September 22, 2026 First Day of Fall
There is something about fall that makes me want to slow down a little. The days are getting shorter, the mornings are cooler, the garden is winding down, and there is a feeling that it is time to gather in what we have grown and start preparing for the months ahead. This is one of the things I love about living here and having a garden. I get to experience the seasons in a very real way, planting in the spring, enjoying the abundance of summer and, now, harvesting and preserving what we can before winter arrives.
I just finished making my mustard pickles and Million Dollar Relish. Last night I picked the rest of my cucumbers and made a batch of tangy dill pickles to enjoy through the winter. Next up are my tomatoes, and perhaps some peach salsa this year, which I love to put on my scrambled eggs. I have to mention the peaches because my sister recently dropped some off from Arlington Orchards, and they were absolutely delicious. They will not last very long in our house! For me, this is what eating with the seasons can look like.
The wisdom of the harvest
Traditional Chinese Medicine has long placed importance on living in harmony with the changing seasons. There is a beautiful rhythm to it:
The rhythm of the seasons
| Season | In Nature & Gardening | In Traditional Chinese Medicine |
| Spring🌱 | Planting & new growth | Birth & renewal |
| Summer☀️ | Growing & nurturing | Growth & expansion |
| Autumn🍂 | Harvesting & gathering | Harvest & letting go |
| Winter❄️ | Resting & storing | Rest & conservation |
Autumn is the season of harvest and gathering. Nature begins to turn inward. The leaves change, plants stop producing new growth and the energy of the garden shifts from growing outward to storing what is needed for winter. TCM views our bodies as part of that same natural rhythm. As the weather becomes cooler and the air becomes drier, we can begin to shift the way we eat and care for ourselves as well.
Instead of relying so heavily on the lighter, cooling foods that are plentiful in summer, fall is a good time to begin bringing more warm, cooked and nourishing foods into our meals.Think soups, stews, roasted vegetables, baked squash, root vegetables, cooked grains and slow-cooked meals. It doesn’t mean you need to completely change the way you eat. It is simply about paying attention to what is happening around you and allowing your food choices to change with the season.
What does autumn mean in TCM?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is associated with the Metal element, the Lung and the Large Intestine. The Lung is particularly sensitive to the dryness and changing temperatures that come with fall. TCM also views the Lung as being connected with the skin and our body’s protective energy. The Large Intestine is associated with elimination and letting go. There is something rather fitting about that when you look at what nature is doing. The trees are letting go of their leaves. The garden is letting go of this year’s growth. We begin harvesting what we want to keep and clearing away what is finished. Autumn is a season of gathering, releasing and preparing for what comes next.
Eat what is growing around you
One of my favourite principles of seasonal eating is also one of the simplest. Look at what is growing; here in PEI, fall gives us an incredible selection of local foods. Apples and pears.
Pumpkins and squash. Carrots, beets and other root vegetables. Cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. Onions, garlic and leeks. Mushrooms and Potatoes and Greens, love my Swiss chard! And all those tomatoes, cucumbers and other garden vegetables that we are trying to preserve before the first hard frost.
This is the time of year when I really appreciate having a garden. There is something satisfying about walking outside, seeing what is ready to pick and then figuring out how to enjoy it now or preserve it for later. And you don’t necessarily have to grow your own food. Sometimes the best place to start is your local farmers’ market, a nearby farm, a community garden or simply paying attention to what is in season at your local grocery store.
Bring on the orange vegetables!
Fall seems to bring an abundance of beautiful orange foods, pumpkins, squash, carrots and sweet potatoes.I love taking advantage of these foods while they are fresh and plentiful. Roast a tray of carrots and squash. Add pumpkin or squash to a soup. Make a hearty stew with root vegetables. Bake a sweet potato. Or simply cook up a big batch so you have something ready to enjoy throughout the week.These foods are naturally comforting at this time of year, and they are an easy way to bring more seasonal vegetables into your meals. There is no need to make eating well complicated.Sometimes it really can be as simple as looking at what you have on hand and putting it in a pan.
