(Re-Release) Fall Foods in the South

Hey y'all. Today's episode is a re-release of an episode we did all the way back in 2019. Now, the reason we decided to do this is because it's fall here in the South. And when we thought about episodes we wanted to cover in this season, we really had a lot of the same things we wanted to talk about that we did three years ago. So approaching 180 episodes, sometimes there's just stuff we gotta say again, right? That's right. And your body wants what's in season, we've said that before, that's just your body often will kind of crave and need the nutrients of what's in season. So that's what we're gonna be talking about. So we're here to talk about fall foods in the South. Of course, Lainie brought very good recipes to the table even three years ago. She's been doing it for a while. Don't miss her butternut squash lasagna recipe, with the sage-yummy.

Oh, my goodness, it is so good. So we'll meet you at the table and give us some grace. We got better microphones these days.

Oh, my goodness, didn't even realize how much better it sounds now.

I'm Lainie and I'm Laura Beth and we are Steel Magnolias, the strength of steel with the grace of a magnolia. We are here to have uplifting conversations about life in the south.

And we've got plenty of room at our table, so pull up a chair.

Okay, well, we are talking all things fall foods in the South. So we are fully moving into the season of fall y'all, and it's finally starting to feel like it. yeah, I'm not sure how long it's gonna be. 

So you were actually one of the first people with a book that I know you have. That pointed out to me that it really is best to eat, what food is in season. Yeah, I have a cookbook that's by Terry Walters called Clean Food. And I'm sure a lot of you listeners know about eating clean. Not tons of sauces, not tons of preservatives, but just kind of keeping it clean when you're eating. And the subtitle is, a Seasonal Guide to Eating close to the source. And I really like this cookbook, because it literally is broken down into four seasons. Okay. And so the idea is that you want to eat what's in season because your body needs what is in that season. And it actually makes perfect sense to me. Totally. Right in the heat of the summer. You need things that have more water, so melons and watermelons. Yes, like that. Tomatos. Yeah. In the winter when you're needing to store Yeah, you're gonna have root veggies. Yeah, yummy. So anyhow, this cookbook is literally divided into the four seasons and then they break it down in, you know, soups, vegetables, okay. And I guess, based on where in the country you live that's gonna that would make some variety as well. But at least get you started. This particular cookbook is not going to have any meat because it's clean eating. So yes. From the ground or from a tree. Yeah. So if you're not okay with that, don't get this cook book. Though, I think you would enjoy the vegetables. It's just a good soups and sides. I love soups in the fall. And when I do too, I almost made one today, because it was our first cool day. I was like, chili, anyone, chili.

We are ready. We're primed and ready.

Well, there are some foods that really are native or really, you know, well, sort of populated here in the south that we wanted to make sure you share with listeners. So we're going to talk about some of those today. And then of course, if we've got recipes, we'll share those as well.

Well, in addition to eating what is in season, I think it's best like you're saying to eat what's close to you like something that didn't have to travel as far Yeah. In fact, I like to think about the longer food has been out of the ground or off the tree. The it's losing nutrition as so good. Yeah, it was right. Yeah. So if I get it, and it came from South America, right, it's not gonna be as nutritious as if it came from Yeah, you know, three counties away. That's gonna be better. Yes. My backyard might even be better. Yeah, you know, so just as long as it's been out of the ground each, it's losing a little. And then obviously, preservatives messes everything up. So true. So the closer to you and the fresher. Yeah, the better. Well, and that's the beauty of a farmers market. Right? Exactly. Even Even if you don't know where to start. You can go over to your farmers market and see what's in season. That's right. So and then in this day and age of Google and all this, you can literally put in like what to do with carrots and ginger, I'm making these choices. Yeah. So cool. Well, where should we start?

Um, well, I want to touch briefly on one that I'm not going to spend a lot of time on because we're probably gonna do more episodes in the future on it, but pecans are definitely Oh, that's other southern in season. And so you know, you'll see those in a lot of recipes.

Let's do an episode on nuts. Okay. That would be a good one. Cool. Well, then I'll wait and talk more about pecan. Do you say pecan or pecan?

