cheese, butter, and heavy cream.
Don’t forget the holiday runner and wreath. My Faux Oak Leaf 16-inch Wreath features pale green leaves with gold and brown tones – it looks like it was just made from the fall foliage. The elegant, natural colored runner shows decorative script and beautiful illustrations for the table – both are available on Martha.com.
And so is my beautiful MARTHA by Martha Stewart Enameled Cast Iron Cookware – braisers and dutch ovens in a variety of sizes and colors. These pots and pans will be so helpful all year round for roasting, frying, searing, sautéing, and baking.
My MARTHA by Martha Stewart Copper Cookware from Martha.com is a big favorite. All the pieces in my collection enable faster heat conductivity and excellent heat retention and temperature control. My pans also have long, ergonomically angled handles and rolled edges for easy pouring. And, the entire collection is compatible with all stove tops, including induction, and is oven safe to 550° Fahrenheit.
These dinnerware plates and napkins are from my Martha Stewart Harvest Collection created exclusively for Macy’s. The collection features a motif of leaves and flowers and trimmed in olive green. The dinner plates are 11-inches in diameter and the salad plates are 8.5-inches across.
Also from my Harvest Collection – these decorative bowls – great for soups and cereals. All these pieces are also dishwasher and microwave safe.
Here is my Floral Sage Baker, also created especially for my Collection at Macy’s. This 14-inch by 9-inch stoneware dish is oven safe to 450° Fahrenheit.
And to decorate the table, be sure to get my Large Decorative LED Light-Up Glass Pumpkins from Macy’s. These 6-inch by 6-inch pumpkins show off a crackle-look effect on gold-tone glass elegantly illuminated with LED lights.
Everyone can always use ramekins. These are my 4-inch round ramekins made from durable stoneware – perfect for oven-to-table cooking and serving, especially for sweet treats like creme brûlées, or individual portions of casseroles or baked mac and cheese. Available at Martha.com.
Have fun with the pieces on your table and add some cake stands for tiered serving. These are my Patterson Cake Stands from Matha.com. Fill them with cupcakes, cookies, fresh fruit, or cheese and charcuterie, for an unforgettable feast.
It’s all in the details, so don’t forget to set your table using my Italian Herb Napkin Rings from Martha.com. These charming cast-pewter napkin rings are inspired by nature and handcrafted by artisans in New York.
I love my 17.5-inch Woodland Turkey Rectangular Platter. Elevate your holiday table with fine English porcelain from renowned 18th-century pottery house, Spode. Its vintage charm dates to an 1831 design featuring the stately bird in a colorful landscape framed by a contrasting brown floral border.
To match – my Delamere Dinnerware Five-Piece Set from Martha.com. This features an iconic British design of intertwining flowers and scrolls in a rich, seasonal brown border. The set includes one complete place setting: dinner plate, salad plate, bread plate, and teacup and saucer.
At the bottom is one of my Martha Stewart Broadbrook Serving Bowls. This bowl comes in a nesting set of three. Use them for mixing, serving, and storing leftovers. The bowls are built from durable stoneware and finished with a glossy grey tone.
Enhance your Thanksgiving holiday with products from my Collections. I know you will love these offerings as much as I do and use them for many years to come. The holidays will soon be here – start preparing early!
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