I wrote this post right after Labor day but couldn't actually publish it when I was melting from the intense heat! Today had a great slight breeze that I enjoyed waiting in the Bountiful Basket pickup line; how can I deny that fall is coming after today. Enjoy the post even if it's been a week or so in the making.
Labor Day has come and gone and that also means the summer has
slipped away quietly into the night. What does that mean for our basket loving
community….thankfully nothing at all!
What we know is that in season produce tends to be more
abundant and readily available, making them prime candidates for the Bountiful
Baskets crew to acquire for our baskets. I like all members have no idea
what to expect in the basket each week, but I do like to get an idea of what
types of produce are in season. We all attribute fall with apples and pumpkins,
but what else can we expect or hope to see in our baskets in the fall season.
I must admit that I turned to the internet to come up with
this list, you can view the complete list
here.
I must say that I stumbled on this site, but
I am really loving that all the nutrition information and a really good picture
is provided, this helps with the wildcard items (things that I have no clue
what they are) that show up in the basket each week. I also used this list
here
to come up with my compilation; I typically like to go to a major source (thank
you college literature teachers for making my paranoid about trusting
information on the internet) but I really liked this list and the blurb about
each item as it is a little friendlier.
As you
look over the list remember that we are very fortunate to be able to get a lot
of traditionally fall items year round, but they are traditionally a fall
item…think apples here. Ready here goes fall produce at it’s best:
Apples: We are lucky enough to have these in abundance year
round that it is easy to forget that fall is their time to shine.
Asian Pear: We have already been seeing and loving these the last few weeks.
Artichokes
Beets: I usually give these away when they make their
appearance in the juice packs, but I saw that you can cook and puree and add
them into baking items. Now I am sad that I have given them away all this time.
Broccoli: We saw case offerings early in the summer which
filled my freezer full of vacuum sealed blanched broccoli, but sweeter broccoli
is coming in the cooler weather.
Brussel Sprouts: You can love or not love these and we are
on the not love side. I still see the limp slimy attempt my mother made at
cooking these and am completely on the not love side and willingly trade them
with my super sweet neighbor who introduced me to Bountiful Baskets.
Cabbage: This was once on the not love side of the fence but
then during one of our lettuce emergency weeks I saw the head at the back of my
produce drawer and shredded it up into our salad. Once the mustard dressing I
made was on it no one knew better, well if they did they didn’t say anything!
Cauliflower: Super excited to see the case offering last
week, and the appearance in the last few baskets
Carrots: I am hoping these are a case offering again soon, I
got 25 lbs earlier this spring and shredded them all and now regret not making
slices for stews and carrot sticks.
Crab Apples: I haven’t even thought of these since moving
from up north where the largest crab apple tree grew in the neighbor’s front
yard when I was very young.
Cranberries: Give the cans a pass by this year and join me
in hoping these make an appearance in the baskets this fall.
Celery: Celery is a great addition to juicing or to your
freezer for easy stew additions, but this summer had some of the sharpest
a.k.a. bitter tasting celery that I can remember. I am excited to taste it in
the winter stews but don’t love the sharpness in my celery sticks. I am hoping
that the cool weather mellows this out and I can get some sweet celery and
maybe artichokes at the same time for some artichoke dip!
Chards, including Swiss Chard: This is a good friend of
mine’s and fellow basketeer’s favorite
new item that Bountiful Baskets introduced his family to; also sweeter in
cooler weather
Chiles:
We have already been seeing the amazing Hatch Chiles in our baskets!
Edamame: I see this just as a fancy way of saying soybeans
and I grew up with soybean fields but can’t say that I have ever eaten any!
Figs: Definitely something that I would like to try but
don’t know anything about unless they are in those semi yummy newton cookies.
Garlic: Make sure you store your garlic properly for
longevity….learn from my bad experience do not store it with measuring cups in
a canister on your counter as it will sprout and grow. Lesson not learned as I
type this I recall tossing it back in there after getting some while cooking
dinner last night.