I say pecan I do too. But I know there are two but

yeah, so pies and a lot of like I said a lot of recipes that I will share today have pecans in them. I tell you what a toasted pecan on a salad gives it you know, I've talked about how I love texture in my opinion. That is so good. I know salad. And then I make it all unclean and naughty by making them like sugar or candied pecans. Oh that Well, I like to cover it in a homemade honey mustard. Oh my gosh. Yes, you've done that before and that's good. So yummy. Okay, but eating clean you can do that with including nuts as well true, very true. 

So apples Oh, that's a great one to start with right that's so fall to me like going to pick apples, making anything with apples is yeah you well it's apples apples that do well here in the south are ones that can remain crisp in the summer. And you know obviously fight off diseases that and make it through to harvesting time because they you know they're growing all summer but they're not really harvested until now. You can eat cook them you can cut them up and put them on a salad. I love love love. Honey Crisp. Oh, that's my favorite to just eat. That's my favorite one to just eat. I like putting those on a salad if I'm gonna put an apple on a salad. Back to pecans on the salad too. Yeah, yeah, those are but put some, you know, just like blue cheese or, you know, toss them into a spring mix.

Well, I got so tickled when I was talking with this lady at the funeral about the Apple stack cake. I said, Now what kind of apples do you use? She said, any kind that will cook up good. Great answer. Okay, she said I use Winesap. So I think of that with cider. I do too. But anyway, I just thought that answer was so cute. Any kind that'll cook up good. Okay. There you go. Thank you, Benny. And she also told me after that to put them in a colander to get the water out and I was thinking about how we were talking about apple pie. How it gets juicy when it  starts cooking. All right, um, yeah, apples. Yeah, yeah. And

then so I love making like an apple crisp. My favorite one actually calls for cranberries as well. My favorite apple crisp. And so I typically will substitute in like a dried cranberry like a craisin. Yeah, instead of cranberries just because that's easier for me to keep on hand so it has oats and cinnamon and pecans and brown sugar and butter and flour and it is great because you can eat it for breakfast obviously there's some sugar there or on the flip side you can serve it as a dessert with like some some vanilla on top. Blue Bell Vanilla on top- It is so good.

Yeah. So just the whole activity of apple orchards is a great activity for families around this time of year you go have a little cider.  occasionally you have to drive a little ways but you know if you're actually looking for something to do that's fall related. Yeah, lots of communities have those. We have one in Bowling Green that we would go to sometimes when I was in college, and of course I know there's many around different cities. So yeah, and I love apple butter. Okay, 

I don't love it, but I like it. Okay. I've tried some at a place called Ruby Sunshine. That's a New Orleans chain, but it's here in Franklin. And theirs is kind of thick. I was Yeah, though. Yeah, I liked it because it reminded me of a butter. Yeah. But yeah, I love apple butter. So I don't make that but I bought that at farmer's markets before.

Well, another another thing that I think is very fall is carrots. Yeah, I'm not. I don't do a ton of things with carrots. I have done a couple of different soups that had carrot in it. But I thought this one sounded really good from that clean food cookbook. So I haven't made this one but it's a carrot ginger soup. That sounds so healing. It really does, doesn’t it.

Yeah. So this is it's non dairy because it's a clean Yeah, love soups. We'll have, you know, a half and half. Yeah, to make it creamy. Which I love those too. Yeah. But anyway, this one looks like it's pretty easy to make and you puree it, so it's got a nice texture. And that's one thing I noticed when mom and I went to Ireland. There's tons of different soups, made with different root vegetables and there's one soup we were having and I was like this is really good. It reminds me of like a carroty soup, but it's a different one. I had to ask what is this? And it was parsnips. Oh, you know, there's lots of different root vegetable soups that you can puree. I love carrots as well. And lots of healthy nutrition from carrots.

Yeah. So I will throw into the mix. Sweet potatoes. Oh, yeah. Now I usually save most of my sweet potato cooking for Thanksgiving to do a nice and then bring up the pecan.

