Eating in Season - November
Fall fruits and vegetables offers a range of intense flavors and substantial textures. Grocery stores and farmers' markets are full of apples, figs, pears, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.
Most importantly it’s about eating seasonally and locally. That is the rule of thumb. The following foods are the ones that are in season now and that should be a part of our diet:
- Root vegetables: carrots, squash, pumpkin and sweet potato
- Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, oats and millet
- Legumes: beans, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans.
- Green vegetables: broccoli, spinach, kale, celery, rocket and artichokes
- Fruit: apples, pomegranates, citrus fruits and pears
- Fish: sea bass, cod, sole and haddock
- Herbs: ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, basil and dill.
As the air chills and the daylight shrinks, many of us turn away from cooler and raw dishes to slow cooked, warm meals. These also tend to be dollar stretching meals as they take advantage of soups and filling grains to stretch the produce and the budget even further.
Soups
As the air starts to chill, soups are a natural meal choice. Load these up with the last bits of the summer garden and the beginning of the fall harvest. Giant pots of mixed vegetable soup with little bits of meat or grain are so filling and easy to toss together on even the busiest of days.
Roast All the Things
Dice or slice those root vegetables and roast them for a different and delicious take on baked french fries. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, toss those peeled and diced veggies with just a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until the edges become browned and the centers are tender. Be sure to add beets, rutabagas, and even winter squash to the roasting pan of whole chickens or other meats.
Sweet and Savory Pies
Make pot pies full of fall seasonal veggies and local meat. Bake those apples, pears, and cranberries into pies for dessert (or breakfast). Pies are delicious and a great way to warm up the kitchen with a hot oven on a chilly day.
Take advantage of fall seasonal eating and all the wonders it beholds with these simple, frugal, and doable ideas.
