Recipes that Celebrate Fall Vegetables

If you’ve tended a vegetable garden through spring and summer, autumn is the perfect time to harvest your bounty at the peak of freshness and flavor. While everyone goes gaga for pumpkin spice, you could enjoy the savory heartiness of homemade soups and stews, the stick-to-your-ribs warmth of a vegetable casserole, and the crispness of a homegrown garden salad.  Make the most of your garden-grown vegetables with various simple recipes. Plus, learn how to complement each dish with fresh-baked sourdough bread. Nourish your belly and your soul by creating dishes that celebrate flavorful Fall vegetables!

Hearty Soups and Stews to Warm You Up

As the weather cools, there’s nothing more satisfying than a stomach full of homemade soup or stew, using your hearty garden vegetables as the perfect base. Carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and leeks—all could be used to make a creamy soup (with a hint of ginger or other herbs and spices) for a comforting one-pot meal with leftovers.

Classic Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

• One butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One chopped onion
• Two cloves of garlic, minced
• Four cups of vegetable broth
• One teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Toss the butternut squash cubes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender.

In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.

Add the roasted squash, vegetable broth, and cumin to the pot.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes, then blend in a blender or emulsifier until smooth.

Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Carrot Ginger Soup

• Six large carrots, peeled and chopped
• One chopped onion
• Two cloves of garlic, minced
• One tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
• Four cups of vegetable broth
• One-half cup coconut milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, sauté onion, garlic, and ginger until fragrant.

Add chopped carrots and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until carrots are tender.

Blend the soup until smooth. Stir in coconut milk, salt, and pepper.

Serve warm, garnished with fresh herbs if desired.

Satisfying Casseroles for Cozy Fall Evenings

When evenings get chilly, a hot casserole can be the perfect comfort food to warm your tummy (and heart). The following casseroles are autumnal favorites. Share them with loved ones to strengthen bonds and deepen appreciation for sustainable cooking and seasonal vegetables.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

• One spaghetti squash
• One pound ground turkey
• One chopped onion
• Two cloves of garlic, minced
• One can of crushed tomatoes
• One teaspoon dried oregano
• One cup of shredded mozzarella
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half, remove the seeds, and bake face-down on a baking sheet for 40 minutes.

In a skillet, brown the ground turkey with onion and garlic.

Mix in crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper, simmer for 10 minutes.

Scrape out the spaghetti squash strands and combine with the tomato mixture.

Transfer to a baking dish, top with mozzarella, and bake for 20 minutes until bubbly.

Roasted Fall Vegetables: Simple, Delicious, and Nutritious

Did you know that roasting fall vegetables brings out their natural sweetness? Roast carrots, beets, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (or fresh rosemary and thyme). The veggies will crisp and caramelize, perfect for side dishes or as a topping for hearty autumn grain bowls.

Honey-Roasted Carrots

• One-pound carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into sticks
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• Two tablespoons honey
• One tablespoon of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Toss carrots with olive oil, honey, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through, until caramelized and tender.

Fall Salads: Packed with Nutrients, Flavor, and Crunch

Salads can be an anytime food when you add seasonal veggies. Use a base of kale or arugula, then add roasted butternut squash cubes, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, chopped walnuts, and crumbled feta or goat cheese. Dress with a light vinaigrette, like olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Crunchy, satisfying, nutritious, and delicious!

Creative Uses for Squash: Beyond the Basic Pumpkin Pie

One of autumn’s most versatile vegetables, squash goes way beyond basic pumpkin pie (yes, pumpkin is a type of squash). Try using acorn or kabocha squash as a base for curries, pairing spaghetti squash with a hearty meat sauce, or roasting delicata squash to dip with herb-seasoned yogurt sauce. Of course, if you’re a traditionalist, you can bake a classic pumpkin pie for dessert.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

• One butternut squash, peeled and sliced
• One package of cooked lasagna noodles
• One bag of fresh spinach
• Two cups of ricotta cheese
• Two cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• One cup of grated parmesan cheese
• Three cups marinara sauce
• Two cloves of garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Layer lasagna noodles, marinara sauce, sliced butternut squash, spinach, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella in a baking dish.

Repeat layers until ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Harvest Vegetable Pot Pie

• One small butternut squash, peeled and cubes
• Two chopped carrots
• Two chopped parsnips
• One cup of chopped green beans
• One chopped onion
• Two cloves of garlic, minced
• Three cups of vegetable broth
• One-fourth cup of flour
• One cup of milk or cream
• One sheet pie crust
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a pot, sauté onions and garlic until translucent.

Add squash, carrots, parsnip, and green beans, cooking until partially tender.

Stir in flour, cook for 1-2 minutes.

Gradually add vegetable broth, stirring until the mixture thickens.

Add milk or cream, salt, and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Pour vegetable mixture into a baking dish. Cover with pie crust, crimping the edges.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.

Perfect Pairings: Enjoy Fall Vegetables with Fresh Sourdough

Imagine a warm, crusty chunk of sourdough bread torn off a fresh-baked loaf and dipped to sopping into a homemade bowl of autumn vegetable stew. Or maybe you prefer a thick slice covered in home-churned butter. While making your bread may seem daunting, the process is easier than you think, and you reap the benefits of knowing how to supplement your meals with a yummy hunk of carbs whenever you please.

 

Sign up for one of the four sourdough classes at Stoney Creek Farm in Tennessee. From loaves to cinnamon rolls, we teach you how to further your sustainable lifestyle with fresh-baked bread that is as satisfying as it is mouthwatering.