October! I’m looking forward to getting cozy in some cooler temps while eyeing winter with trepidation. This year has been hard on us. I hope you’re hanging in there.
Below are some links that have caught my attention lately and a collection of seasonal recipes to make this October. What are you craving this season? Please tell me in the comments! I want to know.
Links lately:
- Have you registered to vote? Voter registration dates by state with links to register or check your registration.
- Fall Foliage Prediction Map: The leaves are starting to get good.
- What America’s Shopping Malls Looked Like In 1989
- The Social Dilemma: Recommend this thought-provoking Netflix documentary anyone who spends time on social media.
- These organic cotton joggers are max comfy, and that’s all I want to be these days. Tempted to try the robe or romper. (affiliate links)
- These French pins from Target actually keep my hair up. Yay!
Apples
Healthy Apple Muffins
Easily gluten free and easily vegan (see notes)
“Made them this morning with one Granny Smith and one Macintosh. Your recipe is fantastic! The rose so well, made a beautiful crust and were nice and tender inside. Taste was great!” – Pierre
Beets
Colorful Beet Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Spinach
Gluten free and vegan
“This could be THE best salad I have ever made. I have a vegan friend who I am always trying to find interesting recipes for and she also loved it. I made it exactly as per your recipe apart from adding a mixture of toasted almond flakes and pumpkins seeds.” – Heather
Broccoli
Broccoli, Cheddar & Quinoa Gratin
Gluten free
“This was so good! I’ve been trying to find one dish recipes that can also feed baby and this was perfect! I was almost too lazy to make the breadcrumbs but I’m so glad I did because it was simple and and so worth it! I also used a bit of cauliflower because I had it and it was good in there too. I think I’m going to make this again and bring it to Easter! It’s a perfect healthier version of a classic!” – Stephanie
Cabbage
Hot Pink Coconut Slaw
Gluten free and vegan
“This was delicious! We devoured it all. Our 3-year-old even said “Num, num!” and she is not usually a huge cabbage fan.” – Amanda
Carrots
Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup
Gluten free and vegan
“Today was our first cool day for the season. When I stepped outside for my morning walk I knew I would be making this soup for dinner. It was so good. Thanks so much for choosing to share this tasty recipe. I can’t wait to get Angela’s new cookbook.” – Cathy
Cauliflower
Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
Gluten free and vegan
“I’ve never had cauliflower rice before, but a Google search took me to this recipe, which I made tonight. It was absolutely delicious and I have enough leftovers to use as a side dish tomorrow night I highly recommend it!” – Deirdre
Corn
Fresh Black Bean Salad
Gluten free and vegan
“I made this when we were on vacation this summer, and we had it with tostadas as chips to scoop it up. My ten-year-old son said “best dinner ever!” It was scrumptious. I’ve made it a couple times now, and I love having it on hand in the fridge for snacks or easy meals. Yum! Delish and very fresh testing!” – E
Cucumber
Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing
Easily vegan
“This is SO delicious I absolutely love how all the flavors work together & that mint dressing is incredibly yummy! Thanks Kate & Cookie!” – Colleen
Eggplant
The Best Ratatouille
Gluten free and vegan (just depends on your accompaniments)
“I was totally blown away by this Ratatouille recipe…so simple with so much flavor! I picked this particular recipe because I have a basil plant that went into overload so I have an abundance of basil and wanted to use it up before the season runs out on us. I totally underestimated the power of “roasting”! Thank you so much!!” – Dessa
Fennel
Spring Carrot, Radish and Quinoa Salad with Herbed Avocado
Gluten free and easily vegan
“I LOVED this salad! Made it twice in one week. I skipped the honey in the dressing and used pumpkin seeds in stead. Great combination of favors and textures. This salad made me a follower of your recipes!” – Lisa
Grapes
Roasted Grape Crostini with Brie and Fresh Thyme
Just vegetarian
I need you to try these crostini and let me know how you like them!
That’s my only recipe with grapes so far. More to come.
