What’s in Season? November Produce

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Hello from the Sacramento airport! I rang in November in San Francisco yesterday. My pal Erin showed me around and dropped me off at the airport this morning. I’m glad you all can’t see me now—I’m surrounded by crumbs from the life-changing croissant I got yesterday at Tartine. I’ll tell you more about the trip once I’ve had time to collect myself (but for now, there’s Instagram).

You’ll find my monthly guide to November produce below. Freezing temperatures mean that produce selection is starting to dwindle, but we still have lots of delicious options this month (apples! kale!).

Thanks again to Becky for letting me base this resource on her “Eat Seasonal” monthly seasonal produce lists. Check out her November post for an illustrated list that you can use as a desktop background or screensaver (it’s free!). Tag your seasonal produce and recipe pics #eatseasonal on Instagram so we can go check them out!

Apples

So many gorgeous apple varieties are here. I love crisp, chopped apples in salads with blue cheese and apple slices dipped into peanut or almond butter. Conventionally grown apples are exposed to lots of pesticides and then coated with wax, so organic apples are definitely worth the extra expense. Apples elsewhere:

• Apple Pancake by Love and Lemons
• Apple Spice Sorbet by My New Roots
• Chopped Salad with Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Apples by Sprouted Kitchen
• Gummy Bear Sangria by My Name is Yeh

View more C+K apple recipes ↣

Beets

Confession: I don’t like beets, so there are precisely zero beet recipes on this blog. In my defense, raw beets make my throat feel scratchy. Beets are tremendously earthy and can be eaten fresh, cooked or roasted. Some (like the golden variety) are pretty sweet. Beets elsewhere:

• Baked Rosemary Beet Chips by Minimalist Baker (featured above!)
• Beet Bourguignon by Green Kitchen Stories
• Penne Pasta in a Roasted Beet Sauce by Bev Cooks
• Warm Kale, Quinoa and Balsamic Beet Salad by The First Mess

 

broccoli

As it turns out, broccoli is totally irresistible once roasted with olive oil and sea salt. Like all brassicas, broccoli goes great with garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and other bold flavors. Select small, tightly packed florets with minimal brown spots. Broccoli elsewhere:

• Asian Quinoa Broccoli Slaw by Mountain Mama Cooks
• Ginger Broccoli with Forbidden Rice by A House in the Hills
• Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese by Two Peas and Their Pod
• Simple, Salty, Sweet + Nutty Broccoli Soba by The First Mess

View more C+K broccoli recipes ↣

cabbage

I can’t get enough cabbage! Cousin to broccoli, this potent anti-cancerous cruciferous vegetable is great raw, in slaws, roasted in pieces, or chopped and sautéed with olive oil and garlic. Select cabbages with compact heads that feel heavy for the their size. Cabbage generally keeps for a pretty long time in the vegetable crisper, so it’s a good ingredient to keep on hand. Cabbage elsewhere:

• Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw with Marcona Almonds by Foodie Crush
• Pasilla Chile and Lime Cabbage Slaw by Sprouted Kitchen
• Sesame-Crusted Avocado and Cabbage Spring Rolls by Naturally Ella
• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw by Mountain Mama Cooks

View more C+K cabbage recipes ↣

carrots

Watery baby carrots have been tarnishing grown-up carrots’ reputation for years. I love to turn full-sized raw carrots into “noodles” with my julienne peeler or “ribbons” with a regular peeler. Carrots are also fantastic when well roasted—leave them in the oven until they are deeply caramelized and golden. Carrots elsewhere:

• Carrot Cake Baked Doughnuts by The Fauxmartha
• Carrot Green Chimichurri by Love and Lemons
• Carrot Soup Recipe with Roasted Chickpeas by Vintage Mixer
• Quick Pickled Carrot Spears by Simple Bites

View more C+K carrot recipes ↣

cauliflower

Cauliflower: Trendy since 2012, good for you since forever! Roasting cauliflower with olive oil and sea salt transforms the cruciferous vegetable from bland to French fry irresistible. You can also pulse raw cauliflower in the food processor to give it a rice- or couscous-like texture. I was skeptical about cauliflower crust pizza, but it can actually be pretty good! Cauliflower elsewhere:

• Cauliflower and Roasted Garbanzo “Rice and Peas” by The First Mess
• Raw Cauliflower “Couscous” Greek Salad by Vintage Mixer
• Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos by Two Peas and Their Pod
• Shaved Cauliflower Salad by Happyolks

View more C+K cauliflower recipes ↣

chard

Leafy green chard looks like its relatives spinach and beets. Chard often has gorgeous red, pink, orange or yellow stalks. Chard is used most often in Mediterranean cooking and its roots trace back to Sicily (so Wikipedia says). You can eat chard raw, but it is usually served cooked. I don’t have any chard recipes yet, which is crazy! Chard elsewhere:

• Lentil and Swiss Chard Tacos by Naturally Ella (shown above!)
• Polenta with Swiss Chard and Garlic by A Couple Cooks
• Sautéed Chard and Gruyere Grilled Cheese by Sprouted Kitchen
• Swiss Chard, Chickpea, and Tamarind Stew by Eats Well With Others

 

collard greens

Poor collard greens have been overcooked for decades. They’re often seen in Southern cooking with bacon. Raw collards are pretty tough and bitter, as far as greens go. My favorite way to cook them is the Brazilian method: julienne the leaves and sauté them briefly with olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes. Then they’re absolutely delicious! Check out my spaghetti dish (shown above) for the cooking method. Collard greens elsewhere:

