As the summer season comes to an end, autumnal produce begins to flourish. Pumpkins, apples, turnips, persimmons, and many varieties of squash are all waiting to be eaten and enjoyed.
As I have grown as a cook, I’ve learned that using produce during its specific season and peak ripeness can drastically improve your dish. The autumn season contains many delicious ingredients and flavors that leave you with copious dinner, dessert, and beverage options.
While pumpkin spice lattes can be a tasty fall delight, let’s check out some other recipe ideas that’ll make the fall season a flavorful one.
Roasted Acorn Squash
Roasted Acorn Squash is a fall staple in my home. Acorn squash has a sweet, nutty flavor with a very soft and creamy texture. It is packed with flavor itself, but it can be even more delicious with melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar on top. If you’re not a fan of a sweeter squash, try it with olive oil, goat cheese or a balsamic vinegar and chili flakes—these ingredients create a more savory option. Serve it as a side to lamb chops and brussel sprouts for a delicious dinner.
Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash is a very versatile. When transformed into a soup, it’s creamy and smooth, not as sweet as an acorn squash but just as delicious. There are many varieties of butternut squash soup that can be made. If you’re looking for a comforting, medicinal soup, try adding thyme, nutmeg, and ginger. But if you want a more intense flavor, add coconut milk and chili paste to make it into a spicy curry! (This can also be applied to pumpkin soup too.)
Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie is an extremely comforting dish. It’s filling, easy to make, and a definite crowd pleaser. Traditionally, Shepard’s Pie uses ground lamb; however, ground beef is completely fine too. To put it simply, the “pie” consists of a layer of ground lamb or beef, carrots, onions, peas, spices, and its juices that sit below a fluffy cloud of mashed potatoes (so I guess it’s not really a pie at all). It is quite simple, but it’s just the right hearty meal for a crisp fall evening.
Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is a timeless fall dessert that will always be loved by many. Pumpkin pie usually consists of a pretty basic filling: pumpkin purée, milk, sugar, and eggs. If you’re like me, I usually don’t reach for a slice of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving dinner. However, with this elevated spin on a classic, I have a feeling that pumpkin pie might be my first choice now. In this recipe by Claire Saffitz, the honey is boiled and the butter is browned. Browned butter has a nutty and caramel like richness which is very different from softened or melted butter. The texture of this pie is less custardy and the flavor has much more depth than the average pumpkin pie.
Baked Pears
Similar to a roasted acorn squash, baked pears are a delightfully simple recipe. Cut your pears in half and remove the core. Any type of pear is fine, just keep in mind that some pears are firmer than others. Coat the cut sides facing up with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and whatever else you’d like. Bake until the pears are soft and the aroma is fragrant. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy.
Apple Crisp
Another autumn classic is Apple Crisp. It may be simple, but I can never get enough! If you don’t want to go through the hassle of making pie crust, a crisp is a perfect option. Oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and flour make a delicious topping crumbled on top of thinly sliced, sugar coated Granny Smith apples. Once again, a scoop of vanilla ice cream pairs with this dessert perfectly.
Masala Chai (also known as “chai tea”)
One my favorite drinks, not just in the the fall, is chai. I love it iced and I love it hot. Chai consists of many different spices: cinnamon, cloves, allspice, star anise, pepper, and cardamom, nutmeg, fennel seeds, and ginger are what you will usually taste in chai. You can buy masala chai premixed to make chai lattes at home, or you can grind your own spices. I have a masala chai spice blend from Diaspora CO. that I highly recommend. I boil the chai blend with black tea leaves in water and milk, I add honey or sugar, then strain it. Voilà! While chai might not be exclusive to fall, its warm spices sure put me in the fall mood.
Fall is the perfect time for soups, roasts, stews, and being creative with your cooking. Take advantage of the seasonal ingredients locally grown around you (visit the county court house for the farmers’ market each Saturday morning), and of course, don’t forget to get a pumpkin spice latte to kick off the fall season.