Martha Stewart Living September 2018

THE ONLY ONE in our family who is actually headed back to school this month is my son, James, but come each September I still look forward to stocking up on new supplies and outfitting myself—and my home—for fall. There’s something about having pristine notebooks, freshly sharpened pencils (or in my case, a box of Uni-Ball Air bold-point black pens), and a smart backpack that makes one feel infinitely more prepared, confident, and ready to succeed on the first day. In the school of life, I think the same holds true. Fall is our unofficial new year, and once the languid days of August are behind us, its frenetic schedule can hit even the most organized among us like a freight train. With the right preparation, however, we believe you…

| ON THE ROAD | SHIFT GEARS When executive chef Matthew Accarrino of San Francisco’s SPQR heads to wine country for fall figs, tomatoes, and peppers, he brings his bike. He’s a competitive cyclist and trains there, but it’s amateur-friendly terrain: The Vine Trail is paved and car-free; the streets are quiet, the hills optional, and the pit stops divine. Here, he shares three favorites. Northern California ST. HELENA Griddled bread topped with tomatoes draws crowds to the Bruschetteria Food Truck. Bikers get a warm welcome: “It even has a pump.” cliffamily.com YOUNTVILLE At Kollar Chocolates, grab confections made with “indigenous Napa Valley flavors” like wild fennel and Jacobsen Orchards lavender. kollarchocolates.com SONOMA Glen Ellen Star is “a postage-stamp-size restaurant” where you can enjoy “a really good pizza made by a former French Laundry chef.” glenellenstar.com | ON OUR BOOKSHELF…

Spinach For big, leafy plants, enrich well-drained soil with compost, and space them about a foot apart so they have plenty of room to grow. ‘Corvair’ and ‘Emperor’ varieties are especially good choices for this time of year. Kale This superfood prefers similar soil to that used for spinach, and can in fact get sweeter as the temperature drops. For optimal germination, plant 6 to 10 weeks before the first frost. Curled-leaf cultivars, like ‘Winterbor’ and ‘Darkibor’, are extra-cold-hardy. Arugula Prone to bolting (the term for when a plant grows a flower stalk and turns bitter in flavor) in hot weather, arugula loves an autumn garden. Sprinkle seeds of a heat- and cold-tolerant type, such as ‘Astro’, over dampened soil, and cover it in a thin layer of additional soil.…

EVERY AUTUMN, I plant myself a gift to harvest—a gift of garlic. I order seed bulbs from Keene Garlic, a farm in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, that specializes in heirloom and organic varieties. I love experimenting with different kinds, and prefer those with a more mellow taste to stronger ones. Last year, we planted 18 cultivars before the first frost. Most are hard-neck, such as ‘Amish Rocambole’ and ‘Purple Glazer’, which yield large cloves around a stiff inner stalk. The rest are soft-neck, like ‘Inchelium Red’, producing cloves of varying sizes. By early summer, curly green stems called scapes form on each plant. They have a sweet, mild garlicky flavor and are prized by chefs. I like to add them, finely chopped, to an omelet or as a flavoring to summer…

| INSTANT UPGRADE | ON THE RISE How do you like this apple box? Take the trusty tool used on photo shoots and film sets, give it a custom paint job, and action! It’s transformed into a scene-stealing step stool for your little leading man or lady. The Palette The pretty, muted hues on our DIY stool will give any neutral bathroom a lift. To make your box slip-proof, mix a handful of hardware-store playground sand into the tray for the two paints on top (traction: check), then add clear adhesive pads on the bottom corners. | PERSONALIZE IT | Make Waves Here are three quick ways to rack up compliments in class (or in the conference room) this fall: Embellish basic fabric accessories with rickrack in fresh colors. Cut the classic zigzag trim to fit, and…

BETTER BASICS 1. BRUSHES WITH GREATNESS Get dishes squeaky-clean and make quick work of hard-to-scrub items, like reusable straws and water bottles, with Bürstenhaus Redecker and Crate & Barrel tools. They’re eco-friendly and crafted from natural materials. From $5 each, surlatable.com; crateandbarrel.com. 2. A PADDED PERCH Cooking and cleanup duty feel much easier on your feet when you stand on a cushy, stain-resistant GelPro mat. From $50, gelpro.com. 3. WONDER WIPES You’ll go through fewer paper towels with Libman Wonderfiber cloths on hand. The moisture-wicking fabric grabs crumbs, swipes up smears, and keeps surfaces shiny. $4.75 for 2, walmart.com. 4. THE RIGHT RACK Proof that there’s always room for innovation: The sleek Yamazaki Tosca dish rack fits neatly over a sink or on a counter in its tray. $70, crateandbarrel.com. 5. STELLAR SCRUBBERS Durable copper…