I scream, you scream, we all scream for braised beef and root vegetables!

There's a prelude to the rest of this story, called "As long as his you-know-what isn't crooked."Tai from Clueless would not approve of this carrot from the farmer's market, but my braised beef and other root vegetables did. (The stalk of brussels sprouts upon which the carrot is reclining were chopped and sauteed with cumin seeds and butter earlier in the week.)

It's really fall, which I hate on behalf of my flip flops, but love on behalf of my comfort food palate. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and all other delicious orange things are just calling my name. About a year and a half ago, I had the best ever braised beef/veg dish at my aunt's house in Florida. I begged her for the recipe, and she referred me to the Silver Palate Basics Cookbook. Spendthrift that I am, I went to Borders and copied down the recipe. Notable: it calls for leeks, which neither she (nor I) included.

What really set this one apart for me was the layers of flavor, provided by bacon, red wine, and jam. The recipe begins with cooking bacon, and ends with sprinkling it on top. Once the meat is browned and carrots and onions caramelized, the recipe called for currant jam to be added to the liquid, but I used seedless raspberry with great results. I think the wine I used, Graffigna 2004 Shiraz from Argentina, was a great match for the dish. It was very open and smooth right out of the bottle; a great deal for $8.50.

If summer has to go, it might as well go out like this.