Easy Ways to Celebrate the Tastes & Flavors of the Season
Outside of a few festivals and some decorations for the home around Thanksgiving, fall harvest has lost some of the meaning and spirit of celebration that it used to have in families. However, in recent years, the harvest has gotten back to its roots in cities and towns across the country. Now almost any community—from the very small to the extremely large—will have farmers markets offering seasonal produce, proteins and more that simply can’t be beat by the standard fare you find at your regular grocery store.
These local markets are giving harvest plenty back to fall and changing family menus for the better with fresh ingredients and new flavors. So how do you make the most out of the fall harvest?
Start by exploring the options you have for local harvest goods. This can be anything from farmers or festival markets, to open-to-the-public days at local farms and co-ops. You can also check grocery and specialty stores, as some may actually feature seasonal products. If possible though, local is always the best way to go, since it supports your local farming community and helps expand regional agriculture in your area. Check with your grocery store and they may have information about their seasonal products and if it’s grown locally or not.
Once you’ve found where to shop for harvest food, the next step is figuring out how you want to incorporate the food into your meal plans. If you’ve never gone to the market before, you may simply want to go without a list the first time and see what’s available. As you shop, you’re obviously going to find fresh, seasonal varieties of some ingredients that you use often like tomatoes and potatoes; these ingredients can simply be substituted in for the canned or processed varieties you use in your family’s favorite recipes.
In addition though, you may also find more unique and rare items that aren’t common or that you may have never used in a recipe. If you find an ingredient that catches your interest, buy a good amount of it, take it home and then look online or in the indexes of your favorite cookbooks to find exciting ways to cook it. This not only brings new dishes to your table, but it lets you get creative and feed your inner chef while supporting local growers.
This isn’t just true of fruits and vegetables, either. Depending on your area, these local markets can also include seasonal proteins, fish, cheeses, breads and even specialty sauces like fresh maple syrup or autumn-inspired dessert sauces. Just explore the aisles and see what you find, then let your creativity shine through in your cooking.
Once you have your fresh produce and other foods, along with a rough menu plan, make sure to prepare the ingredients fresh—within a few days of when you purchased. For some produce, you may want to consider doing fresh or raw preparations in your Black & Decker Food Processor, like seasonal salads with warm dressings that are perfect for fall or specialty lunch sandwiches that go way beyond bologna.
If you bought local meats or specialty breads, remember that these kinds of products are always easier to cut with an Electric Knife, so you get nice even slices that show off the quality of the ingredients. And of course, once you get to cooking, Black & Decker Cooking products help you make the most of these fresh ingredients, often in less time and with less hassle than your conventional appliances.
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