During the harvest season, there’s lots of fresh produce available that you can use in your harvest season meals.
While making everyday meals might not adequately convey what a true kitchen witch does, I think there’s a little kitchen witch in all of us. The harvest season is the perfect time for making a little of that practical sort of magick through your cooking, don’t you think?
Now getting into your kitchen and whipping up a pumpkin pie, a fresh loaf of homemade bread or an apple crisp might not qualify you for elite chef status, but, for this green witch, using the bounty of the harvest season is a reward all its own.
In this post, there’s a bit of inspiration for using fresh, in-season ingredients for your harvest season meals, plus, I’ve linked to a few of my favorite (although not strictly seasonal) recipes down below.
In-Season Joy – Inspiring Your Harvest Season Meals
My top priorities in life include creating and maintaining peace, flow and joy in my life. Along with a focus on clean food, in-season fruits and vegetables have become a part of that focus. I always buy locally grown, organic items if they’re available since living as sustainably as I can is also a priority.
For me, eating in-season fruits and vegetables is about creating joy.
Fresh Fruits
What’s in season where you are might vary a bit from what’s on this list, depending on where you live. This list features in-season items for the northeastern United States.
Everything listed here can be fantastic as snacks, desserts and even in main dishes.
Apples
Apples are my favorite fall fruit, and I can’t even pick a favorite variety. I love them all.
You can’t buy an apple any other time of the year that will be sweeter or juicer than a fresh, fall season apple.
You can choose from a wide variety of types and each will have its own characteristics and uses.
Here’s a few ways to add apples into your harvest season meals and snacks:
- Apple slices + peanut butter (or almond butter). I think this is the perfect snack.
- Apples can be added to your morning oatmeal or baked into a pie. Baked apples are a favorite in my home plus they’re easy to make. With a little more effort, you might go for apple dumplings.
- For a healthier option than pie, try apple slices drizzled with caramel sauce with a few dark chocolate chips sprinkled on top.
- Add apples to your green salad or make up a Waldorf Salad.
Cranberries
Cranberries are a staple at many Thanksgiving dinners, but they are good any time of the year.
They can be made into juice or used as toppers for ice cream or frozen yogurt, added to a fall salad or made into cranberry sauce. I love to make homemade cranberry sauce and serve it with chicken or turkey.
Need some inspiration? Here’s a website (The Roasted Root) that has a lot of great recipes. Here’s a whole bunch of ideas for using cranberries in your meals from sauces to cocktails.
Pears
Pears are another fall season staple. Enjoy them on their own or add them to your salads. They’re even good done up on the grill with your fall barbecue.
Beyond Harvest Season Meals: Preserving the Harvest
Of course, you might also want to preserve some of these fruits for use over the winter months. Here’s some ideas to inspire you to do just that:
- Applesauce to can or freeze
- Dried Apples
- Dried Cranberries
- Apple pie filling
- Apple Butter
- Pear Butter
- Jelly made from any of them
Vegetables to Try in Your Fall Season Meals
Pumpkin and Butternut Squash
These two are synonymous with fall. But there’s also spaghetti squash, yellow squash and zucchini available right now too. Any of these can be made into dishes for your harvest season menu.
I think it can be tough to come up with creative ways to use them though. So, here’s a couple of clever ideas to help you create some unique fall dinners using them.
Spaghetti With Pumpkin and Nuts
For this one, skip the traditional tomato sauce for your pasta. Cook spaghetti noodles and toss with a little light olive oil. You can then mix in some of your favorite fall vegetables, such as greens like spinach, and some chopped pieces of cooked pumpkin or butternut squash. You can then flavor it with nuts like pine nuts and walnuts. No other sauce is needed, which makes this a light dinner that is perfect for the fall season.
Maybe you’d rather go with a twist on an old favorite, like this one:
Spinach and Squash Lasagna
This lasagna relies heavily on vegetables instead of having a lot of cheese inside.
Most of the layers are going to contain butternut squash and other vegetables you like. Try spinach and tomato. Just one of the layers will have the cheese mixture, which makes this a healthier and lighter dinner choice.
More Fall Season Vegetables
These are all available right now and are perfect for main dishes, side dishes, freezing, canning, salads and soups. Give them a try in your harvest season meals.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Artichokes
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Beets
- Arugula
- Okra
- Mushrooms
- Celery
- Green beans
- Kale
Summary
There’s so many fruits and vegetables available in the fall season that you can use in your harvest season meals (and in your spellwork too!
If one of these is new to you, give it a try in your menus to see how else you might use it. Simplicity is a staple here at Ravynwood and I usually choose simple recipes and cooking methods too.
Try to mix up your menus by using different types of fruits and vegetables that are in season this fall and explore new recipes as part of your seasonal celebrations.
Enjoy the harvest season and your harvest season meals! Cheers!
Blessed be.
Some of my favorite recipes:
Fresh Bread – my grandmother’s recipe
You might like these posts too:
How to Create Your Green Witch Book of Seasons
Karen