All of my recipes today brown sugar. Good thing I brought up the clean food, thank you for bringing the balance today. I love potato sweet or sweet potato fries. I make those sometimes even more than like a fry, I'll do it like as a wedge a potato wedge. Well, they do have more nutrition than a white potato. They do so yeah, that's gonna be a little bit healthier,too. Yeah, I found two recipes though. Because when I think of sweet potatoes, I just automatically go casserole. Like I don't really think a lot of variety with it. But these two recipes I found I will share them. I haven't tried them yet, but they sound so good. Sweet potato fritters with sriracha mayo. Oh, doesn't that sound yummy? No, that's not good for you. But here's a healthy one. I did bring one healthy recipe to the table. Sweet potato breakfast cookies. It's oats almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ground ginger, a baked sweet potato, honey, coconut oil, vanilla pecans and chocolate chips. So they're called sweet potato breakfast cookies. Okay, so I thought that was sounded really good. And definitely something I wouldn't have thought to make. I want you to make those so I can try it. Yeah, so just even just a roasted sweet potato is so good. Like you really don't have to do much you know when you roast it in the oven that skin peels right off and it's so easy to eat Yeah, I really like those Yeah, and they're like any foods that you know can be fresh for a long time. Oh, and potatoes do that. You know if I'm not having to run out to the store a lot for fresh things, that's another appeal for me for sweet potato. Even if you have to run get one thing to eat with it but that's been you know where it's just a quick in and out that is helpful. Yeah, you don't have to do the full shopping experience. 

What do you have any others oh gosh, I've got so many things written here but I don't know how far to go with everything. I'm going to mention, I forgot on carrots I wanted to talk about I love when you just roast the pretty different colored ones. Oh yeah, we're some are purple. That's very true range. But with that it reminds me of another thing I think is so pretty on the plate and that does matter. Like something being pretty in color. Yeah. Swiss chard. Yeah, gosh, that was the prettiest, It’s beautiful. Now tell me what do you what have you done with just sauteed it. I think is all you really need to do with it. Now there's lots of things you can do with it. But even just saute in it and a little bit of, you know, oil or depending on what you're doing. I mean, you could do just a little water and garlic if you want to be healthier. Yeah. And not have any oil. And that tastes good. Yeah, but you know, there. Let's face it. There's flavor in that, you know, butter or, yeah, bacon fat or whatever you want to put in there. That's really yummy. Yeah, but swiss chard to me is just so pretty.

That's good. There are there's like a level of intimidation I find with some of these fall produce items. So I'm gonna go ahead and mention the one that is the big Intimidator. Just winter squash, just that whole category in and of itself. So in an acorn squash, blue Hubbard, butternut, spaghetti, any of those squashes, okay. They're gorgeous. I want to decorate with them. Yeah. And then you don't know how to cook them. But they're very, you know, so I looked it up. Okay, I've done a spaghetti squash before I've made spaghetti with spaghetti squash. And that was it. So good. So good. If you have a good meat a good hearty sauce. Yeah, to go on it. I don't miss the pasta. I don't either. So very strange. And it really does look like spaghetti. I know. But you know, you you need a good chef knife to cut these.

It's basically like a I mean, a lot of them are like pumpkin. It's like really solid.  Which, you know, most people carve a pumpkin one time, once a year. You know, they carved their one pumpkin. Yeah. So to cook with it is just a little intimidating to me. But there are roundabout ways to help. You do need a good chef's knife. But I did read that you know, you can warm it up in the microwave. Yeah. And I haven't done that before. But like even five minutes in the microwave, that's going to soften it and you know, well and cut it in half. Yeah, so that is just one nice big cut, right? Roasted it open face or are actually face down. Probably yeah. And let it get soft. And then if um, then it's easier to chunk than trying to chunk it when it's yeah. Not cooked at all. Like staring down a pineapple. Speaking of butternut Squash,  I have a recipe I love with butternut squash… So, this is from Bon appetit. 2004. And it is called butternut squash and mushroom lasagna. And so it's just a layered, you know, traditional lasagna right? But it's butternut squash and obviously mushrooms, the baby bella mushrooms, okay. Onion, if you eat on the end if not leave it out. But the ricotta layer also has fresh thyme and sage in it. Yeah, and some mozzarella and vegetable broth. It makes like just a really nice, so good. creamy layer. Anyway, and that's another thing like I don't miss the meat in this recipe. Yeah. And it's very flavorful because of that sage and thyme. So I love that recipe. I don't know if you want to put that one. It's very foul to me. And that's Bon appetit, November 2004. Okay, I'll link it in 2004 Y'all see laning but I have very good written by my paper recipe.

