With the onset of Fall, us North-easterners find ourselves surrounded by falling leaves, a refreshing chill in the air, and pumpkin spice everything. Every food franchise and their mother likes to jump on this seasonal bandwagon, beating it to death.
From pumpkin spice lattes to doughnuts to M&M's to lasagna (seriously, find it here) this trend seems inescapable in the Fall. But where does that leave the seemingly minute fraction of us New Englanders who aren't pumpkin spice fans? Fortunately, there are more non-pumpkin options than you might expect, and they're delicious! Here are five foods unrelated to pumpkin you should be trying this Fall.
1. Apple Cider Donuts
Even if you don't like apple cider, don't knock these donuts 'til you try 'em. I hate apple cider but love apple cider donuts. Apples are in season and at their very best from September to November. How delicious do these look? You can find the recipe here. If you're not too confident in your baking abilities (like me), these are really popular at farmer's markets and artisan fairs throughout the season, and they'll likely be made with real apples.
2. Brussels Sprouts
Even if you're not a big vegetable fan, I strongly encourage you to try out Brussels sprout. When cooked right, Brussels sprouts taste more like a salty, flavorful snack food than a vegetable. They are best from September to mid-February. Look for ones that are compact, firm, and green, with minimal yellowing or tearing of the leaves. If you want some simple (but delicious) Brussels sprouts as shown above, you can find that recipe here. For those more adventurous eaters (or less health-conscious ones), Brussels sprouts are also great as a snack/side dish at dinner with pancetta or bacon tossed in.
3. Grape Pie
If you're looking for a non-traditional Autumnal pie to bake, look no further. Because grapes thrive in warm weather, the grapes we get in the Fall have been on the vine all summer. This means a bigger availability in the variety of seedless and seeded grapes, and great flavor profiles. I found the recipe to this scrumptious looking grape pie here. If you do some research, you can probably find a pre-made grape pie in the bakery section of some supermarkets. And if pie isn't your thing, just keep an eye out for more grape options this season!
4. Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Casserole
This is a popular recipe for Thanksgiving, but why wait another month to make this deliciously sweet dish, especially if sweet potatoes are in season all season? Fall is when the fresh crop of sweet potatoes comes in, and you should be looking for firm and injury-free ones. In my opinion, the more marshmallow the better, so this recipe has a lot of marshmallow. It's easy to find ones with whatever amount of marshmallow your heart desires, though.
5. Sandwiches feat. Figs
The main crop of figs starts in late summer and goes through Fall. A great way to mix up the classic sweet fig taste is by adding it to an otherwise savory sandwich. Lots of restaurants have sandwiches with fig or fig spread in it this Fall, and you'll be missing out if you don't try one. Prosciutto and fig is an Italian favorite, and you know the Italians know their food. Try this awesome looking sandwich recipe here.
