Oh no…..its actually happening. The end of summer and fall is in the air. We are gearing up for shorter days, longer nights and cooler temperatures. While we normally start our days at 7:00AM when it is cooler during the summer, we will need to make adjustments because of the later sun rise. “Back to school” marks the beginning of new routines and signals a change in the way many cook from summer BBQ’s to fall stews, pot pies and soups. What foods should we be eating in autumn? Based on traditional Chinese medicine, its about eating seasonally and locally. The following should now be part of your fall diet: root vegetables, whole grains, legumes, green vegetables, hearty greens, fruit, fish and herbs.
Here is what you can expect this week:
Blue Plums Keep plums in the fridge in an open container in the crisper drawer. Some people place them in an old egg carton to reduce the possibility of bruising. Plums make a great crumble or plum cake. They bring bright, tangy flavour to salads or sauces and pair well with meat such as pork. We just like to eat them fresh from the tree.
Mustard Greens a bunch of Asian greens that are great chopped up in a stir fry or used raw in a salad. They work well in your smoothie too.
Beefsteak Tomatoes Big and juicy tomatoes, perfect sliced in a sandwich or burger. Also, juicing, salsas, dips and cold or hot sauces. Marc made a fantastic tomato soup with them yesterday and if you have a bit of dill left from last week it really goes well.
Yukon Gold Potatoes A good supply of fresh Yukon Gold potatoes. They have thin skins and yellow flesh. They are suitable for roasting, mashing, baked dishes along with soups and chowders.
Eggplant Enough for a stewed vegetable dish that originated in France called ratatouille. It uses onion, garlic, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and basil. Cook cubed eggplant in a pot with olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside and sauté the peppers, onions and garlic in the same pot with a bit more oil. Add back the eggplant along with herbs (fresh basil and dried oregano). Add more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes. Add chopped up tomatoes and after about 10 more minutes of cooking its ready. Garnish with fresh basil and swirl of olive oil.
Tomatillo Usually found in Mexican cooking, tomatillos are a great way to add bright flavour to salads, sauces, meat dishes and more. Remove the husk and enjoy their tart flavour. They lose that acidic edge when they are roasted. You may want to try a roasted tomatillo Salsa that is fantastic.
Basil Not only a great culinary herb, basil have many health benefits from reducing oxidative stress to helping with digestion.
Enjoy