That's a that's a good indicator to repeat that recipe.

Yeah, I had winter squash down too. And I would agree. I do think sometimes they're intimidating. And they're really you know, basically if you just roast it Yeah. Like I know, one time when I was getting some that was trying to eat in season you know, I got some acorn squash and then looked up what to do with it. Okay, I just roasted it and then put some cinnamon on it.

Okay, and it was really good. Just kind of plain just like that. Okay, but um, yeah, there's one thing that's good about the day and age we live in as you can look up recipes pretty easily. Yeah, yeah. You don't know if they're tried and true ones but yeah, anyhow. 

Um, well, let's see, what about pomegranate? Do you like pomegranates? Oh, I do, that's in season in the fall. I don't ever make anything with it though.

I found a recipe also in the clean food cookbook that I want to try. You try the breakfast cookies and I want to make this: warm greens with citrus dressing and pomegranate. Okay, I think this sounds so good so you can use bok choy, kale or collards, okay. It has the pomegranate in it it has juice of an orange, ginger, apple cider vinegar. I just think this sounds Fallish. Very flavorful, very cleansing.

Yeah, maybe that way but it just feels like sounds so good and maybe just even eating just that with a little, you know chicken breast. Yeah, that was grilled or something, you know, could be a nice healthy dinner, but citrus dressing on it, okay, pomegranates are just so pretty, too. Gorgeous. Again, I'd probably buy a couple and put them in a bowl, but I'd be too afraid to get my chef's knife out and tackle it.

You know, when we were mentioning butternut squash though now I don't know where this came from. It's not as good as getting it at your farmers market. But Costco has it already chunked. Like you can buy it already cut up in chunks. I don't know how local it is. Okay. It certainly would be easy. Yeah, that's kind of important. True for working people and busy people. Yeah, I think Trader Joe's does that. Actually. Yes, they do. I can visually see it now. Okay. Yeah. Gotcha.

I wish we had one of those closer. Trader Joe's

come to Franklin. Okay, um, you kind of touched on kale being in that other recipe you just mentioned, but that would definitely be a lot of these greens in season and lettuce. Just all sorts of lettuce. I love that butter lettuce.

Is that a wintry thing. I guess it is because and you know I love even just not just for salads, but like using that butter lettuce is like a lettuce wrap. Yeah, that's a good leaf

it Yes, it is. So the PF Chang lettuce wrap.

Yeah, the thing you want to do it instead of a taco shell or for an asian dish. So yeah, lettuce is definitely in season right now.

Cauliflower, that’s in season. Lots of things you're seeing now with cauliflower. Like I think it's just you can see cauliflower rice. Yep. Pizza with cauliflower crust.  We shared on here not too long ago, the cauliflower potato salad. Yeah, it's Keto-friendly.  I have made I don't know if I've ever mentioned this on here, but I love hot wings with blue cheese and celery. I just think that's so tasty. Yeah, well, I made cauliflower just roasted with the hot wing sauce on it. Oh, because you're so it's kind of getting that taste, you can crumble blue cheese and celery and it gives you the fix. Like I'm not gonna say it's exactly the same as hot wings. But it really does give me that fix, and it's a lot less messy. And it's less messy and it's definitely better for you. So that's that's a great cauliflower idea that when I think of cauliflower, I always think of cabbage. I don't do a lot with cabbage but May through December is counting of cabbage. So you can do that healthy and unhealthy to do you know what I mean? Like it can be a really healthy you know, you can just boil it and yeah, you know, put that in soups and different things. But then it's also really good cooked in some bacon fat, put a little like I've put those dried cranberries or you could even put some fresh stuff in there too. But it will stink up your house think twice about a cabbage based meal.

