How better to celebrate the fall than with crisp local apples! Rhode Island's apple season starts in late summer but the flavors develop to perfection as the cooler weather of autumn arrives. So with the apple harvest now in its element and our baskets overflowing, it's primetime for apples in each Brown Dining eatery.

AppleFest Raffle Prizes: Buy a highlighted apple item at a retail eatery and you can fill out a raffle ticket to win prizes such as bags of juicy orchard apples, freshly baked pies and other desserts, and apple picking trips.

	Reds and Greens on the Menu
Blue Room	Apple squash soup, Rhode Island chicken salad
Campus Market	Quarts of apple cider, Bags of apples
Gate	Bags of apples, Savory apple pizza
Ivy Room	Lunch: Apple crumb pie, Hot apple cider Snacks: Hot apple cider, Apple oatmeal crisp
Josiah's	Bags of apples
Sharpe Refectory	Breakfast: Apple coffee cake Lunch: Apple crumb pie, Apple salsa with Tostitos Dinner: Apple oatmeal crisp, Apple salsa with Tostitos
Verney-Woolley	Breakfast: Apple coffee cake Lunch: Apple crumb pie, Apple salsa with Tostitos Dinner: Apple oatmeal crisp, Apple salsa with Tostitos

Apples are part of the Rose plant family, which also counts peaches, strawberries, cherries and almonds in its esteemed membership. Apple trees are thought to originate in central Asia and heirloom varieties display a diversity of colors and shapes. Whichever variety is your favorite, an apple a day is a great idea – check out this month's Stockpot to learn why apples truly do keep the doctor away.

Brown Dining now gets its apples yearround from Rhode Island apple orchards like Hill Orchards in Johnston and Barden Orchards in North Scituate. So come enjoy hot soup or cider, or go all out and get a quarter peck of apples (that's a half gallon bag).