• Chickpea Spätzle with Shallots and Collard Greens by My Name is Yeh
• Collard Wraps with Carrot Hummus by Love and Lemons
• Italian White Bean Soup by A Couple Cooks
• Super Powered Tomato and Basil Collard Wraps by The First Mess

kale

I’m obsessed with kale. You’re obsessed with kale. We all love kale, and for good reason! It’s tremendously good for you and totally delicious, given the right preparation. Chop kale for stir-fries or a side of greens (sauté in olive oil and garlic), or massage it with a dash of salt for salads (see any of my kale salads for further instruction), or lightly coat roughly chopped kale with olive oil and roast it for kale chips. You can also blend kale into smoothies or juice it. Kale elsewhere:

• Kale, Spinach and Pear Smoothies by Joy the Baker
• Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Garbanzo Bean Croutons by Mountain Mama Cooks
• Kale with Japanese Sesame Dressing by Yummy Supper
• Mushroom and Kale Grilled Cheese by Foodie Crush

View more C+K kale recipes ↣

parsnips

Parsnips are root vegetables that look like off-white carrots with parsley-like, leafy tops. Unsurprisingly, they’re related to both carrots and parsley. Parsnips are usually served roasted or cooked, but can also be eaten raw. They’re particularly high in potassium. I don’t have any parsnip recipes (yet), but I’ll work on that! Parsnips elsewhere:

• Root Vegetable Salad with Pearl Couscous and Lemon-Tahini Dressing by Naturally Ella (shown above!)
• Paprika Parsnip Fries with Preserved Lemon Cashew Cream Sauce by A House in the Hills
• Parsnip Cake with Cardamom Cream by The Vanilla Bean Blog
• Parsnip Parmesan Truffle Fries by Climbing Grier Mountain

 

pears

Pears can be finicky. They’re generally more grainy than their cousins, the apples, and ripeness is fleeting. They are delicious, however. Pears play nicely with blue cheese and balsamic vinegar in sweet-and-savory salads. In desserts, they’re lovely with warming spices, cream, honey and lemon. Pears elsewhere:

• Easy Honey-Sweetened Pear Butter by Gimme Some Oven
• Grilled Pears with Cinnamon Drizzle by A House in the Hills
• Sautéed Pear and Plum Salad by The Year in Food
• Whole Wheat Pancakes with Pears by The Vanilla Bean Blog

View more C+K pear recipes ↣

potatoes

Who doesn’t love a crispy potato? Roasting cubes of potatoes brings out way more flavor than boiling them. Varieties outside of the standard Russet (especially the more colorful potatoes) tend to offer more nutritional value. Buy organic! Potatoes elsewhere:

• Crispy Baked Garlic Matchstick Fries by Minimalist Baker
• Game Day Potato Skins by What’s Gaby Cooking
• Potato Breakfast Gratin with Red Peppers & Parmesan by The Kitchn
• Roasted Potato and Paprika Chickpea Salad by A House in the Hills

View more C+K potato recipes ↣

pumpkins

Shhh, don’t tell, but pumpkins actually aren’t all that flavorful by themselves. The pumpkin craze that strikes every fall is really just a collective craving for creamy texture and warming spices. It’s a pretty irresistible combination, for sure. Roast fresh pumpkin for savory dishes or toss it into the food processor to make homemade pumpkin purée. (The moisture content in homemade pumpkin purées can vary significantly, which is why most bakers opt for canned.) Pumpkins elsewhere:

• Homemade Pumpkin Pasta by Minimalist Baker
• Mini Pumpkin Empanadas with Vegan Spelt Crust by What’s Cooking, Good Looking
• Pumpkin and Coconut Muffins by Green Kitchen Stories
• Roasted Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Frittata with Arugula Salad by Naturally Ella

View more C+K pumpkin recipes ↣

radishes

How I love radishes! Raw, chopped radishes lend a spicy crunch to salads and makes a great garnish for fresh Mexican meals. I often prefer radishes to raw red onion, which can easily overwhelm other raw ingredients. Whole, raw, spicy radishes served with butter and flaky salt are an incredibly simple and delicious appetizer. I also love pickled radishes, but the verdict is still out on roasted radishes. Radishes elsewhere:

• Breakfast Tacos with Avocado Radish Salsa by The Year in Food
• Charred Corn Tacos With Zucchini-Radish Slaw by Smitten Kitchen
• Radish and Egg Salad Sandwiches by A Couple Cooks
• Super Simple Radish Salad with Crème Fraiche by Yummy Supper

View more C+K radish recipes ↣

Sweet Potatoes

I used to hate sweet potatoes! Then I tried a sweet potato fry and changed my tune. I still don’t enjoy sweetened, mashed sweet potatoes, but I could live off of salted, caramelized, roasted sweet potato. I especially love Mexican-style sweet potatoes with black beans, salsa verde and hot sauce! Sweet potatoes elsewhere:

• Crispy Sweet Potato Roast by Smitten Kitchen
• Miso-Maple Sweet Potato Tacos by Love and Lemons
• Sweet Potato Granola by Minimalist Baker
• Vanilla Bean Sweet Potato Waffles by Joy the Baker

View more C+K sweet potato recipes ↣

winter squash

Winter squash is here! I’ve seen butternut, delicata, spaghetti, acorn and kabocha lately! Most winter squash (like butternut and kabocha, but not delicata) have thick skins that usually need to be removed. Squash elsewhere:

• Butternut Squash Skillet Lasagna by How Sweet Eats
• Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas by Two Peas and Their Pod
• Ginger Butternut Squash Soup by Naturally Ella
• Vegan Butternut Squash Queso by The First mess

View more C+K butternut squash recipes ↣

Looking for an ingredient that didn’t make the list? Check my new ingredient index for relevant recipes. If you want even more recipe inspiration, check my fall recipes board on Pinterest!

More resources you might appreciate: fruit and vegetable tools you actually need, 16 recipes that pack well for lunch (see also, lunch packing tips) and 10 fresh and filling salad recipes.