Fall seasonal produce - planning + tips
FALL Seasonal Produce
I enjoy cooking with seasonal produce as much as possible. I am fortunate enough to live on the central coast of California, where we have delicious fruits and vegetables growing locally all year round. The list provided is simply a guide, to illustrate the produce that is most fresh and naturally growing for the season. As a bonus, cooking with seasonal produce helps to cut down on environmental impacts of growing/shipping non-seasonal produce.
Apples
Artichokes
Arugula
Beets
Belgian Endive
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chilies
Cranberries
Curly Endive (Frisee)
Edamame
Eggplant
Fennel
Figs
Garlic
Grapes
Green Beans
Green Onions
Herbs (Rosemary, Parsley, Thyme, Sage)
Horseradish
Kale
Leeks
Lemongrass
Lettuce
Limes
Mushrooms
Onions
Parsnips
Pears
Peppers
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Radicchio
Radishes
Shallots
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatillos
Turnips
Winter Squash
Zucchini
FALL PARTY PLAN
I love the fall and everything pumpkin spice! Yes, I am the person that buys all the seasonal pumpkin products at Trader Joe’s. Growing up in Michigan, I loved feeling the click of the seasons. When the air goes from hot and humid to crisp and clear, seemingly overnight. Football games, leaves crunching beneath your feet, the anticipation of the holidays on the horizon, apple picking, cider and donuts, I love it all!
For my fall seasonal party plan, I’ve come up with a menu featuring pumpkins, apples and that lovely smell of spice filling the air. Grab a group of close girlfriends, a few couples or families, put your first fire of the season in your fireplace and bask in this cozy time of year.
Drinks
Hot simmering apple cider on the stove
Garnish with a cinnamon stick
Add a splash of alcohol for the adults (bourbon, rye whiskey)
Good red wine with dinner (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah)
Appetizers
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread (they sell this product at Trader Joe’s, or you can make your own by adding cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to plain cream cheese)
Crackers with dried fruit and seeds (they sell a seasonal cracker at Trader Joe’s – Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps)
A variety of cheeses – I like to have one soft cheese (brie), one hard cheese (a cheddar or gruyere) and a blue cheese (stilton)
Fresh bunches of red grapes
A variety of dried fruit (apricots, cranberries) and nuts (marcona almonds, candied walnuts)
Main Course
Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin (this dish can be served at room temperature)
Topped with fresh Cinnamon Apples
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Kids - variety of sliced, raw veggies
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Dessert
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
If desired, save time go with good store-bought cookies
Have your kids/grandkids help frost the cookies!
Décor
Fresh flowers (red, orange, yellow) and candles (pumpkin spice and cinnamon) for the season
Music
Frank Sinatra or Norah Jones station on Pandora
KATHARINE’S TIPS
Following these tips will help get you started using the Katharine’s Kitchen method of meal planning and cooking.
Tip #1
Beware of “one pot” recipes that are not actually time savers or less mess. It's not really "one pot" when you have to use several plates, bowls, etc. to prep food/let food rest while you’re cooking other ingredients. In addition, if you need to use the same pot for several steps, that could be accomplished at the same time with two pots, I say use two pots and save the time and mess of prep, dishes, etc.!
Tip #2
Rule of 3 – I plan most of my meals to include 3 items. Typically, I have a main protein, a veggie and a starch. Choose two veggies and eliminate the starch if you’re looking for a healthier option. I ditch this rule when I’m making a soup, stew or serving a hearty protein over a salad.
Tip #3
I think it’s a great idea to have few recipes that you can master. Swap out ingredients in your go-to recipes with what you have on hand or what you are in the mood for. Baked risotto is a great option, since many different ingredients work well in this dish. I have go-to recipes for baked chicken, sautéed chicken tenders, baked pork chops and baked salmon. I also have a few go-to side dish recipes.
Roasted rosemary potatoes and sautéed green beans or asparagus are in my regular rotation. Feel free to reach out to me for any of these recipes!
