Autumn is here and I couldn't be more excited to see her. Summer flew by in a hot and hazy frenzy. Summer brought us beautiful giant zucchinis, sweet and juicy watermelon, salty air and sandy toes – she was here too quickly, and left without looking back – but then, that is always Summer's way. She packed up her ladybug umbrella, her Coppertone, and her flip flops and headed to Florida.

In her place, her sister Autumn has picked up the pieces of Summer's crazy whirlwind vacation and calmed things down a bit. She tied back her long gray hair, put on her apron and started to tidy things up. Autumn washed the sandy bedding and packed it into the trunk labeled “Summer”, she brought out the heavy quilt and remade the bed. Summer's dresses were packed neatly away, and Autumn's wool sweaters and fuzzy slippers were brought out. She put away the lawn furniture and prepped the garden for Winter. She put a pot of tea on the stove, lit a fire in the hearth and started to change the leaves from bright green, to shades of marigold, bronze and ruby. The peaches and apricots that Summer left behind were turned into glossy jams, and Autumn neatly stacked each jar into the pantry.

Each morning, Autumn put on her boots and cloak and ventured into the crisp air to feed her animals. She gave them acorns and sunflower seeds, ripe red raspberries and chestnuts. The squirrels and turkeys, rabbits and deer were so thankful - they wouldn't ever miss out on this feast. Before the first frost, Autumn watched all of Summer's animal friends follow her south. First the Monarch butterfly, then the hummingbird and lastly the Canadian Goose. Autumn waved to the flocks of animals from the front porch, the setting sun painting strokes of magenta and copper across the sky.

Autumn enjoyed staying in her warm and cozy bed longer than Summer did, putting off morning routines for a few extra hours of sleep. She worked hard during the day however, turning the cranberries in their bogs ruby red and helping the apples go from green to garnet. The pumpkins on their vines grew larger by the day, and their cousins - the butternut and acorn squash – were being very useful in the kitchen. Autumn found a recipe for every ingredient, making soups and pies, breads and quiches. She picked apples, mulled spices and brewed ciders. She read books by the fire, ate dinner by candlelight and decorated her little cabin with Indian corn and bittersweet vines. She often wore a scarf around the house, and put layers of tights or stockings underneath her heavy skirts.

Baking and cooking were Autumns happiest pass times, and her favorite ingredients to use were the crisp and juicy apples she plucked from the gnarly branches. There were Macintosh and Granny Smith, Gala and Cortland. They all tasted a little bit different, and they all served different purposes. Some were used for apple sauce, some for apple butter. A few were used for pies and galettes, and some for stuffing chicken or sausages. Autumn baked with apples throughout her stay in the cozy little cabin, stocking the shelves and preparing for the long anticipated arrival of her brother, Winter.

(I'm not really sure why I associate the seasons with weird old ladies and men. Maybe we will see Brother Winter in the weeks to come…not too soon tho - I'll take some more of old witchy lady Autumn first)

I made this apple galette two different ways, because honestly I couldn't decide which one sounded better - I love them both! There is something really comforting about the classic apple and caramel flavors that just seem to shout that autumn has arrived. I also love the combination of apples with herby goat cheese and cranberry - very New England. So, here are both options for your choosing.

Happy Autumn, everyone!

• For Thomas Kellers Pie Crust •

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt

• 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, cold and chopped into small cubes

• 5 tablespoons ice water

Combine the flour and the salt in a large bowl

Using either your hands or a pastry cutter, mix the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is small and pea sized. Alternately, you can use a food processor to do this – I just like the control I have while using my hands.

Add the ice water and continue to mix. You want the dough to come together in a ball, but you don't want it to be too shaggy or wet. I usually add one or two tablespoons at a time to be safe. I have also found that because I do not weigh my measurements, I occasionally need a couple more tablespoons of water to get my dough to come together. If this happens, I suggest adding only one more tablespoon at a time. If your dough gets too wet and soggy it is near impossible to get it right again.

Once the dough has come together, split it into two equal parts. Shape in to two disks, wrap in plastic and place in fridge for at least one hour, or up to over night. The dough can also be frozen at this point.

• For the Apple and Goat Cheese Galette •

• 1 half of a double pie crust

• 3 large apples, peeled and sliced thin

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon allspice

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon cardamom

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ cup dried cranberries

• 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

• ¼ cup honey

Preheat the oven to 375F

Toss the peeled and sliced apples in a large bowl with the lemon juice

Add all of the sugar, spices, and vanilla to the apples. Mix well to be sure that all of the apples are coated in the good stuff, set aside

Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured work surface until the dough is approximately 12 inches in diameter

Place the rolled out piecrust on a parchment paper lined baking sheet – you're not going to be able to move the galette once it is assembled – so don't forget this step!

Starting 2 inches from the edge (you need an edge to fold up around the apples) lay the apple slices in a circular pattern, doubling on top of each other to create a mound of apples in the middle of the pie crust

Top the apples with the dried cranberries and rosemary

Fold the edges of the pie crust up around the apples, tucking in the creases to create a barrier around the apple slices

Brush the pie crust with the egg and water mixture

Place the galette in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden brown

Remove from the oven and add the goat cheese, bake for an additional 5 minutes – just to warm the goat cheese

Once removed from the oven, allow to cool slightly on a wire rack, then drizzle the galette with the honey

Enjoy as an appetizer, for lunch or for dessert! Personally, I like a glass of red wine with this one.

• For the Sea Salted Caramel Sauce •

from Brown Eyed Baker

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

• 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

Place the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy saucepan, with a capacity of at least 2 or 3 quarts. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt. You'll see that the sugar will begin to form clumps, but that's okay. Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down.

Stop whisking once all of the sugar has melted, and swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar cooks.

Continue cooking until the sugar has reached a deep amber color. It should look almost a reddish-brown, and have a slight toasted aroma. This is the point where caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye. If you are using an instant-read thermometer, cook the sugar until it reaches 350 degrees F.

As soon as the caramel reaches 350 degrees, add the butter all at once. Be careful, as the caramel will bubble up when the butter is added. Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted.

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour the cream into the caramel. Again, be careful because the mixture will once again bubble up ferociously.

Whisk until all of the cream has been incorporated and you have a smooth sauce. Add the sea salt and whisk to incorporate.

Set the sauce aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then pour into your favorite glass jar and let cool to room temperature. You can refrigerate the sauce for up to 2 weeks. You'll want to warm the sauce up before using.

• For the Apple and Sea Salted Caramel Galette •