Falling in Love with Fall Produce

And just like that we find ourselves in the last quarter of the year! ‘Tis the time for Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas and each brings its own plethora of delicacies to have your kitchen filled with abundance and tummies with joy. Unlikely as it is that all of the below-mentioned produce is the current season’s favorites where you are, I hope you can take advantage of some of the bounty.

Apples are everywhere. Not only are the bright reds sweet to eat but their colors are lovely placed on a bowl in the center of your dining room. Match it with other fruits available now like grapes and cranberries for a nice light fruit salad. Add some nuts or honey, even chia seeds to give it extra flavor.

Brussels sprouts are making the rounds. Growing up in India, I never set eyes on these until I moved to the US. These are one of my fall faves – a dash of salt/pepper and some olive oil is all it takes to roast these in the oven. Fancy it up with some pine nuts too if you like. Here’s a list from Vibrant Wellness Journal highlighting the four best Brussels sprouts recipes from around the web.

Squashes in all shapes and sizes and colors and textures have flooded the farmer’s markets. They fit in quite beautifully with salads and creamy smooth soups. They also make for lovely home décor and last longer than the summer varieties. Some are even good eaten raw, like chips with a dip. Learn some quick tips for winter squashes here.

Cauliflower is the one I really wait for. I love it roasted with some curry and chili powder sprinkled on top for that ever so little spicy kick. Cauliflower curries go great with rice or bread and battered cauliflower fried crispy brown is just what you need when the weather turns cooler. Here’s a simple recipe for a Pumpkin and Cauliflower Gratin that would make a great lunch or a fancy dinner to share.

Of course, its sweet potatoes and pumpkins galore this time of year. Sweet potatoes go well in pies and even casseroles but they are fabulous as fries. Also, don’t just use those pumpkins for carving – they make great pies and puddings. The pumpkin seeds are a great snack just lightly roasted. Find a heap of recipes for pumpkin here!

On that note, here’s a quick fall recipe I resort to by default – Pumpkin Butterscotch Spice Cake. It’s easy to make and feeds a lot of people at one time! All you do is beat together one pack of cake mix, one can of pureed pumpkin and a few tablespoons of butterscotch morsels as well as cinnamon powder. Bake as per instructions for your cake mix and let cool. Garnish with strawberries or whipped cream or both before serving and watch the reaction! Go on now, be my guest.