We're making it right. Yeah, right away. Yeah, I want to have it kind of cooked a couple of days before Yeah, saute. Yeah.

That's a risky one for a dinner party.

Another fall thing is figs. Oh, yay. fresh figs. I like dried figs. I like fig jam on some brie. Yes, that's very good one. Well, pumpkins, too. I was gonna say we should mention pumpkins you've made was it a pumpkin ravioli that you made one time?

Yeah, I've made so good. And I could probably find that recipe. Yeah, I haven't made that in a long time.

I think of like a pumpkin pie or a lot of pumpkin desserts. There's a lot of great pumpkin mixes if you're just really wanting the flavor back to my woes with cutting large objects that come from the produce section. But yeah, I mean, scones and you know, all kinds of baked muffins,cookies and items can have that pumpkin flavor for sure. 

Well, gosh, beets are something that's really popular. And I'm not gonna say that's my favorite. I've had a few beet salads that I liked, you know, that have beets in it. But just to eat beets is not really something I do a lot but our mom loves them. Mom loves all of these items we've said, she just cooks cabbage and calls it a day. She could just munch on foods that I have to have more seasoning and stuff with him while she grew up eating a lot of things that are different than us.  Pumpkin ravioli- Here it is. Okay, cool. Hold that page. And of course it's not something I can link to. It's a Kroger promo. They've been kidding struggle on your recipes from Lainie. Yeah, it's so difficult sometimes. She's like, it's from the 1998 edition. I'm just like, oh my gosh.

Okay, so anyway, the pumpkin ravioli may or may not make it in the show notes this week, but we can probably look up one that is similar. That will work. 

Grapefruit is in season for winter and spring. That's right,  that one is a good detox as well. And good to add into your diet. And it's even really yummy in like, you can make salad out of that. I have a salad that is actually called winter salad, I think Oh, cool. And it's grapefruit based. Okay has meant in it. Oh, yeah. I really liked that salad in the winter, but I didn't write grapefruit down. So I didn't pull that recipe with that one. I'd have fun.

Cool. What else you got on your list?

Well, I didn't formally say cranberries. But that is that season. Yeah. fresh or dried.  Yeah. Um, those are fun to put into cocktails, too. You know, they make it look so festive. Yeah, it Yeah, the holidays. It's fun to make those even like sugared ones. Yeah, you know, and they're tasty and they're pretty well also, you know, 

I haven't done a lot with parsnips or rutabaga, but I'm just thinking of like root Yep, things. There's just a lot you can do with it. And there's a lot of good nutrition in those root vegetables that are important to have in the cooler weather now. I'm looking through a list of South Carolina specific. Do you see anything on there? Leeks, Peas, muscadine grapes. That's so funny. We have muscadine grapes. Our grandpa used our great grandpa used to grow muscadine grapes. Butter beans that are being so good. Yes. With corn bread. Yeah.

Okay. Broccoli, okra. That's a South Carolina thing for sure. I mean, it grows other places. But I think of that

is Yeah, yeah, that's unusual. They have watermelon.

I know on as I guess because they're coastal. Maybe that's I don't know. That's unusual. I don't think of that as fall. I

thought that was only in the summer squash. Okay.

Yeah, the zucchini on here in South Carolina too, but I don't think of that as winter, that is for summer. Yeah. Well, interesting. Well, that's all I really had based on the ones you said too. 

Well, hopefully that gets you guys some new things to try. Ooh, kale with pine nuts and currants- I love pine nuts. I can't wait for our nuts episode. I hope we will come with things to taste Yes.

Good. Good. Well, that's gonna do it for our fall foods episode. Hope you guys got some ideas or triggered your creativity to try something new or if nothing else, just go to your farmers market and see what's there. You know, look up something fresh and try something new. That's good and look for on Instagram soon I will post I'm gonna make my sweet potato breakfast cookies. All right, y'all have a good week and we will see you here next time. Take care y’all!