Just because summer has ended doesn’t mean all the fresh vegetables are gone until next year. Fortunately, there are plenty of fall vegetables to enjoy.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
One big benefit of many of the traditional vegetables we associate with the autumn season is their nutritional value. They contain a whole encyclopedia of vitamins and nutrients. And they're usually low in calories.
Whether you planted a backyard garden, a cinder block garden, or you just stocked up at the grocery store, it's important to know how to prepare veggies that grow in your fall vegetable garden.
Here are some of my family's favorite fall vegetables and a few ways to prepare them. Give them a try this season.
Favorite Fall Vegetables
Acorn Squash
Acorn squash offers several important nutrients, including Vitamin C. The squash gets its name because the shape resembles an acorn - it is just much larger.
Look for one without any spots or cracks. Choose an acorn squash that appears dull in color and feels heavy.
Prepare your acorn squash easily by baking it in the oven. Simply preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Next, cut the acorn in half and remove the insides. Drizzle olive oil on the flesh, season with salt and pepper, and bake in a greased casserole for 45 minutes or until tender.
If your garden plans include several acorn squashes, look for unique ways to prepare squash. Then, preserve your extra vegetables by freezing them. Since this squash is one of my favorite fall vegetables, we enjoy baked acorn squash later in the autumn or as a side dish for cozy winter meals.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts get a bad rap because they smell weird. However, they offer us vitamins C and K, among other nutrients.
If your fall garden included brussel sprouts, you're in luck. I haven't yet found a way to keep them alive in my northern garden. Yet they go on sale here in the autumn, so we buy them to freeze for later.
Brussels sprouts belong to the cruciferous vegetable family. My kids think they look like tiny green cabbages. One big bonus is that they're very easy to prepare when time is short.
Simply cut enough Brussel sprouts for your meal in half. Lay them in a buttered or oiled saucepan (pot).
Next, sprinkle them with balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, melted butter, organic coconut oil, or even olive oil. and lay them in a saucepan prepared with melted butter or olive oil.
Cook them for 12 to 15 minutes while covered and over medium-low heat. When they are done, they should be tender and will have a rich, nutty, and buttery flavor.
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Butternut Squash
And another great fall vegetable from the squash family!
Orange-colored butternut squash has a pear-like shape. It has been gaining in popularity recently because it's nutritious, filling, and low-calorie. The mild flavor makes it a good low-carb substitute for wheat pasta.
Just like acorn squash, pick ones without bruises and blemishes and that feel heavier than they look. Butternut squash is a good source of B-complex vitamins and Vitamin A.
Now, we love butternut squash, so last year, my youngest daughter and I planted five squash seeds in our garden as part of our homeschool gardening activities. She was thrilled when those seeds sprouted with our 20+ hours of daylight this summer.
We had heard that butternut squash was among the easiest vegetables for the kids to grow. However, we didn't get any fruit.
It appears we have a pollination problem. So I told her that next year, we will plant flowers around the butternut squash in the garden.
And you know what? She does not want to wait. She wants to try growing squash in containers indoors.
Last winter, we grew beans indoors using seeds from our homeschool science kit. We have had good luck growing herbs indoors, starting tomatoes from seeds indoors, and even growing peppers. It looks like we will give butternut squash a try, too.
We enjoy butternut squash in our soups, stews, and chili recipes. Sometimes, we simply cube it, drizzle maple syrup over it, and bake it in the oven.
Pumpkin
A post about favorite fall vegetables wouldn't feel complete without mentioning pumpkin.
During the fall, just about anything and everything is pumpkin-flavored. Yet there's something special about real pumpkin. Especially if you grew it yourself.
And by the way, if you're trying to figure out how much to grow per person to secure your family's food supply, don't include more than one pumpkin per person. Unless you all REALLY love it.
When picking the best pumpkin, look for ones that are rich and even in color. Keep an eye out for strong stems and avoid green or tan-colored spots.
Bake your pumpkin in the oven. Look for recipes to use up your canned pumpkin, too. Turn it into pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins and purees for pies. Try roasting the seeds in the oven for a crunch snack.
Sweet Potatoes
Finally, don't forget sweet potatoes. This seasonal favorite vegetable is easy to grow, inexpensive to buy, filling, yet healthy.
Try growing sweet potatoes from slips in your garden. And if you're heading to the farmer's market, look for deep-colored small to medium-sized sweet potatoes.
They should be firm and smooth to the touch. Bake your sweet potatoes as-is, or mash them up and use them in casseroles or pies.
Fall offers families a great opportunity to hunker down to home-cooked meals from your garden.
And by the way, if you're looking for recipes for pumpkin truffles or pumpkin squares to gift your friends and family, check out this post of 21 Canned Pumpkin Recipes for Leftover Puree.
Take the opportunity to try new recipes and create new ones using your homegrown bounty.
What fall vegetables does your family enjoy most? Let us know in the comments below!
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