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This month we're watching the baseball playoffs, getting ready for the first frost and figuring out where to see the best fall foliage (thanks to this handy regional color report, which is updated every three days). We're also eating...

Butternut Squash
This squash's deep-orange flesh has a sweet, nutty flavor (some even compare it to butterscotch). The more orange the inside is, the more candy-like the taste. Potassium- and beta-carotene-rich, it's a classic and versatile fall vegetable. Ina Garten has a maple-roasted take on it,  Jessica Seinfeld puts it in quesadillas and Susan Spungen turns it into a smooth bisque.

Apples, Beer and Cabbage
Oktoberfest actually starts in mid-September, but it runs through the first week of October. You could make this traditional German stew, which includes two different kinds of apples, varying colors of cabbage, caraway seeds and pork shoulder; these crowd-friendly deep-fried sauerkraut balls; or just embrace Oktoberfest for what it really is: an opportunity to drink beer. O asked beer sommeliers for their regional favorites, then sampled their suggestions. Here are some of the most delicious bottles. Also check out The Oxford Companion to Beer, out this month.

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Light-bodied, floral and crisp, cider is a lovely bridge between summer white wines and winter reds. Gary Itkin, manager of New York's Bottlerocket wine and spirits shop, gave us five simple rules for enjoying it.

1. Understand the varieties. You may think cider's too sweet for your taste, but like Riesling, which suffers from a similar image problem, there are dry, "off-dry," and sweet styles. If you're new to the beverage, ask a salesperson to show you a "completely dry" or "extra-dry" option.

2. Don't spend too much. Most good ciders fall between $10 and $25.

3. Buy local, if you can. There are wonderful bottles produced on the West Coast, the Midwest, the East Coast, the Great Lakes region and New England. Two of Itkin's favorites come from New Hampshire (Farnum Hill) and Virginia (Foggy Ridge).

4. Pick up a few bottles. Cider's alcohol content ranges from 2% to 9%--much lower than wine, which is usually 13 or 14%--so you can have a couple of glasses and not feel too woozy.

5. Drink it with anything that you'd eat apples with. The obvious pairing is white meat, especially pork and turkey. Cider is wonderful with cheese, too, especially hard, nutty varieties like aged Asiago, Emmental, Comte or Grana Padano. The offbeat match we love, though, is donuts. The drink's bubbles will scrape excess grease off your tongue (and can you think of a better way to spend a fall afternoon than sipping cider and eating one of these?).

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Photo: Sara Remington

Here's what's on our September menu...

Pizza with Sausage and Whipped Cream
Nancy Silverton, co-owner of Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza and Mozza2Go in Los Angeles, was so in love with the sausage and cream pizza she discovered at an Umbrian restaurant that she asked the chef to show her how he made it. When she went back to the kitchen, she saw that the heavy cream had been whipped, so it was spreadable. This is her "number-one favorite" out of all the pizzas she serves, which appears in her new book, The Mozza Cookbook. Here's the recipe.

Apples
Whether you pick your own or buy them at the greenmarket, apples are hitting their stride this month. September varieties include Gala, Paula Red, McIntosh, Ginger Gold, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Ultragold, Cortland, Jonalicious, Red Delicious and Jonagold. Find out what to do with these quintessential fall fruits--aside from eat them out of hand, that is--at OrangePippin.com, which catalogs more than 600 varietals, from Aceymac to Zuccalmaglio's Reinette.

A Concord Crush
Dark blue or purple-skinned concord grapes show up most often in wine or juice, but their tangy flavor also shines with vodka and lime juice. New York's Gramercy Tavern serves a seasonal concord grape cocktail made with whole grapes and a grape puree that's so tasty, you'll forget all about the end of summer margaritas by the pool. Beyond their lovely aromatics, concord grapes also contain a miracle nutrient: Polyphenols, which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Get the recipe here.

What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we’ve got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #19: A sweet way to enjoy leafy nutritious veggies.

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Whether you're a lettuce freak or salad-phobe, you'll want to try blending greens into your next fruit smoothie. Tossing in a large handful of spinach, kale, collards, Swiss chard, parsley, or romaine along with fruit and milk makes for an emerald-flecked glass of liquid sunshine, full of chlorophyll, fiber, and nutrients. Trust us, the fruit is a master of disguise—you won't even taste the greens.

For recipes go to greenmonstermovement.com.

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1. Wine and cheese is predictable.

2. Rum is not just for Caribbean cocktails. Dark sipping rums—which are meant for drinking neat, not mixing in piña coladas—can carry the flavors of roasted nuts, smoky oak, vanilla, cocoa and spices, just like wine. Barrie Lynn, a cheese expert in Los Angeles with an online show called Cheese Rules, suggests Neisson Rhum Agricole Réserve Spéciale or Mount Gay Extra Old Rum: "I haven't met a cheese they didn't love."

3. And about the cheese. Creamy, nutty aged Goudas, superaged sharp cheddars and fresh chèvre go especially well with rum. And while the drinks may be pricey (the Neisson costs about $67, and the Mount Gay is about $38), the cheese doesn't have to be; one of Barrie Lynn's favorites is a $3.75 tub of Widmer's Aged Brick Spread.

4. A little goes a long way. One bottle of rum is more than enough for a group of eight.

5. Pirate-themed novels! Discuss the finer points of  Treasure Island or Robinson Crusoe as you swill the sailors' favorite, Pusser's Rum.

6. Rum also pairs well with Dickens. The classic English writer (of whom Oprah's a fan) was actually something of a punch aficionado (here's his recipe for rum punch). Best cocktail for Great Expectations or The Mystery of Edwin Drood: Dark and Stormy.

7. Paper umbrellas. Because sometimes it is all about Caribbean daydreams. Here are O's recipes for the classic rum cocktails Cuba Libre and Mojito.