Fall's Bounty

We know that with the onset of cooler weather that there is a bounty of fruits and veggies, plus the cool weather loving leafy veggies are sprouting leaving us with watering mouths waiting for sweet greens.

I forgot which week this basket is from, but I loved the asparagus
and apples.

I have been loving the greens and Fall bounty in my last several baskets with all the greens balanced by the sweetness of the tree fruit.

Whenever I get to the pickup site and see all the leafy greens, I know that there are lots of great salads in my future. I have been mixing the leafy greens with sweet fruits and mixing in some dried fruit for some delicious and decadent salads.

My all time favorite salad is still mixed leafy greens, corn, black beans, topped with salad.


I also have been juicing for my own personal health goals which is perfectly timed with Fall. I want to update the list of Fall vegetable that I shared awhile back to let you know which vegetables we have been receiving in our baskets. Below is my previous list and my current thoughts.

Apples: We have been receiving some of the sweetest apples from a wide variety, including case offerings. 

Asian Pear: We have continued to see these and I am loving them in juices.

Artichokes

Beets: We received some amazing golden beets a few weeks ago and I actually sought out more at our local farmers market.

Broccoli:

Brussel Sprouts:

Cabbage:

Cauliflower:

Carrots: I have been thankful that we are continuing to see these in our baskets. We have been using a ton of carrots in our juices and are truly buying them in bulk right now.

Crab Apples:
 

Cranberries:

Celery: Celery has been a welcome addition. I still do not like celery in my juices but I have been cooking with it more than ever.

Chards, including Swiss Chard:

Chiles: These are definitely making their appearance.

Edamame:

Figs:

Garlic: I continue to store my Garlic improperly but still use it more than most people and hope it keeps coming.

Ginger: I have been loving the heat that Ginger brings to my tea and juices but there doesn't ever seem to be enough of it in the basket. So it remains on my perpetual grocery list.

Grapes:

Guava

Green Beans:

Green Onions/Scallions: I have been enjoying seeing at least one of these each week and just had an eye opening conversation about these with a great friend. Growing up my mother would only use the bottoms, but my friend's mother would only use the tops. So as adults we do the exact same thing as our mothers; I have broadened my horizon and have since began using the entire stalk and wowzers!

Herbs: We still haven't seen these in any massive amount and I am definitely on the edge of my seat waiting for some.

Jalapeno Peppers: I haven't seen these yet this fall but I can't imagine not getting them.

Kale: We have had some great kale since the cooler weather.

Kohlrabi:

Kumquats

Leeks

Lettuces: These have been out of this world sweetness.

Muscadine Grapes:

Mushrooms: These have been making their appearance and I have been experimenting with them in some new dishes that I have been making.

Okra:
 

Parsnips

Passion Fruit

Pear: These have been a regular, especially the Bosc, Red, and Bartlett varieties.

Pomegranates: These made their appearance a few weeks in a row and have been welcomed in our salads and afternoon snack attacks.

Persimmons: I have to admit that I hadn't ever seen a persimmon, but after 2 baskets in a row having them I now have several in my refrigerator and am looking for a great recipe to use them up.

Pumpkin: These are definitely an item we have seen and loved. I have a white and pie pumpkin that I have to cook and mash. I heard that the stringy insides are great dehydrated and ground up to use as an addition to soups and stews. Wow why didn't I think of that!

Quince:

Radicchio

Radishes:

Rutabagas:
 

Sunflower Kernels:

Spinach: These are much like the lettuces and I always love getting them!

Sweet Potatoes:

Turnips

Squash: These have been super stars the last few weeks in our meals. I love that they are so versatile and can be used in raw as well as cooked dishes.
 

Zucchini: If you have never tried stuffed zucchini then let me say they are a great main or side dish.


Regardless of what is in the basket each week, I plan my meals around what we receive and in this I am another step closer to my goal of bettering my family's health through what we eat.