It’s time, you guys.

It’s time for all the fall foods.

These past few weeks I’ve been wearily holding on to my summer diet, a futile effort that’s been about as successful as Rose clinging to a frozen Jack. The struggle has been real (as people with fake problems say), and it’s because this summer was the first time in my life that my cooking focused exclusively on seasonal, organic foods. My transition from ‘legitimately grocery shopping at a bodega’ to ‘insufferable farmers market groupie’ has been a total revelation, changing not just how I source my food but how I compose my diet altogether. So after a summer filled with zucchini stuffed quiches, roasted corn salads, and tomatoes eaten any and every way possible, I’m sad to see my summer favorites go. But as the air gets a bit more brisk and the sun sets lower by the day, I’ve finally accepted that yes, it is Fall, and with it comes new food friends for me to play with.

All of which I pretty much stuffed into this epic kale salad.

So before I start rambling about how this is THE salad that your Fall to-do list needs (somewhere in-between apple picking and Instagramming a pumpkin-patch selfie, I’d say) how are you lovely peeps?!?! It’s been a minute since we’ve had a life check-in, so I’ll give you one very quickly.

Dave and I celebrated our 1-year anniversary this past Sunday (eeeek!) and I’m seriously wishing I was back in Tahiti right now, it was the best! We had another friends wedding to attend the night before our anni, so we kept things low-key for our special day with a simple yet lovely dinner at the Waverly Inn, one of our favorite West Village spots. There’s just something so charming and romantic about the Waverly, it’s got this speakeasy vibe and a jaw dropping hidden garden that’s glamorous and dreamy in a way only a NY restaurant can be. We dined plentifully and drank just as well, in particular a pre-picked bottle of rosé champagne that arrived just as we nestled into our corner booth – A knowing gesture from a wise husband, don’t you think? All in all it was the perfect venue to celebrate our marriage, and it also unexpectedly got me into the Fall spirit – the Waverly’s chicken pot pie is the best in the city, and after just one bite I was immediately brainstorming all the Fall foods.

So yes: Fall foods, this Fall Harvest Salad, and YOU – Let’s discuss.

I wanted this salad to be something that could work just as easily in a group setting as it could for an individual, multi-day lunch, so I made sure this had loads of texture and flavor. Kale, acorn squash, and organic McIntosh apples got the ball rolling, and I was pleasantly surprised to find just how easy acorn squash is to work with – I always found them intimidating, but they are actually quite easy to gut and slice, so roasting them is a total breeze.

To compliment the squash (which I roasted in a coconut oil + brown sugar base) I added some candied pecans for crunch and a heavy handful of pomegranate arils for sweet acidity, not to mention amazing color. Cooked farro lent a meatier feel to this salad, but brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, or even barley could work here, so just use what you prefer/have on hand. And to lap it all up, a simple vinaigrette of apple cider, EVOO, and a touch of dijon mustard + sugar brings everything together in a way that’s insanely harmonious and delish – It’s a little sweet, a little tangy, and exactly the kind of dressing you need in your back-pocket all Fall long.

How and when you enjoy this salad is up to you, but the options are more than plentiful – There’s really no time or place that you can’t break this baby out, and since Fall’s just begun you’ve got months to make it over and over. So serve it to your gal pals over Sunday brunch, make it for your man alongside sizzling steak, or be selfish as hell and eat it all to yourself, several days in a row. Anytime’s a good time, ya dig?

And PS? This salad is 100% vegan.

You’re welcome.

FALL.