Cooking with Fall Fruits and Vegetables

Cooking with fall fruits and vegetables is a great way to add variety to any meal. The seasonal harvest includes a bounty of crisp apples, fragrant pears, tart cranberries, root vegetables, and an endless supply of winter squash.

Fall fruits and vegetables are compatible with sweet and savory dishes. They can be transformed into a vegetarian entree, side dish, breakfast food, or dessert. They make perfect after-school snack foods and can easily be transported to school or work. Overall, the fall harvest offers as much, if not more, versatility than other seasonal foods.

Fall Apples

Apples are at the top of the list as far as versatility goes. They are the ultimate fast food due to their ease of transport. In addition to being eaten raw, apples can be baked, fried, dried, steamed, boiled, broiled, and grilled. They can be transformed into strudels, pies, cakes, fritters, scones, applesauce, caramel apples, baked apple crisp, and so much more.

Visiting apple orchards and filling baskets with freshly picked fruit is a great way to gather the family together for an afternoon of fun.

The U.S. Apple Association website provides a wealth of information about community events, U-pick farms, health and nutrition data, and of course, plenty of apple recipes. Categories encompass breakfast, breads, appetizers, soups, side dishes, salads, sandwiches, desserts and beverages.

Fall Pears

Pears can be a wonderful addition to any meal. This fruit is often ignored because people are unaware of its versatility. Pears can be transformed into elegant desserts and side dishes by means of oven-poaching, baking, and sauteing. Raw pear slices can be added to garden salads or a bowl of oatmeal.

A great place for pear recipe inspiration is USAPears.org. Presented by the Pear Bureau Northwest, this site offers an endless supply of pear recipes and cooking tips from top chefs, along with nutritional benefits of pears and educational resources for learning about pear varieties.

Fall Cranberries

Cranberries often don't make an appearance on the dinner table except in the form of tin can on Thanksgiving. It's really quite a shame as this tiny fruit adds a burst of flavor that marries well with sweet or savory foods.

Cranberries are the perfect addition to salad greens and can turn a boring salad into one with pizzazz. They make great sauces, relishes and chutneys or can be turned into frozen popsicles or tart desserts.

What better place to learn about cooking with cranberries than from the leading cranberry grower in the world, OceanSpray. Their corporate websites offers an extensive collection of cranberry recipes that encompass appetizers, breads, muffins, sauces, sides, salads, main courses, snacks, desserts, drinks and cocktails.

Root Vegetables

Root vegetables consist of foods that grow underground. Some of the more recognized include: turnips, potatoes, parsnips, onions, garlic, beets, and celery root. One of the tastiest ways to prepare root vegetables is by roasting a variety of veggies in a casserole dish covered in foil.

Root vegetables can be livened up with seasonings, sauces, glazes, and gravies. They pair well with quinoa, rice and beans, as well as poultry, beef and wild game. The Food Network has a good selection of root vegetable recipes that appeal to nearly any palate; regardless of how finicky of an eater a person might be.

Winter Squashes

Winter squashes are often misunderstood and frequently neglected at the dinner table. Botanically speaking, squashes are considered a fruit, but in the culinary world they are thought of as vegetables.

An interesting fact about squashes is every element of the plant is edible; making it one of the most economical fall vegetables. Perhaps one of the most comprehensive squash recipes websites I've ever found is WhatsCookingAmerica.net.

In addition to a well-stocked winter squash recipe library, visitors can learn about the different types of squash, along with tips for how to buy, store, and prepare.

A lot of people find squash to be boring, but What's Cooking America takes it to an entirely new level with recipes like Butternut Squash Pizza with Bacon and Onions, and Troppo's Squash Bomb Soup; a sweet and spicy almost-dessert-like soup.

As you can see cooking with fall fruits and vegetables offers endless opportunities to take advantage of seasonal crops. Try a few new recipes throughout the season and discover the delectable flavors offered by the fall harvest.

Resources:

U.S. Apple Association

USAPears.org

OceanSpray Cranberries

More from this Contributor:

Cooking with Apples 101

Cooking with Potatoes 101

Three Ways to Prepare Fingerling Potatoes