As I walk this morning, there is a slight chill in the air and fall is here. The green of the summer marsh will fade and soon beautiful shades of amber and gold will be scattered throughout this Lowcountry landscape.
There is a shift from the cooling and hydrating summer produce to the grounding and warming foods of fall. I am always inspired and excited to see all the varieties of squash and root vegetables. There is an abundance of beautiful roots, tubers, and bulbs that soak up nutrients from the soil and nourish us. They are packed with phytonutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. The mineral-rich vegetables inspire me to get busy in the kitchen after the freedom of summer.
Charlotte Hardwick
When we eat seasonally, we are eating produce at its peak and we are also eating food to bring our bodies into balance. Now, we are shifting away from the bright and vibrant colors of summer (peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, corn, and peaches) to a more earthy, muted palette of root vegetables to ground and nourish us from the inside out. Cooking and eating to stay warm and nourished is something I wholeheartedly believe in. It is what I practice and what I teach.
We usher in fall with apples, pears, and figs that are the perfect antidote to clear accumulated heat from the body. This is a way to prevent end of summer colds that are so common. Once again, nature provides the perfect way to bring balance and help us go in strong to the season. Next comes all the root vegetables and varieties of pumpkin and squash. Fall is a wonderful time to focus on using these vegetables for stews and soups. They are all delicious, but there seems to be nothing that excites everyone more than pumpkin – pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soups, pumpkin everything!
I am sharing here a butternut squash soup that both looks and tastes like pumpkin and is delicious, healthy, and a wonderful way to use butternut squash as an easy alternative to finding and cooking with pumpkin if they are hard to find.
Both are nutrient dense and high in vitamins A, C, and E as well as beta carotene, potassium, antioxidants, and fiber.
BLENDER PUMPKIN MUFFINS
2 cups oats
1 cup pumpkin
6 ounces Greek yogurt
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons of your favorite spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon)
Blend together, then pour in lined muffin tin and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Option: You can also stir in 1 cup of nuts, chocolate chips, or raisins after blending.
GRAIN FREE PUMPKIN MUFFINS
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup coconut or brown sugar
2 1/4 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
Mix together wet ingredients.
Stir the dry ingredients.
Pour dry over wet. Stir until well combined.
Pour into greased or lined muffin cups and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden.
We love these muffins with a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte
PUMPKIN COOKIES
Makes 18 small cookies or 12 larger ones
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup coconut or brown sugar
1 1/2 cups almond flour
4 tablespoons oat flour (blended oats)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
Mix together wet ingredients.
Stir the dry ingredients.
Pour dry over wet. Stir until well combined.
Roll into balls. (I use a small scoop that is 2 tablespoons.)
Press down gently onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350°.
Let cool before eating.