Hardy greens (arugula,
chard, collard greens & spinach)
Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing
Gluten free and easily vegan
“This Mexican salad is absolutely delicious! The dressing is to die for. Even my 26 year old son who is not a big salad eater really enjoyed it and even took some home with him. He especially liked the dressing. I added two cups of cooked quinoa to make it a little more filling as well as some fresh corn I needed to use up. I have been eating it all week for lunch and it is just perfect. I used a rather large jalapeno but removed the seeds etc and the dressing is not too spicy but has a little kick to it.” – Annika
Kale
Mediterranean Roasted Sweet Potato & Farro Salad
Easily vegan
“I made this for supper tonight, and I love it! There might not be leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. My grocery store didn’t have sumac, but I’ll have to get some for next time, because I’m definitely making it again!” – Emilie
Melons
Watermelon Salad with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Gluten free and easily vegan
“Wonderful refreshing summer lunch. I used an English cucumber. I was surprised how much I liked the pickled shallots. I’ll make again as long as watermelon is in season.” – Allison
More watermelon recipes » (also cantaloupe and these honeydew margaritas)
Mushrooms
Arugula and Cremini Quiche with Gluten-Free Almond Meal Crust
Gluten free
“You just won my meat-eating friends over with this quiche! They’re going to be running over to C+K now for recipes! Thanks again for another hit! It’s so easy to be a “chef” with these fail proof recipes!” – Deepthi
Pears
Pear, Raspberry and Goat Cheese Crostini
Just vegetarian
“This morning I was frantically running around the kitchen in desperate search for a healthy lunch to pack. So you saved me! It took me 4 minutes to prep all of this and take it to-go. Now I’m sitting quietly at my desk waiting for lunch time. Is it here yet?” – Sylvia
Peppers
Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
Gluten free and vegan
“The best curry ever!
Fabulous and so quick and easy to make.” – Gillian
More bell pepper recipes » (also jalapeños)
Pumpkin
Creamy Pumpkin Marinara
Easily gluten free and easily vegan
“I made this last night and it was quick, easy, and delicious! My children (7 & 10) loved it and they can be a tough crowd to please :-)” – Stefanie
Potatoes
Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
Gluten-free and vegan
Please roast up these potatoes and comment on the post to let me know how they turn out!
Radishes
Mega Crunchy Romaine Salad with Quinoa
Gluten free and vegan
“Eating this salad right now and I am blown away! So crunchy and the dressing is awesome! Perfect for today’s summer weather.
Thanks for all your awesome recipes!! :)” – Frances
Squash (summer & winter varieties)
Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad
Easily gluten free and vegan
“Made this salad last night and it was a huge hit with the crowd! Substituted quinoa for wheat berries because that’s what I had at the time. The best part is eating leftovers for lunch today! Whenever I need some ideas for dinner I check out your recipes and I have loved all of them. Thanks for sharing!” – Gillian
More butternut squash recipes » (also delicata squash, acorn squash, yellow squash and zucchini)
Sweet Potatoes
Spicy Sweet Potato and Green Rice Burrito Bowls
Gluten free and vegan
“Loved this! Perfect supper with wind chills below zero. I’ll be making that rice again and again. Can’t wait to taste it tomorrow, I think it will taste even better. Thanks for this great recipe.” – Kathleen
Don’t forget to tag your Instagram recipe photos #cookieandkate so we can all see them! If you’re looking for an ingredient that didn’t make the list, check my ingredient index for relevant recipes.
More resources you might appreciate: 13 make-ahead breakfast recipes, 16 recipes that pack well for lunch and 20 simple weeknight dinners. You can shop my essential kitchen equipment here. Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest for a steady stream of recipe inspiration!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Brooklyn
Wow thanks for so many delicious looking recipes! I can’t wait to get cooking :)
Kate
Thank you, Brooklyn!
Lisa | Garlic + Zest
What a beautiful list of recipes for October — I love how fresh and enticing you’ve made everything! Just gorgeous photos and mouthwatering combinations! It’s 10 in the morning and my stomach is now grumbling!
Kate
Success! :) Thank you, Lisa!
2pots2cook
You are very creative. Thank you for the ideas ! Photos are great, too !
Kate
Thank you! :)
Megha
Amazing collection of recipes. Loved all of them!
Kate
Thanks, Megha!
Cassie
Beets, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, pumpkin, bell peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, eggplant and mushrooms are my faves!
Maja Harder
I would really love to cook more with beet root as well – you have some great ideas, I will definitely try!
