As the Catskills enjoy one of their most vivid autumn seasons yet, chef Alison Roman shares her personal adaptation of nutritious toddler meals, blending regional beauty with culinary innovation.
As the western Catskills move through one of their brightest stretches of the year, Alison Roman says the region’s autumn display is unlike anything she has seen in her lifetime, and local foliage guides suggest she may well be right about the timing. Reports from the area say the higher elevations turn first, with colour typically cascading into the valleys from late September into mid-October, and the first two weeks of October often bringing the best viewing in places such as Phoenicia, Mount Tremper and Woodstock. A weekly update from a Catskills visitor site said the season was about halfway through at the end of September, with the next week or two likely to be the most vivid.
Roman also recommends making a longer stop of it, pointing readers towards First Bloom and Brushland Eating House, while local tourism and lodging guides describe the broader appeal of the region at this time of year: crisp air, mountain views, seasonal events and cosy places to stay. Bear House Catskills, for example, highlights peak colour in the Northern Catskills from late September through mid-October, though exact timing depends on elevation. The result is a short-lived but reliably busy season for leaf-peepers hoping to catch the hills at their most saturated before the leaves drop.
Back home, Roman’s attention has shifted to her son Charlie, who has just started swim lessons and, she writes, already has strong opinions about structured activities. She describes the familiar contradiction of toddlerhood: a child old enough to want autonomy, but too young to explain his needs clearly or keep himself entirely safe. At just over 20 months, he is also eating more broadly and with increasing selectiveness, moving from one preferred version of eggs to another and occasionally subsisting on little more than stale baguette, as Roman puts it.
That has pushed her further into what she calls a more deliberate way of cooking, one that tries to balance pleasure with nutrition. Roman says she has long eaten in a way that favours vegetables, greens and lighter proteins, while remaining largely unconcerned with the health value of dessert or other indulgences. Cooking for a toddler, however, has led her to rethink recipes with more fibre, protein and vegetables folded in wherever possible, from using oats in place of breadcrumbs to adding extra kale and experimenting with sweeteners such as maple syrup. She says the result of that thinking is a new batch of meatballs built for small appetites and unpredictable tastes, but good enough that she keeps snacking on them herself.
Roman’s updated meatballs are a variation on her earlier Goodbye Meatballs, but with more nutrition packed inside. The recipe swaps in cottage cheese for ricotta, adds kale, and gives cooks flexibility to use turkey, chicken, pork, beef or a mix of vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli or zucchini. She says the mixture can be baked rather than seared, which makes the process quicker and easier, and notes that the meatballs can be made ahead, refrigerated or frozen for later use. In her view, the best version is still the one most likely to get eaten.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
