Fall Harvest Recipe Ideas

It's just about time for fall, which means there is a new harvest right around the corner! I always get a little nostalgic in the autumn, it reminds me of ravaging piles of leaves with my sisters, making apple pie with my grandma, and then my daughter was born on a beautiful fall day. Even though I'm living in South Carolina where the weather doesn't change much, I still love the fall season. It's all about the slant of light, the cooler nights, the crisp new batches of apples and pears. Here are some of my favorite fall foods.

Apples and pears are freshly harvested in the fall. That means they're crisp, fragrant, and delicious. There are so many things you can do with apples and pears. Sauté them and serve with pork or chicken, make savory jams or chutneys, and cook up huge batches of apple or pear butter. It's always fun to gather the kids around and make homemade candy and caramel apples. Drizzle on some chocolate or nuts for a little decadence. Let's not forget apple and pear muffins, cakes, cobblers, crisps, pies and tarts. One of my all time favorite fall treats is a tall glass of ice cold, pulpy apple cider and a warm muffin right out of the oven. Heaven in my mouth.

Pumpkins and squash are plentiful in the autumn. While the pumpkins used for carving are inedible, there are smaller pie pumpkins that are sweet and easy to cook. Butternut, acorn, dumpling, and delicata squashes are sweet and savory treats also. You can peel, cube and roast them, but it's easier to simply pierce them a few times with a sharp knife and bake at 350 for an hour or so until cooked through. Let them cool, scoop out the seeds and scrape the sweet orange flesh from the skin. You can make fragrant pumpkin bread or muffins, add it to pancake or waffle batter, whip up a quick bowl of creamy squash soup, or mash it with some butter, honey, nutmeg and toasted chopped nuts for a sweet side or dessert. Butternut squash makes a delicious and nutritious substitute for pasta.

I'm crazy for fresh cranberries. By the end of the season I've got bags of fresh cranberries stockpiled in my freezer but they never last until September. One of the first quick breads I ever made, and was successful with, was cranberry nut bread. It's so delicious toasted and spread with cream cheese. Cranberries are also perfect in muffins, scones, cakes and more. Homemade cranberry sauce is easy. Just cook up a bag of cranberries with a dash of water and lemon or orange juice, a small amount of sugar and a little lemon or orange zest. Simmer until the cranberries pop and thicken up. Who says you have to wait until Thanksgiving to eat turkey? Roast a small turkey, forget the complicated stuffing, and serve it with some homemade cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce is also good with pork and chicken, or frozen into sorbet or a granita.

These are just a few of my favorite fall foods. Every year I look forward to indulging, experimenting, and eating these tasty and nutritious fall treats.