Give thanks for the harvest all month long by enjoying the bounty of fall (arguably the best season of the year!). Farmers' markets and grocery stores will be decked out in seasonal colours thanks to all the fresh pumpkins and winter squash that are starting to peak now. Beyond gourds, you can enjoy fresh apples, pears and cranberries, and be sure to take advantage of the tail-end of corn and tomato season. Here's what fruits and veggies you should most definitely eat (and cook and bake with) this October.
Pick-your-own apples at a local apple orchard, or grab some local fruit from your nearest farmers' market or supermarket. However you get your apples, be sure to make something delicious with your haul.
Add some warm earthiness to your autumn meals with a handful of hearty beets.
This month, skip the fresh broccoli salads in favour of warming soups and heartier veggies dishes.
Roast fresh or frozen Brussels sprouts in the oven for a fall-ready side dish you'll want to eat all season.
Canada is the world's second-largest cranberry producer. The cranberry season is short, so grab some fresh berries and make your own cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving—it's way better than canned.
Pears are delicious fresh, but they're even tastier baked in sweet and savoury dishes. For a quick fix, make a grilled cheese sandwich with brie and a few slices of pear. You won't be sorry.
Jazz up your dinner table with locally grown carrots in an array of colours (think yellow, purple and of course, orange).
Whether it's riced, roasted or pureed into a soup, cauliflower is sure to be a hit at meal-time.
Enjoy the waning corn season before it's back to canned and frozen for the rest of the year.
Eggplant is a pretty divisive veggie, but if you like it, you usually love it. So eggplant-lovers, eat a bunch of it while it's in season!
Leeks are part of the onion family, but when cooked, they're much milder in flavour than their more-popular allium cousins.
Pumpkins are for more than just decoration! Pick up an orange gourd and make something delicious with it, including your very own pumpkin purée (and then use that purée in a sweet, seasonal recipe!).
There are so many different ways to cook squash, which is a good thing, because when stored properly, winter squash keeps for up to three month.
Tomato season is drawing to a close, so enjoy sun-ripened fruit before it's back to greenhouse varieties. Preserve your fresh tomatoes to enjoy summer flavours throughout the winter!
There's something super comforting about sweet potatoes, which make them perfect for this transition season.
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