October 29, 2021
The Best Fall Harvest Recipe Ideas
Fall Harvest Recipe Ideas
While Summer can seem like the ultimate harvest season, a delicious and health-boosting bounty awaits the patient Fall gardener. Ready for some inspiration for cooking from your Fall garden harvest?
If you’re like us, the most exciting part of tending a Fall garden is chowing down on the delicious seasonal meals made from nutrient-packed home-grown food. As temperatures and leaves start to drop, cool-weather crops reach their full potential.
Fall Harvest Crops
Remember: Crops will grow slower as days get shorter and plants get less sunlight. Although it may take those colder-weather vegetables a bit longer to mature, their bounty is well worth the wait.
Apples
While most of us are used to eating apples all year-round, their natural harvest time in the Northern Hemisphere is later summer and into Fall. Depending on your region (hello, Pacific Northwest!), September through November may be prime apple picking time—and prime apple pie time.
Beets
A classic Fall crop, beets are more versatile than you might think (if you’re new to growing and cooking them). Keep reading for a delicious oven-roasted recipe to introduce your whole family to this immune-boosting root veggie.
Squash
The chillier season is squash’s time to shine! There are so many varieties of squash to choose from—and if you’ve prepared your garden for a happy, bountiful Fall, there should be plenty of room for these viney plants to flourish.
Leafy Greens
Kale and other hardy greens love the cold. Before frosts, arugula and spinach will thrive, too. These are top-notch immunity foods, so go wild with greens in the kitchen.
Be careful, though—most greens (and many other crops) are sensitive to frost and freezes, despite their hardier-than-average nature. Especially with more tender greens, consider covering rows with a lightweight protective layer when temperatures start to drop below freezing at night.
Brussels Sprouts
Some climates yield Brussels sprouts in warmer late-summer months, but these sturdy stalks do love the cold.
Brussels sprouts are another misunderstood and much shunned veggie, just like beets—but we’ve included a delicious, easy, family-friendly recipe below to introduce them into your Fall menu.
Hardy Herbs
Fall and Winter are the feature seasons for shrubby perennial herbs. Don’t forget the flavor just because Summer is done!
As bright Summer annuals like basil and dill go to seed and are pulled up, shift to “warmer” flavored herbs that can enhance soups, stews, and roasted root veggies. Our favorites are thyme, rosemary, and oregano.
What’s On The Menu?
Let’s get to the recipes!
Roasted Veggies
Roasting is a historically cold weather staple for many reasons, least of all the warmth that the oven provides to your home as those delightful dishes are cooking.
It’s fun and easy to get creative with a roasted vegetables dish by adding fruits, herbs, and nuts—you almost can’t go wrong! Try rosemary, apples, sliced almonds, or even some pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top after taking the dish out of the oven.
This recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash from The Spruce Eats adds even more flavor and texture by adding pecans and cranberries.
Some folks are reluctant to put beets on the family table, since they can be tricky to cook to perfection and have such a unique flavor. Try a simple and lovely dish like Pure Wow’s Oven Roasted Beets and Potatoes to bring beets to your table.
For a more complex flavor, try this dreamy Roasted Beets with Quinoa and Pears dish.
Salads
Don’t discount salads just because summer is over! So many of the crops above can be tossed together for incredible seasonal salads.
This delectable Fall Salad recipe from Better Home and Gardens uses pears, pecans, and maple dressing to weave Autumn flavors together. Feel free to substitute the salad greens for anything you have growing in the garden, like arugula or kale.
Soups & Stews
And now for the champion of all Fall and Winter dishes: soup! Soup and stew can seem boring and bland, but when you harness the many possibilities of flavor, texture, and ingredients, soup might become your favorite meal.
A beautiful blended soup is the way to go for picky veggie eaters, and can be easily made in batches and frozen for later. Our mouths are watering just thinking about this Kale and Broccoli Soup from Food Network.
For a heartier version of chicken soup, take inspiration from this Easy Fall Chicken and Vegetable Soup and add your garden’s flavors.
Immune-Boosting Bounty
Embracing seasonal eating not only connects you and your family to nature’s rhythms, it can also help boost your immune system for cold and flu season.
Many Fall vegetables and fruits are packed with immunity-supportive vitamins and antioxidants your body needs to defend against illness and keep you cozy in cool weather.
Did you know that healthier, more microbially rich soil actually boosts the nutritional value of the food that grows in it? That’s just one of the reasons why we’re so passionate about soil health and regeneration here at TRUE. Healthy soil is essential for a healthy planet, and humans rely on it, too.
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