Now that the days are getting shorter and colder, it is time to shift the ingredients used in Jenn’s Cook Book to Fall. There is still plenty of fresh produce available, but these fruits and vegetables will be a bit heartier than the light tastes of summer. Recipes containing fresh, seasonal produce for Fall will now be in the new category Autumnal Delights. Like the Farmer’s Market category, this will include main dishes, sides, desserts or beverages made with Autumn’s most abundant produce. Below, I have compiled a list of some of Fall’s most popular items (with help from Real Simple magazine, Simply in Season, and Everyday Food).

Apples: varieties include Honey Crisp and Red Delicious, which are great eating out of hand, and MacIntosh, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith, which are slightly tart and great for baking. Although apples are usually available year-round, Michigan might as well be called Apple Country in the Fall. Look for apples in soups, baked desserts, and roasted with root vegetables or tenderloin.

Cabbage: available in red or green in the fall, and great for salads, soups, and slaws.

Carrots: another item usually available year-round that gets a spotlight in Autumn. Carrots are great in roasts, in soups, and in salads.

Cauliflower: look for bright white cauliflower, or new golden yellow or purple varieties as well. Both cauliflower and it’s green cousin broccoli flourish in the Autumn months. Try these crunchy veggies raw, roasted, or steamed.

Grapes: look for red, green, globe, concord and more (seedless or not). I love grapes, but I do not believe they are in any recipe on the website (unless you count raisins). Like apples, Michigan has tons of great grape varieties, especially with all of the lake-shore vineyards. I may try out grapes in some baked desserts.

Leeks: another item not yet found on Jenn’s Cook Book. Look for leeks possibly in soups or mixed with root vegetables for the Fall.

Mushrooms: really, always available but considered an Autumn item. Mushrooms are probably one of my favorite things to throw into a recipe, so there is a wide variety of recipes to come!

Parsnips: a root vegetable that looks like a pale carrot. Again, there are no recipes yet on the website to go with this Fall vegetable, but I definitely have plans for the parsnip.

Pears: Fall favorite, look for Anjou, Bartlett, or Bosc varieties, which hold there shape well when cooking. Pears need time to ripe, so purchase a few days before using. Pears are great for Autumn desserts, as well as tossed with roasted vegetables and pureed in soups. They are also delicious to eat out of hand, like apples.

Persimmons: a fruit I am not familiar with, but will be available in the Fall. This may or may not make it into some recipes.

Pomegranates: already featured on the website in juice form, fresh pomegranates will be available through winter (a great holiday fruit).

Sweet Potatoes: sometimes labeled yams by mistake, these orange potatoes are great broiled, baked, or roasted. This is one vegetable that can be used in both sweet and savory applications.

Winter Squash: includes Acorn, Butternut, Buttercup, and Pumpkins. Winter squash have tough skins, unlike summer squash like zucchini and yellow squash that have edible skins, and take much longer to cook. Varieties like butternut or pumpkin can be used in sweet dishes as well as savory. Look for cooking methods that take little preparation but longer time, like baking, roasting, simmering, or steaming. Also unlike summer squash, winter squash have seeds that should be removed before cooking.

Seasonal Flavors: with heartier produce comes heartier herbs for Autumn, such as bay leaf, coriander, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme. Also look for strong spices like cinnamon, cloves, curry, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, and turmeric. Other seasonal flavors include caramel, fennel, hazelnut, and pecan. Also look for chick peas, lentils, and red onions.

An adaptation from my Mexican Potatoes, this recipe combines the tastes of chili, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic and cayenne pepper with onion and potato.  

6 large potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 olive or vegetable oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425F

Wash and scrub potatoes. Use a knife to remove any bad spots and cut into wedges. Place all ingredients in a large, heavy-duty zip locked bag. Turn or shake bag until potato wedges and chopped onion are well coated in seasoning.

Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan. Spread potato mixture into an even layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender (depending on the size of the wedges), stirring every 15 minutes or so.

To serve: top with sour cream, green onions, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, peppers, and/or bacon bits.

From Cooking Light magazine, here is a great way to spice up chicken breast without adding fat to your dinner.

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp five-spice powder
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders

Preheat broiler

While broiler heats, combine hoisin, honey, vinegar, and oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and water, add to hoisin mixture, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, and remove from heat.

Combine salt and next 4 ingredients (through five-spice powder) and rub evenly over both sides of chicken. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray and arrange chicken in an even layer. Broil 5 minutes, then brush with hoisin mixture and broil another 4 minutes. Turn chicken and brush with remaining hoisin mixture, broil 4 minutes or until done.

Serve with heated hoisin sauce on the side, if desired.

From Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, a tasty dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. This recipe calls for trimmed boneless steak and you can either cut it yourself or look for pre-cut beef strips meant for stir-fry to save some time. Serve with rice of your choose, such as plain white, brown, or flavored such as Vigo’s Yellow Saffron Rice. This one is being added as one of James’ favorite.

3 oranges
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 lbs trimmed, boneless sirloin or rib-eye steak, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 to 2 tbsp oil
6 green onions, green parts only, cut into 1 inch pieces
rice, for serving

In a small bowl, finely grate the zest of one orange and squeeze the juice. Add minced garlic and soy sauce and mix.

With a sharp paring knife, peel the remaining 2 oranges. Slice the oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick and halve the slices. Remove any seeds.

In a medium bowl, toss the meat with the cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil as needed), brown the beef on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Pour the orange juice mixture into the skillet and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return beef to the skillet and add the orange slices and green onions. Toss until well coated and heated through. Serve hot, over rice.

Shown below, with yellow rice and Indian-Style Asparagus:

An easy side dish, here is Turmeric-mania Recipe #7. This is fast and flavorful, using just a touch of spice. Please welcome a Jenn Original Recipe!

2 bunches asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

Cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces, discarding any tough ends. Heat oil in a large sauce pan or pot over medium heat. Add spices and heat for 30 seconds. Add asparagus and about 1/4 cup water. Toss asparagus until well coated.

Bring to simmer and cover, adding more water if needed. Steam for 5-7 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper, tossing well. Serve immediately.