Tip #4
If you use the same ingredients to make your kids meal as you do your adult meal, the ingredients are less likely to be wasted. This is a Katharine’s Kitchen staple tip! For example, if you make grilled chicken for dinner, but your kids don’t finish their portion of chicken, you can put it in a salad the next day for yourself. If you were to fix, say, frozen chicken nuggets for your kids, you would probably be more likely to throw out their leftovers, instead of repurposing them.
Tip #5
What do you do when your child doesn't eat the dinner you have prepared? I suggest having a go-to back up option that has some protein, is healthy, filling, doesn’t take any time at all to prepare and is something you know your child likes to eat. My go-to back up option for my little one is honey yogurt (plain yogurt with a little honey drizzle). I serve her fresh fruit on the side and sprinkle chopped pecans or granola, if she’s in the mood, on top of the yogurt. I don’t think kids should ever be forced to eat, since that creates a complicated relationship with food in the future. I suggest, insisting that your kids try the food that has been put in front of them, but if they really don’t like it, offer the back-up option. If your child isn’t interested in eating the back-up option, he/she is probably just not hungry. It’s hard to tell when kids, little kids especially, aren’t hungry and when they just want to get out of eating something. This method provides a good test to determine which situation you’re dealing with.
Tip #6
At least once a week I do a “choose your own adventure” for dinner. I take a peek in my fridge/pantry and see what leftovers I need to use and create a meal. It’s amazing how much more food I have than I think I do. Instead of ordering in or going out, I have a few go-to recipes that work really well with leftovers or whatever I have on hand.
Fried Rice, with leftover protein, is a great option. Pasta works really well with all kinds of veggies, sauces and proteins. I always keep my pantry stocked with rice and pasta. In addition, I always have fixings for spaghetti and meatballs on hand and always keep greens stocked in my fridge, so I can throw together a quick salad to go with it. The frozen turkey meatballs from Trader Joes are a great, easy option (just heat through in your favorite sauce). Seasonal Tip - when you have time in the fall/winter – have a cozy afternoon making fresh meatballs. Enjoy them for dinner that night and freeze the rest. Store bought frozen meatballs are just fine, but fresh, homemade frozen meatballs are SO much better and just as easy to heat up in sauce, in a pinch. Feel free to reach out to me for any recipes mentioned in this tip!
Tip #7
I am a big fan of improvising with ingredients! For example, if a recipe calls for radicchio, but you don’t have any on hand, see what you do have on hand that might work. Arugula is a great option to substitute in this case. I’m always happy to help with substitution suggestions! Email or message me anytime and I’d be happy to offer tips. Also, try not to be so rigid with recipes. That is the beauty of cooking versus baking! Some ingredients cannot be left out, others can be left out or substituted with something you have on hand. Don’t skip a recipe just because you don’t have every single ingredient on hand. Improvise!
Tip #8
Entertaining tip - know your strengths and buy the part of the meal that is harder for you to make or that you enjoy making the least. For me this is dessert! I love making a good pumpkin or banana bread, but beyond that, fancy desserts are not my thing. First, most baking recipes are unforgiving and if you mess up even one little thing, the whole dessert could be ruined. Second, even when I do endeavor to make an impressive dessert, I get a little flustered, it takes a lot of effort, creates a big mess and the end result is always only okay. On the other hand, if I buy a beautiful dessert from a fabulous bakery, my guests are happy and I’m doubly happy because I get to enjoy the dessert without all the hassle! If preparing appetizers seems overwhelming, when you have a whole meal to cook, save time and stress and just buy a few things (salami, good cheeses, crackers, dried fruit, nuts, bunches of grapes, hummus/dips, veggies, etc.).
Tip #9
Lemon zest, orange zest and lime zest give a real zing to whatever you're cooking! Most people use the juice instead of the zest, but I’m telling you, the zest really punches up the flavor! For example, my sautéed green bean and asparagus recipe calls for lemon zest. If I were to use lemon juice, instead of zest, the lemon flavor would not be as bright, and the juice tends to turn the greens a bit brownish.
Tip #10
I love rustic entertaining! Centerpieces that incorporate the fruits, flowers and foliage of the season. Candles with scents of the season. Meals served on or in the pan or dish it was cooked in. There is less to clean and will put your guests/family at ease by skipping the fussy presentation on a fresh platter. Happy fall to all!