Michelle
Amazing recipes! The watermelon mimosa looks incredible even without a review! :)
Lindsey of This Miss Cooks
I love that you made the nutritional information available but not in your face. I honestly just prefer to eat real, whole foods and listen to when I’m full and only look at nutritional information to make sure I’m getting enough B12 (which I’m notoriously low on) and iron (since I donate blood regularly).
Sue Schneider
I love your posts, they are clearly from someone who actually cooks!
I have been baking, cooking and in Food Management for 25 + years.
While pondering retirement I would like to start my next chapter. Thinking of testing recipes for cookbook authors. Not really sure how to get started, any ideas?
Thank you!
Kate
Hi Sue, I’m sorry for the slow response! I know that there are professional recipe testers out there, and it sounds like a fun freelance job. You might join the IACP—their online forums and conferences are great resources.
Melanie
I love that your What to Cook series serves as a recipe round up and update on all things you’re interested in.
It’s so interesting to hear your VivalitiDNA news! We have all sorts of genetic predispositions but it is totally possible to change our future through healthy eating! Your outlook on that is what inspired me a year and a half ago to incorporate more plants. I’m now a whole year into a vegetarian/plant-based diet :)
I’m also trying to dive into natural skincare and makeup but I don’t know where to begin! Thanks for the website suggestion and I hope to hear about what products you like. ♥
Kate
Thank you so much, Melanie! Really happy to hear that my work has inspired you to eat more veggies! I’ll be sure to share my new skincare favorites in next month’s roundup. :)
Tori//Gringalicious.com
Omg, Kate! Thanks for sharing these because I seriously want to try them all.
Lena
Fantastic post, as per usual! I am really curious about your experience with Vivaliti-it looks fascinating, and I’m thinking about purchasing a kit. Would you recommend it??
Kate
Thank you, Lena! I’m sorry for the slow response, I’ve been behind on comments lately. I thought the Vivaliti results were very interesting (and unexpected). They provide quite a bit of detail. The phone call to discuss the results was helpful, too. I struggle when I ask myself if I would want to know that the odds were stacked against me if I were, for example, trying to lose weight. But, I love health/nutrition/research, so it was super interesting to me. I know we’re just beginning to understand how genetics and our environment interact, and I’m sure that these tests will continue to evolve and offer more accurate and insightful information over the years to come.
Lori
This has nothing to do with your post, but I had to tell you anyway! I had some strawberries languishing in the fridge, so I roasted them (in your cookbook) and had them with baguettes and brie and basil. So good! Thank you!
Kate
Yum! Now I want roasted strawberries! :)
Amanda
LOVE Mushrooms! I tried out the Arugula and Cremini Quiche minus the almond crust (had to substitute due to allergies) and it was AMAZING! And of course, the potatoes. I made the breakfast potatoes as a sub for hash browns in a Full English Breakfast over the weekend. Wonderful!
Kate
Thanks, Amanda! Sounds like you’ve been enjoying some epic breakfasts lately! I’ll try to publish more mushroom recipes for you soon.
Mary Richhart
Love your recipes thank you, once again vegetarian!
Kate
You are welcome, Mary!
Amanda Dee
Love your recipes, super delicious. Especially that everything fits my family needs. We are gluten free soy free thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Amanda!
Healthy Kitchen 101
Such an amazing list! At first, I’m going to try the Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup for my flu xo
– Natalie
Kate
Oh no! Feel better. Soup usually helps me.
Giselle
I’d be interested in freezer meals like the link that you included from you. :)
Kate
Thanks Giselle! I will think about doing one. I don’t freeze all my recipes, but I think my enchiladas and lasagna would be good choices, as would my lentil soup and quinoa soup.
Cassie Thuvan Tran
Ooh, I have been slaving away with sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers, pumpkin, and all the leafy greens I can get my hands on! Not to mention–onions and garlic with everything. EVERYTHING. LOL!
Amy
Soup is the fist thing came to my mind, when i was reading your note.
Also, i would like to learn some food with different squashes.
Emily
I love getting your fall/October list every year. It reminds me of what is coming into season! It all looks so delicious.
Rimmy
wow, amazing! How can I resist such colorful and flavorful dishes? You are the inspiration for me to start a vegetarian.
Kathleen Clarke
Hi Kate, I have used your Granola recipe ever since I got your book last year. But today I made a smoothie bowl and changed it up to banana and blueberries with my granola as a topping and a few of my own home grown grapes. Delicious.