Asiago Food 
Autumn is finally here and, as with every change of season, it brings along several transformations. This starts with the landscape, which shifts its colors toward warmer and more vibrant tones like reds and oranges, and extends to our bodies, which must adapt to the cooler, crisper temperatures and the gradually fading daylight.
How can you best handle these changes?
Paying attention to your diet is fundamental, and there are also many activities you can embrace to fully enjoy this fascinating season.
NUTRITION
While it is certainly important to watch what you eat throughout the year, it is during the change of seasons that you should pay extra attention.
You should adapt your diet by favoring nutritious, seasonal foods: mushrooms, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, fennel, radicchio, and beetroots are just some of the vegetables you should introduce. As for fruit, oranges, chestnuts, grapes, persimmons, pears, and nuts are absolute must-haves.
Here are some ideas for seasonal dishes you can prepare or buy, depending on your tastes and needs.
An autumn soup with chickpeas, cannellini beans, and kale
Soups, stews and velouté
Nothing says autumn quite like a steaming bowl of soup on the table. In addition to being a healthy choice, soups and creamed vegetables are excellent autumn foods thanks to the pleasant creaminess they offer.
A mushroom soup or a mixed vegetable or artichoke cream soup is ideal for this season. The timeless pasta e fagioli or a spiced pumpkin cream soup with nutmeg would also make the perfect first course.
Risottos
Among the top warm dishes for autumn, we find risottos. They can be made in endless variations, but mushroom risotto is undoubtedly one of the most popular and flavorful. Prepared with high-quality dried porcini mushrooms, it will fill your home with the scents of the forest and delight everyone’s palate.
For those who love more unique flavors, we also recommend an exquisite pear and walnut risotto or a very delicate apple and pomegranate risotto.
Porcini mushrooms and pumpkin, a perfect autumn match
Seasonal side dishes
Fruit and vegetables should never be missing from a balanced diet. But which vegetables should you prepare in autumn?
Roasted pumpkin with rosemary, sautéed mushrooms with polenta, Swiss chard with raisins and pine nuts, gratin cauliflower and fennel, and beetroot burgers are some of the perfect vegetable side dishes for this season. Paired with a warm first course based on whole grains and legumes, or with animal proteins, they create a complete and nutritious meal—ideal for facing the first cold days of October.
These are just a few ideas to introduce into your diet to best handle the autumn season. But it’s not just about food; living well this season also means embracing a variety of outdoor activities that relax and reinvigorate the spirit.
OUTDOORS
Fresh autumn days, when it’s not raining, are ideal for spending time outdoors. How can you get in touch with nature and fully embrace this new season? Here are some activities you can enjoy during these months.
Photography in the woods in autumn
Walking and photography in the woods
Before the true cold arrives, the beginning of autumn is the perfect time for long walks in the hills or mountains to capture splendid landscapes with your camera.
During these weekends, take long walks along paths surrounded by greenery to enjoy the clean air and the fantastic colors that nature offers. Collect the most beautiful leaves and photograph them, frame the most colorful branches, and compare them with the evergreens. Look through your lens for the most succulent fruits and the most beautiful, curious mushrooms.
Mushroom foraging
In autumn, mushroom foraging can be particularly pleasant: porcini, honey mushrooms, saffron milk caps, “San Martino” mushrooms, hedgehog mushrooms, and chanterelles color the forest floor during this period. Besides getting in touch with nature and breathing fresh air, picking mushrooms can become a real hobby!
Of course, in addition to having an excellent knowledge of fungal species, there are rules that must always be respected.
Clitocybe geotropa (Monk’s Head mushroom)
Gathering chestnuts
It’s not just about mushrooms! Autumn is the perfect season for gathering chestnuts. This is a pleasant and fun activity to do with family or friends. Just bring some gloves to avoid getting pricked and check for any necessary picking permits; then, nothing can stop you from spending an idyllic day and bringing home a delicious haul. You can also collect berries, pinecones, and dry leaves to try your hand at creating imaginative DIY decorations for your home or garden!
Gathering the fruits that nature offers
These are our tips for making the most of the autumn period. Remember that physical activity and good nutrition are the foundation of well-being all year round, whatever the season.
Happy Autumn to everyone!
