Autumn is here! Always my favorite season for its cool crisp air and fresh clean scents. And the food - with the onset of squash, pumpkin, and apple EVERYTHING! My latest dining excursion brought me to Provence, France - right in downtown Boston! Filled with the flavors of the season, Sel de la Terre has two locations in Boston and one in Natick. I visited their Boylston Street location, which is celebrating its 1st anniversary on September 27th! 

Sous Chef Mike Bergin and a personable staff greeted me and provided me with quick friendly service in this upscale, yet comfortable atmosphere. From my table I had a full view of the goings-on in the kitchen, and everything seemed to be running smoothly - and it got busy! Two soups were on my agenda this evening, each with its own unique blend of seasonal flavors. The vegetables came directly from Apple Street Farm. Sel de la Terre has a special relationship with its organically grown produce because it all comes from the farm of Frank McClelland. In order to provide the freshest ingredients, the restaurant caters its menu to what's in season.

What's in season now are peppers and squash, as to be expected! Soup number one was a delicious Roasted Pepper Soup, using red peppers as its base, and adding some roasted cherry peppers for a small amount of spicy kick! Also included were a few Asian treats - topped with bok choy tempura, a pickled green tomato, and a rice ball - providing an unusual ethnic blend. Paring these flavors created a mildly spicy, sweet, savory combination that worked well together - with just enough of each, and not too much of anything!

Next was the squash soup made from Long Island Cheese Squash (also known as Cheese Pumpkin - which makes the best pumpkin pies!) The squash was steamed with champagne and apple cider, making this soup a softer blend of flavors than the previous pepper soup. A few stronger additives were set in the center that provided just a little bit of heft and was a really nice compliment to the light, smooth taste of the squash. I was asked which soup was my favorite, but I couldn't choose. Both were delicious for different reasons, each with its own very distinct flavors, and both providing excellent choice flavors of the season! For my main course I was served Long Island Duck Breast. The following day I had a memory of a flavor - out of nowhere, just a flavor. And after some thought, I realized it was this duck. I don't generally eat duck, but I never knew duck could taste so good! So, I'll be eating a lot more duck in future, and hope that I find it as pleasant as the Sel de la Terre experience.

Dessert was, my favorite, baked apple. Stuffed with dried fruit and nuts, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side, this was the perfect finale to a perfect Fall feast! Everything possible on the Sel de la Terre menu comes directly from Apple Street Farm as this restaurant works for a greener more sustainable environment. And, in celebration of their 1st anniversary, Sel de la Terre is hosting the "Anniversary Harvest Dinner to Beat Hunger" with proceeds to benefit Share Our Strength, a National organization dedicated to getting food to our Nation's hungry kids. Sel de la Terre pays great attention to detail; the flavors, the presentation, the conscience, the experience. Great food mixed with a green agenda makes me happy, and makes this one of my new favorite restaurants!