A slice of apple pie with a crispy, golden crust and a gooey, cinnamon-y filling. A perfectly tart and rich huckleberry sauce, spread atop a piece of pumpkin bread. A juicy chicken roast, surrounded by a colorful array of freshly harvested squashes and herbs. Fall foods are known to bring people together, and it’s no different in our upper school community.

As the weather turns cooler, upper school community members have begun cooking and baking their favorite autumn treats. Arthur Wu (10), a student chef, loves the fruits and vegetables commonly harvested during the fall, such as apples, pears and butternut squash. 

“Gravenstein apples have a really tart smell, and they are really good in pies: I love making apple pies, apple galettes, apple hand pies and applesauce,” Arthur said. “You can [even] put applesauce on toast.”

Besides cooking, however, Arthur also enjoys other aspects of autumn, from stepping on crunchy leaves to hosting lighthearted baking competitions with friends.

“Last year, my friends and I had a gathering for fall-flavored baked goods,” Arthur said. “My team made a pumpkin-spice loaf, and it turned out really good, so we won the competition. The other team made an apple crumble cake. It was just so fun to hangout in the kitchen, and many fun memories came from that cooking experience.”

Student baker Avery Olson (12) shares another classic autumn dessert: pumpkin bread, which she makes? with pumpkin pureé and an array of spices.

“My sister and I love the Trader Joes’ pumpkin bread, but we found a recipe online that’s even better,” Avery said. “Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite desserts year-round and especially during the fall.”

Upper school math teacher and vegan chef Bradley Stoll not only enjoys the tasty aspect of baking, but also appreciates giving away food. In the chillier days of the fall, he reaches out to homeless people in the Bay Area and offers them a delicious, hot bowl of chili.

“There are dozens of people that sleep in their cars, so I brought up this big pot of chili that I made,” Stoll said. “I made a few stops in Fremont where I knew that some people were experiencing homelessness, and it was nice to provide them with one hot meal. It’s not even about the food, a lot of it’s a way that I can serve others, and it’s something that I enjoy.”

From apple hand-pies to chili soup and pumpkin bread, there is no shortage of fall foods. But if you’re unsure of where to start, take a look at some “pick of the patch” recipes below. Enjoy!

Apple hand-pies (suggested by Arthur Wu (10), adapted from “Fork Knife Swoon”)

Ingredients: 5 cups of diced apples, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg and pie dough

1. Combine 5 cups of diced apples, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg into a pot.

2. Cook over medium-heat until the butter has melted and the apples have softened.

3. Roll store-bought (or homemade) pie dough until it is about 1/8 inches thick.

4. Cut the dough into small rectangles and spread apple filling on top, leaving a bit of space around the edges.

5. Lay strips of dough on the filling, in a lattice or any other fun pattern. Use a knife to cut off excess dough, and press a fork into the edges to seal.

6. Bake on parchment paper at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, and let cool.

Vegetarian chili (suggested by upper school math teacher Bradley Stoll, adapted from “Cookie and Kate”)

Ingredients: 1 onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 diced celery sticks, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 2 tablespoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 28 ounces of diced tomatoes, 15 ounces of pinto beans and 2 cups of vegetable broth.

1. Cook one onion with vegetable oil in a large pot until softened. Add two diced carrots and two diced celery sticks.

2. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 2 tablespoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon of oregano.

3. Add 28 ounces of diced tomatoes, 15 ounces of pinto beans and 2 cups of vegetable broth to the pot.

4. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes, and then let cool.

Pumpkin bread (suggested by Avery Olson (12), adapted from “Once Upon a Chef”)

Ingredients: 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1.5 sticks of unsalted butter, 2 cups of white sugar, 2 eggs and 15 ounces of pumpkin pureé

1. Whisk together 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg.

2. Use an electric mixer to mix 1.5 sticks of room-temperature, unsalted butter and 2 cups of white sugar until fluffy. Add in 2 eggs, one at a time, and then combine in 15 ounces of pumpkin pureé.

3. Gently mix in the flour and spice blend.

4. Use butter to grease two 8×4-inch loaf pans, and pour the batter into the tins.

5. Bake at 325 degrees for about 70 minutes, and let cool.