A BOUNTY OF AUTUMN: EXPLORING THE SEASON’S FINEST FALL PRODUCE
By Linda Kissam “Food, Wine & Shopping Diva”
As the leaves change color and the air turns crisper, autumn brings a vibrant array of seasonal produce that delights the palate and the senses. From hearty root vegetables like sweet potatoes and parsnips to fragrant herbs like sage and thyme, fall harvests offer a bounty of flavor. Join me on a special culinary journey of a few autumnal offerings, exploring the diverse and delicious world of fall produce. Melissa’s/World Variety Produce kindly offered samples to let me taste through these offerings.
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Linda Kissam talks with Robert Schueller of Melissa’s Specialty Produce about their fall produce and specialty seasonal snack items. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean.
THIS AUTUMN’S TASTE POINTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Muscato Grapes (red, green, black) – Muscato™ grapes vary in color from green to red to black and are hybrids of some special seedless grape varieties. They make a perfect fall snack with their crisp texture and mouthwatering, juicy interior.
Variety Winter Squash – Squash comes in a beautiful array of tasty colors and tastes. The versatility of squash for cooking (bake, boil, mash, puree, steam, simmer, stir-fry, stuff, grill, or microwave it) and for attractive, seasonal table displays, make them a must-have for your fall and winter festivities. Try the Gold Nugget, Sweet Dumpling, Butternut, Spaghetti, Acorn, Delicata, Carnival, Buttercup, and Kabocha varieties.
Pink Pumpkins– A new hybrid variety, Porcelain Doll pumpkins have a light pink skin and vibrant orange interior. Note that a nationwide cancer prevention campaign for retailers has been organized by its developers to coincide with the harvest of this crop. A donation to breast cancer research for every pink pumpkin sold is contributed to the Pink Pumpkin Patch set up exclusively for this project.
Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes – Dutch Yellow® Potatoes or DYPs®, are grown in nutrient-rich volcanic soil, DYPs® are produced under the best conditions possible. These potatoes are round with golden yellow skin and creamy yellow flesh. DYPs® have a rich texture with a mixture of buttery and nutty flavors and the perfect amount of starchiness. Naturally resistant to greening and sprouting, they’re convenient to use and have a great shelf life. Look for the purple and red ones also.
Chocolate Persimmons – When you bite into a ripe one, the perfectly balanced sweet and juicy flesh offers a surprise; the inside is brown, like chocolate! Small quantities of alcohol release into the flesh from the seeds, causing the tannins to respond and turn the pulp brown. The result? A rich, distinctive flavor featuring an attractive spicy complexity, unlike any other persimmon you’ve tried. Chocolate Persimmons can be enjoyed when firm like an apple or soft like a peach. When firm, add slices to fresh green salads or toast with ricotta cheese. When soft, scoop out the flesh for baked treats.
Pomegranates – One of the world’s oldest known fruits, inside the fruits are seed clusters. These small red seeds are packed with health-supporting antioxidants along with deliciously sweet, tart juice. Although native to Persia (now Iran), pomegranates have become a worldwide culinary necessity, whether they’re used to garnish green salads or used as a base for jelly, sorbets, and cocktails.
SOME OTHER ITEMS TO TRY ON YOUR FOODIE TASTE ADVENTURE:
Crepe Snax – French-inspired fruit-filled Crêpe Snax™! Each snack-sized crêpe is just 100 calories and made with simple ingredients – no high fructose corn syrup. Plus, they’re peanut-free! Flavors include banana, mango, papaya, and pineapple. No prep needed – just unwrap and relish!
Chile & Lime Seasoning – Made from a simple blend of ingredients like hot chile peppers, oil of lime, and sea salt the result is a flavor trifecta. Try it on freshly cut mango or crunchy jicama, but it also does wonders at flavoring savory foods; try it in a big pot of cooked black beans or use it to season your taco meat and fajitas. And don’t forget about libations. Try using it to rim the glasses for your next batch of margaritas!
Green Hatch Pepper Cashews – Classic, creamy cashew flavor with the signature smoky heat of Hatch peppers is undeniably delicious.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CASSEROLE
A Recipe from Melissas.com that serves 8-10. Prep Time: 15 Minutes. Cook Time: 45 Minutes.
Ingredients
3 cups butternut squash, cooked and mashed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine, melted
8 ounces pineapple, crushed with juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.
Combine the butternut squash, white sugar, brown sugar, margarine, pineapple, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg.
Mix well and pour into casserole dish.
Sprinkle with chopped nuts and bake for 40 – 45 minutes.
As background, Melissa’s has been delivering to the global market since 1984 and is currently the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States. They operate out of a 330,000-square-foot facility located in Los Angeles, outfitted with conventional and organic fresh fruits and vegetables, value-added goods, and a state-of-the-art CCOF/QAI-certified organic packing facility. Learn more and check out their recipe library and produce prep tips at https://www.melissas.com/
Eat well and eat healthy. Diva out!
Linda Kissam ‘Food, Wine & Shopping Diva’ is a professional travel, food, and wine writer based out of Arizona and the Pacific Northwest, who specializes in easy, breezy destination stories sharing her favorite things about the places she visits. Visit www.AllInGoodTaste.info.
