SEASONAL FOODS
By mediamonster
FOODS OF THE SEASON
The calendar says it's Autumn/Fall, but lately weather in Los Angeles has been more on the end of Summer with high digits. But today, felt like the first Fall day. While I know that Los Angeles is not like other cities around the globe which display significant changes officially pronouncing the SEASONS, the crispness of the breeze today echoed a true Fall day.
It is with this weather change that I finally begin feeling the seasonal change. It is also when I start getting into my mood foods of the season, craving certain ingredients to tantalize my culinary senses. This alone, can inspire me to start cooking with all the foods that remind me of Fall.
When I was little, we really didn't have pumpkin around much. Halloween was not celebrated as it was my mother's birthday and my trick-or-treating was abandoned in exchange for a family dinner out and a consolation (Yay!) prize box of See's. This surpassed any door-to-door junk candy collection I could do by foot and instead triggered the gateway of wondering what WAS that pumpkin truly for outside of sitting on the doorstep to scare kids away?
Pumpkin is a unique ingredient. Some argue that it is a vegetable, others a fruit. I don't care what it really is, other than providing less guilt when I eat it in a sweet treat of the season. I mean, really, you could eat pumpkin pie or tell yourself you're eating VEGETABLE PIE.... it certainly makes you feel much better knowing you're getting in your RDA of veggies, eh?
Let's not underestimate the power of this pumpkin. It packs lots of beta-carotene (Vitamin A) and Vitamin C to help fight free-radicals, aging, boost your immune system and disease. It also packs a lot of fiber to keep you regular. The seeds prevent prostate cancer and also have Omega 3 essential fatty acids, potassium and zinc (to help fight off colds).
WOW - a lot for this so-called 'novelty' piece of produce.
Usually every year, I will treat myself to a delicious bowl of pumpkin soup. I will caramelize onions and saute pumpkin together with fresh sage leaves, a clove of minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg and whirl it with a hand blender on the stove. Stir in some chicken stock, a bit of 2% milk and this makes for a lovely soup. I garnish it with fresh parsley and a dollop of sour cream. It not only warms me and comforts me, but makes me feel as if Autumn is really here.
While I cannot give up my pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies or pumpkin parfaits, either, I look at this funny jack-o-lantern wanna-be and think of the season.
If we don't take the time to celebrate each season with certain foods, we're truly missing out on the beauty of the harvest. If pumpkin isn't your thing, I encourage you to look at apples, corn, Winter squash and perhaps FALL in love with those ingredients and express thanks for the bounty we have in seasonal ingredients.
Bon Appetit, Pumpkin! ;)
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