The arrival of autumn brings changes to our plates.
Autumnal cuisine allows us to rediscover recipes full of flavor and color every year.
Among the most popular autumn vegetables are mushrooms, squash, potatoes, cabbages, parsnips, and carrots.
Star of the season: colorful, rich in vitamins, and sweet, the sweet potato also brightens up our seasonal dishes!
Color in our dishes and a gentle fragrance of spring
Red kuri squash, butternuts, pumpkins, pears, apples, chestnuts… This season is an invitation to culinary discovery and a vitamin boost. Nature offers us a beautiful palette of flavors and different textures. It’s an ideal time to create original dishes.
Seasonal Fruits: Apples and Pears
Apples set the tone! Green, red, yellow, purple, or pink, each apple has its own peculiarity. Whether soft or tangy, to bite into or in compote, they are highly appreciated for their taste and are harvested from July to November.
The favorite fruit of the French, they have two ripening dates: a picking ripeness and a consumption ripeness. Picked from July to November, they can be consumed year-round.
Pears, on the other hand, ripen long after they’re harvested. They are rich in fiber and antioxidants. Juicy and low in calories, they contain a lot of water. Pears can be eaten raw or cooked, pan-fried, or roasted. There are over 2,000 varieties, though only about a dozen can be found in French markets, such as Williams, Passe-Crassane, Conference, Comice Doyenne, and Doctor Jules Guyot.
To prevent pear flesh from browning after being cut, it is recommended to drizzle it with lemon juice to prevent oxidation and preserve its color.
Root Vegetables: Carrots, Turnips, and Parsnips step by step
These are rich in fiber and vitamins. They boost our immune system. Long forgotten, parsnips have made a comeback on our tables, as have rutabagas and Jerusalem artichokes. If the parsnip is organic, just brush it without peeling. Its tops, like those of carrots, are edible.
TIP: Sauté them in olive oil with garlic and chili. Delicious! Or make a velvety soup by cooking them in chicken broth and blending with a dash of cream.
Parsnip Recipe Idea
Recipe for Roasted Parsnip Soup with Garlic and Cream
Serves 4
- 6 to 8 large parsnips
- 1 onion
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 liter of hot vegetable broth
- 15 cl of warm liquid cream
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Peel and chop the parsnips into large pieces.
Peel and slice the onion.
On a baking sheet, mix the parsnips with the unpeeled garlic cloves, onion, olive oil, and rosemary. Salt and pepper.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the parsnips begin to brown and become tender. Remove the rosemary.
Let cool for a few minutes, then press the garlic cloves to extract the roasted flesh. Blend the parsnips, onion, and garlic, adding the broth and cream gradually.
The Abundance of Squashes: Pumpkins, Butternuts, and Gourds
Squashes are full of benefits.
Red kuri squash (smaller than pumpkin) with its sweet flesh brings a gentle color to our dishes. Butternut squash is also an ideal ingredient for making delicious creamy soups. Its sweet taste is addictive! Its orange flesh is rich in beta-carotene, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins!
Squashes can be prepared in various ways: turned into soups, gratins, and fillings for savory or sweet pies.
Pumpkin: Stored in a dry, cool, and well-ventilated place, pumpkins can be kept whole for several months. Once cut, they can be stored for three to four days in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer.
Did you know? Pumpkins and squashes are often confused with the more orange and rounder pumpkin, very popular in the U.S. but mainly used for decorative purposes during Halloween.
Whether in pies, baked in foil, or mashed, this rustic vegetable is mostly eaten cooked and can be used in numerous recipes.
It can be prepared in various ways: baked, sautéed in a pan (to accompany game or poultry), chopped into small cubes and simmered in broth before being blended into soup.
Pumpkin cooking time: 25 minutes in water for a soft texture or 30 minutes in the oven (depending on the size of the cuts).
Combination Ideas
Pumpkin and Bacon Cake / Tart
To give flavor and strength to this beautiful vegetable, combine it with smoked bacon or chorizo in a cake or tart.
Pumpkin Lasagna
Replace the pasta with strips of zucchini, fill with roasted pumpkin, replace the béchamel sauce with chicken or vegetable broth. Use tomato purée and a cheese of your choice.
Cabbages: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green Cabbage…
Cauliflower: orange, green, white, purple, Romanesco… is very nutritious and rich in fiber. It is one of the least caloric vegetables of the season. Everything is edible! Its leaves and core (edible raw). The cauliflower family is extensive, and its seasonality varies, with summer, autumn, and winter varieties!
Three-quarters of the national production is grown in Brittany. The sediment carried by the sea breeze makes the land more fertile. Brittany ranks first as France’s vegetable-growing region.
How to cook cauliflower leaves?
Similar to lettuce leaves, cauliflower leaves can be eaten raw in a vinaigrette salad. They can also enhance your salads as crispy chips.
Easy recipe: toss cauliflower leaves in a bowl with a pinch of paprika, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake on a tray at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes. You’ll get delicious crispy chips for your salads. No waste!
Autumn Staple: Chestnuts
Chestnuts are a must-have in autumn. They are perfect as side dishes but also as main ingredients in cakes, yule logs, ice cream, and custard desserts. They are in season from October to December. A very nutritious nut, they can also be enjoyed in salads. Chestnuts are fresh fruits and thus very delicate, sensitive to humidity and heat. Store them in a vegetable drawer for 7 to 8 days maximum.
AOP: In 2014, the Ardèche chestnut obtained the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). This quality label protects three products: chestnut flour, dried chestnuts, and fresh chestnuts.
AT THE TABLE!
Autumn Recipes
Traditional autumn recipes
Beef Bourguignon is one of the favorite recipes of the French. With slow, gentle cooking, you get a stew worthy of old-fashioned recipes. It takes at least 3 hours of cooking to achieve results worthy of this classic’s reputation.
Beef Bourguignon Recipe
For 4 people:
½ head of garlic
1 carrot
1 onion
1 kg of neck and beef cheek
75 cl of robust red wine
25 g of butter
10 cl of oil
200 g of smoked bacon lardons
200 g of button mushrooms
Bay leaf
Thyme
1 heaping tablespoon of flour
Beef Bourguignon Preparation Steps
The day before: peel the onions, garlic, and carrots. Slice the onions and carrot into 2 cm wide pieces. Cut the meat into 4 cm cubes. Marinate the beef pieces in 75 cl of wine with the thyme, garlic cloves, onions, bay leaf, and carrot.
On the day: drain the meat and reserve the marinade. Sprinkle the beef cubes with flour. Melt the butter with the oil in a Dutch oven, place the beef inside, and brown the cubes on each side. Add the marinade (except for the carrot) and simmer for 3 hours, covered, on low heat.
40 minutes before the end of cooking, add the carrot slices.
In a pan, brown the lardons and set aside. Sauté the sliced button mushrooms in the same pan.
Add the lardons and mushrooms at the end of cooking.
Serve with potatoes.
F.A.Q.
What are the advantages of seasonal eating?
Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables in autumn has many advantages. They are more nutritious, containing more vitamins and minerals. Autumn fruits and vegetables are harvested at their peak maturity, so they contain optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. Eating these fresh foods contributes to a healthy, balanced diet suited to the climate and nutritional needs of the season.
How do autumn fruits and vegetables support the local economy?
In addition to being affordable, buying seasonal products directly supports local farmers and producers. Short supply chains are encouraged, and the regional economy is strengthened. It also helps preserve culinary traditions and specialties, providing a stable source of income for rural communities.