Fall Back into the Kitchen

The fall equinox brings shorter days and less light. As the temperature begins to dip, you start to feel the crispness of fall and it’s time to head back into the kitchen for simple home-cooked meals. Seasons create the ideal setting for what’s cooking in my kitchen. Meals turn from light to hearty and warming.

The cold weather creates the need for grounding foods that help us stay balanced during the winter months. According to Ayurvedic principles, root vegetables ground, support and nurture our energies. Fall produce from your local farmer’s markets are brimming  with a colorful variety of root vegetables including beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabagas and turnips.

Cooking techniques change too. When there is a nip in the air, I immediately start craving hearty soups and stews using warming spices like ginger, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Out comes my slow cooker, perfect for chili’s, stews and soups and on goes my oven for roasting all of falls bounty.

Eating seasonally gives you the most flavor and abundant nutritional value at the lowest cost. For the greatest freshness, look for produce that is grown locally and support your local farmers.