Bien-être 14/09/2020

September grapes and October squash: what to put on your autumn plate

September 21 marks the arrival of autumn! After a year of patience, many fruits and vegetables make their way into our kitchens. From chestnuts to grapes, including squashes, each brings its own delicious recipes. To match this new phase of the year, here is what you should pick up at the grocer or supermarket.

Autumn cooking prepares the body for winter and the return of cold. Its flavors are associated with the earth, which leaves its signature on the products that grow there. Cabbages and squashes poke their leaves above the soil, while onions, carrots, and turnips root below. But to fully benefit from the nutrients that fruits and vegetables offer us, they should be consumed in season. Do you know why?

Why consume seasonal fruits and vegetables?

Nature is well designed: it contains everything we need at the moment we need it. Besides being tasty and environmentally friendly, eating seasonally also allows you to break out of your taste routine and discover new foods, particularly rich in minerals and fibers when picked at maturity.

Seasonal fruits and vegetables meet our current nutritional needs. In autumn and winter, nature offers us vegetables rich in minerals and citrus fruits full of vitamin C to support our immune system and prepare us for the cold. Conversely, in summer, with the heat, our body demands more water. It therefore produces fruits and vegetables rich in water, such as melon, watermelon, tomato, zucchini, red fruits, etc.

They have more flavor. Fruits and vegetables that ripen in the sun develop flavors that those ripened in greenhouses or during transport cannot have. Tomatoes eaten in winter, for example, will taste like water…

They are less treated. A fruit or vegetable that is out of season is generally produced in a greenhouse, where it has been sprayed with pesticides and other harmful substances to help it grow and compensate for the lack of sun. But plants that grow in open soil have this wonderful ability to adapt to all climates as well as certain diseases.

They are cheaper. Seasonal and local products require less transport and no import tax, which reflects on the price.

On my autumn plate, I put…

Squash, red kuri squash, butternut, pumpkin… the stars of the season!

From October to December, squashes invite themselves into our soups and pies. Revitalizing and stimulating, these vegetables rich in carotenoids go well with a multitude of recipes, from starters to desserts. Besides traditional soups and purees, they are perfect sautéed, in gratin, salad, crumble, cake, or even as spaghetti.

Cousins of zucchinis and cucumbers, squashes are divided taste-wise into two main families. The watery squashes: mainly used for soups. Among them are butternut, the bright red pumpkin from Etampes, and the blue squash from Hungary. The other big family is more floury. It holds up better to cooking and is easier to make into gratins, quiches, or roast. You will find red kuri squash, kabocha, shiatsu… And then there are those that are a bit different and eaten differently: the pattypan squash which can be stuffed, and the spaghetti squash which can be eaten like spaghetti with the long strands it forms when scraped after cooking.

Health benefits: generally, squashes are rich, among other things, in vitamins A, C, B2, E, iron, manganese, and beta-carotene.

Tip: Do not throw away your squash seeds. You can dry them then roast them gently in the oven for your recipes or as a snack, sweet or savory.

Our delicious recipe: Butternut and sweet potato curry

Parsnip, a forgotten vegetable

Grown since the Middle Ages, the parsnip has gradually fallen into oblivion. Yet, this vegetable cousin of the carrot is very rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibers. In fact, the word parsnip is derived from the Latin "panacem" which means "remedy".

In cooking, parsnip offers a wide range of textures and flavors. It can be eaten raw or cooked: grated in a salad with apple, mashed with potato, as fries, in soup, sautéed, or simply roasted in the oven. Parsnip loves gratins, pies, quiches, to which other vegetables can be added. It pairs very well with porcini mushrooms, meats, and smoked fish. You can also opt for the famous Irish recipe: colcannon, mixing parsnip, potatoes, and melted onions, all gratinated. In sweet versions, it can be prepared in a tart or cake.

Health benefits: A true source of folic acid, dietary fibers, vitamins (B1, B5, B6, B9, E, C, K1), minerals (potassium, calcium, manganese, zinc, magnesium) and trace elements (selenium, phosphorus), parsnip is also recommended for its protein, carbohydrate, and fat content.

Tip: once peeled and washed, sprinkle parsnips with lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.

Our delicious recipe: Parsnip fries with honey and mild spices

The energy of grapes

Black or white, grape is the ideal fruit for a big "cleanse" before facing winter. But also to stock up on vitamins and minerals! Grapes easily absorb pesticides in their pulp, so it is wise to buy organic.

In cooking, grapes can be used in sweet or savory dishes, in jam, in a tart or clafoutis, in fruit salad or with grated carrots. They also go very well with cheeses, endives, fish, poultry, and meat. They can also be paired with more refined dishes like foie gras. Raisins are also integrated into many recipes, such as cookies, bread, apples stuffed with nuts, or banana cake.

Health benefits: Grapes contain a significant amount of flavonoids (black grapes contain twice as much as white), as well as polyphenols called resveratrols. Grapes are also a source of minerals, acids, and trace elements such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, silica, manganese, iron, iodine, zinc, and copper, as well as vitamins (C, A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, E, PP, P). Their sugars are directly assimilable by the body.

Tip: to prevent raisins from sinking to the bottom of the mold when baking a cake, simply roll them in flour before adding them to the batter.

Our delicious recipe: Autumn tabbouleh with figs, grapes, and goat cheese

Fresh fig, fruit of the sun

White, black, green, or purple, the fig offers a creamy flesh with small crunchy seeds and sweet and tangy flavors. It adds a touch of originality to many savory or sweet recipes, while providing fibers, potassium, copper, and antioxidants.

To fully benefit, it is best to consume figs as table fruit. But of course, they are also used in tarts, cakes, jams, fruit salads, clafoutis, or gratins. You can slip them into compotes, poach them in a sweet wine, or roast them in the oven, alone or with apples. In this case, they are suitable both as dessert and as an accompaniment to poultry. They also pair well with savory flavors, such as goat or sheep cheese, or Parma ham. Otherwise, enjoy them on a slice of country bread, topped with pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, or sprinkle them on your salads. Dried, they are enjoyed plain or with almonds or walnuts.

Health benefits: Although figs provide little vitamin C, they are especially interesting for their content of B vitamins. Figs are also rich in calcium and contain a wide variety of trace elements: iron, zinc, copper, iodine, phosphorus, manganese, and potassium for regulating blood pressure and preventing cramps and muscle soreness. Finally, figs are very rich in fibers.

Tip: Fragile, figs spoil very quickly. Keep them for no more than 24 hours, unless your fruit is not yet ripe.

Our delicious recipe: Figs with salted butter caramel sauce and almonds