My beef is not with pumpkin spice.
As I see it, pumpkin spice is like platform shoes: it can be done fantastically, something Mary Tyler Moore would pull off with class, or it can cause necks to break. Granted, my soul bristles any time I am told what to do with my spices — “apple pie spice”? Stop telling me what to do! But I think my real grievance is that upon the first of September, pumpkin spice everything is thrust upon me with not so much as a how-you-do. It is whiplash to go from all things watermelon and barbecue and water wings to all of a sudden the cloying, cozy scents of pumpkin pie and I resent it.
That is why today, on this first Sabbath breakfast post of fall, we will be moving gently into a new season. The fact is, God is kind with how He eases us into and out of the rhythms of life, and why should we not imitate Him in this? So today, I offer for your consideration 2 recipes that use the produce of the season, that love to be eaten together, that form a bridge between summer and fall.
First off: Apple Cheddar Scones.
These scones can be prepped in advance, and they bake up into a perfect texture (the edges alone are enough to make a Gentile baker plotz). I am trying not to nerd out here, but apples and cheese are besties from of yore and the combination here feels hearty and satisfying, with tang and sweetness, and are perfect with hot coffee or tea, or if you are really leaning into your autumn, hot apple cider.
My people do best with protein at breakfast, especially on Sundays where we intend to exert our whole selves in the worship of the Almighty.
( “The inward attitude certainly holds first place in prayer, but outward signs, kneeling, uncovering the head, lifting up the hands, have a twofold use. The first is that we may employ all our members (all the parts of our body) for the glory and worship of God; secondly, that we are, so to speak, jolted out of our laziness by this help. There is also a third use in solemn and public prayer, because in this way the sons of God profess their piety, and they inflame each other with reverence of God. But just as the lifting up of the hands is a symbol of confidence and longing, so in order to show our humility, we fall down on our knees.” (John Calvin, Commentary on Acts 20:36) )
Coquette’s Eggs (nope, I don’t know the history behind the name) is a perfect late summer breakfast, especially if your garden is inundated with peppers.
- Slice up a bunch of red sweet peppers, toss them with olive oil, and spread them on a cookie sheet.
- Roast them in a 400 degree oven for maybe 10 minutes, til they are soft and fragrant but not mushy. You can do this a day ahead and store them in the fridge.
- Scramble eggs. Little butter in a pan, crack the eggs into the hot pan, stir them around, pull them off just before they look completely done and they will finish cooking off the heat. If you are feeling fancy, you can cook in a blop of cream cheese or ricotta while stirring the eggs and they will come out creamier. Make sure to season with salt and pepper while they cook.
- While the eggs cook, heat/reheat the peppers in a separate pan in a little olive oil and crumble feta cheese. Cook until the peppers are hot and the feta just barely melty.
- Plate the eggs, top with the cheese and peppers, then snip or tear fresh basil (lots of it) over the top and serve alongside your fabulous warm scones.
Serve with a flirtatious glance to the Beloved. You won’t be sorry.
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