Anita Crotty

Here's another fruit that--before you start really paying attention and eating with the seasons--you might think was a year-round staple. But in fact, apples are a cool-weather crop. Late September to Thanksgiving is the prime time for fresh-picked apples, and there are so many ways to enjoy them.

No matter how much you adore eggplant or zucchini, there comes a point where a bumper crop spills over into a glut. Rather than leaving your unwanted harvest on your neighbors' doorsteps in the dead of night, why not search out other similarly burdened folks and arrange an old-fashioned food swap?

As grain prices have risen drastically, many farmers have reconsidered wheat both as a cash crop and as home-grown fodder for their livestock. As a side benefit, locavores who yearn for a truly local loaf can get their hands on flour for homemade bread and 100%-local products from artisan bakeries.

Watermelon may be classic warm-weather picnic fare, but its musk-melon cousins -- including popular varieties like the ubiquitous cantaloupe, the chartreuse-fleshed honeydew, and the heavenly-scented Charentais -- fill farmers market tables as summer turns to fall.

While many supermarket chains are still getting wise to the consumer appeal of local food, organic options, and energy-efficient stores, one British company is taking the lead in helping consumers make informed grocery-buying decisions. And this time, they're not just focusing on the wellness of the eater, but the health of the entire planet.

10-year-old Elsa Amiss won the title of "Food Champion of the Year" at the Waitrose Made in Britain Food Awards. To a city girl like me, it seems astounding that a pre-teen could run her own organic free-range duck and egg business. Admittedly, Elsa does have some help...from her younger siblings.

Whether you grow your own, buy them at the farmers market, get them in your CSA box, or find them on your doorstep courtesy of a well-meaning neighbor, it's impossible to overlook the glut of thin-skinned squash that hits the table this time of year. Choose the long, green Zucchini or its yellow cousin, the stout and scalloped Pattypan, or the aptly named Ronde de Nice -- whichever makes its way into your basket, there will be plenty of recipes to choose from.

Love 'em or hate 'em, there's just no denying that Slow Food is a force to be reckoned with in the realm of sustainable eating. And nowhere was this fact more obvious than at the Labor Day weekend extravaganza known as Slow Food Nation. Part farmers market, part county fair, with a dash of college symposium and rock-concert venue thrown in for good measure, the foodie-fest was the subject on everyone's lips (and blogging fingers) for what seemed like weeks on end.

Picking one meal, or even just a single dish, to make with ingredients from your foodshed is a thoughtful way to ease into the locavore life. And the Denver Post's food section does just that: Crafting a classic BLT from ingredients they found within a small radius of town.

If you picked up Sunday's New York Times, you might have noticed a trend: Not one but four stories this weekend focused on the region's local food chain, with a decidedly sustainable/organic bent.

Non-heirloom varieties like Beefsteaks or Early Girls -- the kind of tomatoes you can find just about anywhere -- have taken a back seat to their exotic looking cousins in recent years, but they're equally delicious when fresh and perfectly ripe.

Teams of Sunset magazine editors and writers took over their Bay Area test gardens, blogging the entire process of growing everything they needed for an entire multi-course dinner.

Mixology Monday brings the world's cocktail bloggers together for a monthly party based on an ever-changing theme. This month's editon takes inspiration from the notion of "Local Flavors," searching out the best local ingredients and drinks from more than 40 destinations.

I always make a point to eat the first few ears with nothing more than a little salted butter and fresh black pepper. But then, weeks into the season, the inevitable gilding of the lily sets in.

The Soil Association -- the UK's leading organic-food organization -- has called for food-sustainability targets for the London Summer Games. Some of the SA proposals may not sit well with athletes or their trainers who have very specific nutritional goals in mind. But others make a world of sense.

We talked a bit about foraging a few weeks ago -- hunting for edible goodies like mushrooms, berries, and sea salt. But here's a whole new twist that might not take you any farther than your own back yard: Edible weeds.

Whether you're a hot-headed chile fiend or a sedate sweet-pepper aficionado, there's no better time of year to enjoy members of the capsicum family. From the benign bell to the piquant piquillo to the hyper-hot habanero, there's a fresh pepper for every taste.