Ginger: Perfect timing for cold season. Grated Ginger and
honey in hot water is a throat soother at my house. Before giving this to
children make sure your pediatrician is on board with it, mine thankfully is
fully supportive of it for mild colds.
Grapes: Is there ever a time when grapes aren’t a treat, but
they are sweetest in the Fall.
Guava
Green Beans: The addition of these into the basket this morning was a nice surprise and another sign that Fall is upon us.
Green Onions/Scallions: This is another Fall favorite that made it's appearance.
Herbs: I am hoping for some more Herb pack add ons as we saw
at the beginning of the growing season. I made herb cubes with coconut oil (these
are long gone) and dried some in my pantry which are very sparse these days.
Jalapeno Peppers: This is so abundant in our area that it’s
hard to remember that there is actually a season that they are abundant.
Kale: I have a love hate relationship with Kale and it
really depends on the day and the sweetness, but the good news is the cooler
weather supposedly keeps it sweet.
Kohlrabi: This hasn’t graced my table ever in the South so I
am hoping it makes an appearance.
Kumquats
Leeks
Lettuces: Much like Kale cooler weather keeps this sweet, so
maybe my family will eat it without drowning it in dressing.
Muscadine Grapes: I wanted these separate from the grapes so
I could tell you that until recently I thought these were a made up fruit, but
apparently we grew some when I was growing up; I remember the semi failed
attempt at growing grapes in the North but that is about it.
Mushrooms: How can you not love these even if they are a
cool weather loving fungus.
Okra: I have been drooling for a long time over all the
pictures of homegrown okra, but alas I have a black thumb and can not seem to
get anything to grow. Seriously I even make the plastic flowers lose petals in
my house.
Parsnips
Passion Fruit
Pear: This gal is very sad that I passed on the case
offering a few weeks ago and there hasn't been another case offering of pears since.
Pomegranates: I am super hopeful that we see these so I can
see if the fresh ones are better than the frozen ones I buy to add to our fruit
salad.
Persimmons
Pumpkin: Who thinks fall without these, but remember these
aren’t just for decorating. I love pumpkin seeds year round and have been
missing pumpkin butter since January!
Quince: This is a wild card but is on both lists and
supposedly makes great jellies and desserts….hello dessert! I will add this to
my list of items I hope we get.
Radicchio
Radishes: A great addition anytime we are lucky enough to
get them.
Rutabagas: Think stews and definitely a crock staple….even
though I tend to pass them by. I vow to use them in a crockin recipe should
these appear in the basket.
Sunflower Kernels: Much like pumpkin seeds a much overlooked
food item, I can’t see them being in the basket but wanted to include them on
the list since this is so often overlooked as a great snack item.
Spinach: Much like the other green leafy veggies these are
sweeter in the cooler months and are so versatile in so many recipes. Also very
mild if you are beginning juicing!
Sweet Potatoes: Can you say bring on the case offering
please! Great mashed with some cinnamon and butter (go lightly with butter if
you must add it in to allow the sweet flavor to shine). I cook the sweet
potatoes whole then scoop out the orange flesh and rough mash with a fork or
pastry blender.
Turnips
Squash: We all love to use it as decorations, but try to
step outside the box and give eating it a try once the Fall decorations have
been put away.
Zucchini: Some amazing zucchini has been in the basket the
past few weeks! Once I thought that it was only good for zucchini bread; but
just this past week I shredded it lengthwise, sautéed it with garlic and served
it with a few meatballs…amazing is all I can say and my kids loved it!
I have to admit there are a lot of items on the list online
that I have no clue what it is or what to do with it should it be in the
basket, but that is the best part. We can choose to enjoy or not enjoy a new
item when it appears without much work or planning.
I hope you are as excited about Fall as I am....if not just think that at least we won't be melting out in the TX heat while enjoying some sunshine!
Conventional Basket. I contributed for 2 conventional baskets because I knew 1 just would not be enough for my veggie loving family.
.jpg)
