I'm a bit obsessed with apples. To me, there is something magical about these sweet orbs just growing on trees. As a budding young farmer-philosopher (I was probably in grade school), I remember pondering the paradox of the money tree: why would I want to pick money off a tree when I could pick something useful and delicious? I suppose it is this passion for pome fruits that makes me cringe each time I hear distorted apple facts or unbridled negativity toward my childhood favorite variety, Red Delicious. In years past, winter was my time to eagerly peruse nursery catalogs for rootstocks and scionwood. This year, with a full nursery bed and dozens of potted trees buried under three feet of snow, I have elected to direct my apple passion toward clearing up a common myth: apples are apples.

Think of tired apple branches sagging under the weight of ripened fruit, swollen root vegetables that have diligently stored every last bit of solar energy before their supposed long and restful winter...

Whether you are a farmer or a grocery store forager, fall is harvest time and, while the ingredients in this simple soup recipe are easy to find year round, they are at their best right now.

The fresher the ingredients, the better the result--but worry not, you don't need carrots that look like they were plucked from the cover of an organic gardening magazine, the plain old orange kind work just fine. I found this bunch too good to pass up. If you suddenly find one yourself within reach of a similar one I recommend snatching it up at once. If you then find yourself with twenty spare minutes and a desire for a delicious meal, here's a suggestion...