Oh, Autumn, How I Love Thee!
Autumn is in full swing, despite the warm
temperatures in my part of the world. I
adore the bounty of summer, true, but autumn brings about some of my favorite
foods as well.
Apples – Put ‘em in pies and crumbles, bake them,
fry them, make apple sauce and apple butter, and don’t forget the cider!
Beets – Pickled or roasted, I love beets. They are good in juice, and my Aussie
boyfriend loves a slice of beetroot on his burgers.
Broccoli – I love broccoli-cheese soup and sesame
broccoli.
Brussels sprouts – I love, love, love these teensy
little cabbage creatures! I love a good
casserole – something with creamy sauce, bacon, and herbs.
Cabbage – Another under-appreciated
cruciferous veggie. Cabbage rolls will most likely be on my Samhain table this
year.
Carrots – Paired with parsnips and a sweet-tangy
glaze, I could eat a bushel.
Cauliflower – Gobi Manchurian, anyone? Gobi
pakora? Aloo gobi? Yes, my favorite cauliflower dishes are
Indian.
Celery – I missed celery when I lived overseas.
Sure, we had celery root, but it wasn’t the same. I love a stalk of celery with cream cheese
and raisins.
Chard – This is one of my most favorite vegetables.
I love it sautéed with garlic and maybe some Balsamic vinegar. Don’t forget the pine nuts!
Chiles – What would a curry be without chiles?
Cranberries – I love these tart little garnet
berries. Cranberry-orange juice is one
of my favorites, and I make a mean cranberry-apple chutney to go with a pork
roast. Mmmm!
Figs – Before Istanbul, I’d never had a fresh
fig. I actually prefer them dried,
however.
Grapes – I prefer to juice them. Eating them reminds me of eyeballs.
Kale – Kale is certainly popular these days. It’s no wonder – it’s delicious! I prepare it
the same way I prepare chard. Both are
good in frittata as well.
Leeks – Leek and onion quiche. ‘Nuff said.
Mushrooms – I’ve written posts on the moony,
magnificent mushroom. Morels are
springtime fungi, but the other goodies come in the fall.
Onions – Necessary for life. My life, anyway.
Parsnips – Carrots and parsnips with a
butter-honey-Balsamic glaze. Oh,
yeah.
Pears – I like mine a little bit firm.
POMEGRANATES
- Easily my most favorite thing on this list. Beautiful symbols of the feminine aspect of
the Divine, delicious, and so good for you.
Potatoes – Another necessity.
Pumpkins and other cold-weather squashes (Mmmm…butternut!)
– I actually prefer butternut squash to pumpkin, but I did buy a white “ghost”
pumpkin to make my favorite Turkish dessert.
Kabak tatlisi, here I come!
Spinach – Popeye was really on to something. I love wilted spinach salad with bacon,
spinach quiche, spinach dip…
Sweet potatoes – Gimme a baked sweet potato with
butter, a touch of honey or brown sugar (cause I have a major sweet tooth), and
some garam masala for seasoning.
These and so many more fruits and veggies are in
season this time of year, and I cannot wait to add them to my autumn
table. For these and all other autumn
foods, I give thanks.
If you’re interested in learning more about the
magical significances of these foods, stay tuned. I’m still looking for my reference
books. Yes, I’ve been here since the end
of August. No, I haven’t finished unpacking yet. It happens! J
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