By Sydney Messick
It’s October and that means that all of my favorite fall foods are here! As much as I love the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season during the summer, you just can’t beat the fresh-from-the-orchard taste of a ripe fall apple or the comforting spice of a warm pumpkin muffin.
Today, there really aren’t seasons in the grocery stores – you can get everything year-round! However, not only will you end up paying more, but you won’t get the same quality and taste either. I’ve managed to polish off a 3 pound bag of apples each week for the past few weeks now that they’re back in season, but over the summer I barely ate 1 or 2 apples a week because they just didn’t have the same flavor!
What kinds of fruits and vegetables are at their peak during the fall you ask? Well, here’s a list of just a few that are at their peak sometime during this cool, crisp time of year!
· Apples – these are pretty familiar, but they’re so versatile too! Of course, you can eat them raw but you could also make applesauce, baked apples, caramel apples, apple pie/crisp, dice and add to oatmeal, bake into muffins, make apple pancakes or waffles, slice thin and layer with peanut butter on whole wheat bread for a quick sandwich, make apple butter, dip in a cream cheese + peanut butter fruit dip….the list goes on and on!
· Brussels Sprouts – try tossing them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasting in a 400˚oven until tender, stirring occasionally to prevent burning (about 15-20 minutes)
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Pears – like apples, these are great on their own or dipped in peanut butter, or you could dice them up and bake them into muffins or add to oatmeal, make a pear crisp, or combine with fresh or dried cranberries plus a little water and cinnamon and cook down into a nice sauce that could be used as a dessert topping or a sweet sauce for chicken/pork.
· Pomegranates – if you’ve never tried a pomegranate, don’t be afraid…most stores have a convenient guide for how to cut it and the seeds (called “arils”) are delicious! They’re a great addition to fruit salads, yogurt, oatmeal, on their own, or even in some savory dishes!
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Squash – there are several varieties of squash out there. I think the best thing to do is roast them and enjoy as is or dice them up to be added to soups, salads, wraps/burritos, etc. OR puree them (like canned pumpkin!) and use the puree in batters, soups, baked goods (we’re making pumpkin cinnamon rolls this weekend!!) – let your imagination run wild!
These are just a few ideas on how to use the abundance of produce that fall brings. For more ideas, check out some of these recipes I’ve come across – these are only a few of billions, so browse around some of these sites for more ideas on fun new fall recipes!
If you want to find TONS of cranberry recipes (which totally remind me of fall), check out the Ocean Spray recipe page here. I could literally spend all day drooling over the abundance of recipes they have – and it isn’t just desserts either!! They’ve got everything!
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