From fresh summer food to warm fall meals
Summer naturally lends itself to lighter foods, fresh salads, berries, raw vegetables and cold drinks.As autumn arrives, I like to start shifting toward more cooked foods. This year, I’m especially looking forward to getting more use out of my rice cooker. It is such a quick and simple way to put together a stew or one-pot meal, especially on those busy days when you want something warm and nourishing without spending hours in the kitchen. A few vegetables, some protein, broth and seasonings can turn into a really easy meal. Instead of a big cold salad, try roasted vegetables. Instead of reaching for something cold from the refrigerator, have a warm soup or stew. Add ginger, garlic or onions to your cooking. Bake your apples or pears with a little cinnamon. Make a big pot of soup using the vegetables you have grown, bought locally or stored away for the winter. And don’t underestimate the simplicity of a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cool morning. From a TCM perspective, autumn is a good time to begin shifting toward more warm, cooked and nourishing foods, particularly as the weather becomes cooler and drier. This doesn’t mean you have to give up fresh foods or follow a strict list of what you should and shouldn’t eat. It is simply about noticing the season and making small changes that feel natural for you.
And what about all those pickles?
This is where my own kitchen gets very busy! There is something satisfying about looking at jars of pickles, relish and vegetables that you have put away for winter. TCM dietary traditions recognize sour flavors in autumn, including foods such as pickles and other fermented or vinegar-based foods. Of course, pickles and preserves are not meant to replace fresh vegetables, and everyone’s dietary needs are different. But there is something wonderful about preserving the abundance of summer and knowing that some of your garden will still be sitting on the pantry shelf when the snow arrives. That, to me, is part of eating with the seasons too. I love knowing that when winter comes, I can open a jar of dill pickles and remember those cucumbers growing in the garden just a few months earlier.
A few simple ways to eat with autumn
You don’t need to completely change your diet to follow seasonal eating. Try a few small changes:
🌿 Cook more of your vegetables.
Roast, steam, sauté or add them to soups and stews.
🍎 Enjoy the fruits of the season.
Apples and pears are wonderful baked, stewed or simply enjoyed fresh.
🥕 Make use of your root vegetables.
Carrots, beets, potatoes, parsnips, squash and sweet potatoes are perfect for hearty fall meals.
🎃 Look for those beautiful orange foods.
Pumpkin, squash, carrots and sweet potatoes are easy to add to soups, stews, roasted vegetable dishes and one-pot meals.
🧄 Bring in warming flavours.
Garlic, ginger, onions and other mildly pungent foods are commonly used in autumn cooking.
🍲 Make soup or stew.
It is one of the easiest ways to combine seasonal vegetables into a warm, satisfying meal.
💧 Remember moisture.
Autumn can be a dry season. Foods such as pears, apples, mushrooms, sesame seeds, almonds and squash are traditionally included in autumn food recommendations.
🌱 Use what you have.
Your garden, local farmers’ market and nearby farms can provide much of what you need.
🥣 Keep it simple.
A rice cooker, slow cooker or one-pot meal can make it much easier to enjoy warm, home-cooked food without spending hours in the kitchen.
My favourite part of fall
For me, seasonal eating isn’t about following a perfect list of foods. It’s about paying attention. It’s walking through the garden and noticing what is ready. It’s picking the last of the cucumbers before the frost. It’s turning tomatoes into something that will remind me of summer in January. It’s making mustard pickles and relish. It’s opening a jar of dill pickles in the middle of winter and remembering where those cucumbers came from. It’s enjoying beautiful peaches from a local orchard while they’re here because they won’t be around forever. It’s looking at a basket of squash and carrots and thinking about all the warm soups and stews I can make with them. And maybe that’s one of the lessons of autumn that I appreciate most.
Enjoy what is here while it is here. Harvest what you can. Preserve what you want to carry forward. And let the rest go.
Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches us that we are part of nature, not separate from it. When we begin to notice the changing seasons and make small adjustments in the way we eat, rest and care for ourselves, we can start working with the rhythm of the season rather than against it.
So as fall settles in, enjoy the harvest, whether it comes from your own backyard, a neighbour’s garden, a farmers’ market or a local orchard. Take advantage of the foods that are fresh right now. Cook a little more and keep yourself warm. Enjoy a hearty soup or stew and preserve some of the summer abundance for winter.
Maybe eating with the seasons is simply one way of reminding ourselves to live with that same rhythm and appreciating what is here, gathering what we need and making space for the season ahead. A little gardener in the cucumber patch, one of many seasons of growing, harvesting and making memories.
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