Eats of Autumn: My Favorite Seasonal Foods

This is my favorite time of the year. As an adult my seasonal experience is more diminished living in San Francisco where we are fortunate enough to have year-round temperate climates. Not feeling like you’re actually experiencing the seasonal shifts as I remember as a kid living on the east coast does have its downside however. On the upside, we are very abundantly blessed with fresh, seasonal produce that does bring with it a feeling of autumn — and for that I am eternally grateful.

A stroll down the Embarcadero passing the Ferry building in San Francisco, where I live, on a farmers market day yields glimpses of colorful, seasonal produce which will leave your mouth watering.

I encourage you, if you’re not eating enough fresh produce, to use this season as a new opportunity to relish the flavors that Fall has to offer: a cornucopia of warming, grounding foods that can evoke feelings of comfort or perhaps nostalgia. Here are some recommended eats of autumn: my favorite seasonal foods.

Pumpkin

This one is more obviously adorned and eaten, mostly in the form of pie. Did you know that pumpkins are antioxidant-rich and a good source of carotenes which can convert to vitamin A in the body? If you’re using your orange curcubitae more for decorative purposes rather than consuming, be sure to at least save those seeds inside for roasting. Not only do they taste great sprinkled with some sea salt and maybe a pinch of cayenne but they are also a good source of fiber, zinc, and iron. Try making your own trail mix with the seeds by adding some cacao nibs, walnuts, dried cranberries and unsweetened shredded coconut flakes.

Pomegranates 

These can be a pain to eat if you’re not willing to put some elbow grease into extracting those bursting-seeds-of-flavor. But if you’ve ever peeled open your own pomegranate, you’ve realized it was well worth the effort. As is the case with most berries and brightly-hued veggies and fruits, pomegranates rank high in antioxidants. According to Dr. Mercola, there are three main types of antioxidant polyphenols present in this fruit: ellagic acid, anthocyanins, and tannins.

A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that pomegranate extract administered to a group of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis “alleviates disease activity and improves some blood biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress”. A simple PubMed search for pomegranate will pull up many other studies that have been done using this antioxidant-rich superfood.

If you’re lazy or trying to save time yet want to enjoy the health benefits of this tasty fruit, you might want to consider buying these ready-to-eat seeds from Trader Joe’s.

Leeks

Anytime I’m starting to come down with a cold, or just cold and trying to warm up, I crave soup with leeks. Keeping it simple with a leek and potato soup is a good start if you’re a first timer when it comes to cooking with this autumnal member of the allium family (onions and garlic). The white and lighter green portion of the leek is used most often because it contains more flavor rather than the top part of the stalk (darker green). If you’re looking for a cardioprotective food, look no further. Leeks are rich in folate which play a role in countering homocysteine in the body (you don’t want elevated levels), as well as an excellent source of vitamin K. If you’re unsure on how to use them and want to give them a go, replace onions with these greener family members next time and see if you notice a difference in your dish.

Brussels sprouts

I believe these crucifers are one of those vegetables that adults soon grow to love and enjoy once they’ve gotten over bad memories of the way they were eaten in childhood. Just like with many foods and especially vegetables, the way in which you cook them makes a big difference on the enjoyment and palatability scale. And how do you make these naturally bitter bite-sized mini cabbages taste less bitter? With fat, of course! Lots of butter or bacon fat and spices can make all the difference!

Be sure to add these delicious roast-worthy fall offerings to your grocery cart this season because they are packed full of nutrients like vitamin C, K, A, folate, manganese, potassium, and dietary fiber. They also contain sulfur compounds (as do other cruciferous vegetables) which increase the liver’s ability to produce enzymes that neutralize toxic substances. Read more here: http://www.chewgoodstuff.com/estrogen-dominance-nutrition/

Here’s a simple recipe and the way I prefer to cook them.

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Photo Credit: danbruell Flickr via Compfight cc

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References

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=26

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/10/pomegranates.aspx

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27577177

http://www.cuesa.org/food/leeks