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Rainbow Kitchen

Fall Feeds with Colorful Fall Foods

By Allison St. Claire
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So, as the colors of fall – reds, gold, orange and greens – predominate outdoors, let’s look at some novel ways to incorporate some of those colorful fall foods into either everyday or holiday feeds.

It’s fall – the season to enjoy all the fantastic colors of changing leaves, brilliant sunsets, and the changes in fields and gardens as foliage thins out and exposes all the pumpkins and other squashes, last-minute peppers and tomatoes, a few remaining eggplants and shell beans that still cry out to be picked and enjoyed. And, looking up as well as down, there are all those beautiful apples just waiting to join you in your rainbow kitchen of good health.

So, as the colors of fall – reds, gold, orange and greens – predominate outdoors, let’s look at some novel ways to incorporate some of those colorful fall foods into either everyday or holiday feeds. I’m sure you already have a number of favorite recipes for two of the most popular fruits and vegetable –  apples and pumpkins –  but try these  serving suggestions you might not have played with before. These are based on my own experiments, and with many thanks to a fabulous book Wellness Foods A to Z from The UC Berkeley Wellness Letter.

Apples: From Braeburn to Fuji to Jonagold to McIntosh to Winesap and everything in between – experiment with as many varieties as are available to you. Each has its own unique flavor profile, texture, and best use such as snacking, cooking or long-term preservation.

  • Add sliced apples to toasted cheese sandwiches. The grandkids will love the added sweetness.
  • Add to veggie trays with an assortment of dips.
  • Add to green salads – think beyond just traditional Waldorf salad.
  • Grate into guacamole for a welcome touch of sweetness.
  • Add fruits and nuts such as cherries, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, pears, pecans or almonds to your next batch of applesauce or baked apples.
  • Grate apples into meatloaf, meatball or other burger mixtures to enhance flavor and add moistness.
  • Grate apples into almost any muffin or baked goods such as cookies, banana bread or fruit pie or turnover of your choice.

Pumpkin: Although pumpkin is just another winter squash, at least in the U.S. we’ve elevated it to the most popular variety and seem to believe no holiday season table can be complete without at least one pumpkin dish. But let’s get past the basic pie and play.

  • Add chunks of pumpkin to your favorite chile.
  • Make pumpkin soup by thinning puree (fresh or canned, but not pie filling that has added spices) with chicken or vegetable broth. Add salt and pepper to taste; perhaps a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg as well. Stir in sour cream or yogurt to taste. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, croutons or green onion slivers.
  • Stir pumpkin puree into tomato sauces.
  • Stir minced chipotle peppers, toasted cumin, lime juice, and cilantro into pumpkin puree and serve as a dip with corn, pita or veggie chips.
  • Don’t forget Fido and Fluffy! Add it to wet or dry pet food for an excellent healthy benefit for them, too.


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Allison St. Claire loves to dream about, study, grow, play with, prepare and ultimately enjoy eating great food.

Meet Allison