An Ode to One of Fall’s Most Ordinary—and Extraordinary—Foods

An apple is such an ordinary thing—until autumn asks us to notice it again. Picked from a branch, tucked into a lunchbox, or baked into a pie, it carries the season in its skin: sweetness, memory, and a quiet invitation to return to life’s simplest pleasures.

In this week’s column, I follow the apple through history, science, and Ohio orchards—and explore why one of our most familiar foods may still have something to teach us about nourishment, wonder, and living well.