Your October recipe playlist

And a bevy of recipes to usher in autumn

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

—Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

October is the unsung hero of autumn. It’s not as showy as its spectacular September sister—the last hurrah of summer—nor a true harbinger of winter, as November is wont to be. October is all golden honey light and crisp leaves crackling red underfoot and deepening evening skies. It’s harvest moons and pumpkin pie and apple-picking and sweater weather.

To welcome this most lovely of months, may I propose a visit to one or all of these pitch-perfect October recipes? Featuring the beginning of root vegetables and the last hurrah of the harvest season, these are some of my favourites from Delicious Bits past to make right now.

Squash

“For anyone who lives in the world of nature, October is the very crown of the year."

—Elizabeth George Speare, American author

We always herald the arrival of the magical apple, with all its possibilities and permutations. I’d like to nominate the more prosaic squash as a contender for autumn’s queen of flavour. From Swiss Army knife butternut and acorn, to more unique varieties including delicata, Hubbard, Musquee de Provence, kabocha, red kuri and turban, the sturdy squash can be coaxed into the creamy richness of a soup, roasted to perfection or tossed into a salad to make a hearty lunch.

Musquee de Provence pumpkin soup

Susan’s harvest salad (featuring butternut squash)

Italian plums

“I can’t imagine a fall without October, the month that seems to wrap the world in warm, honey-golden light.”

—Pablo Neruda

October ushers in the season of preserving and my hands-down favourite is a simple to make and utterly delicious Italian plum jam. With a bit of time, a touch of lemon and a pound or three of soft to the touch plums, you’ll have jars of sweetness to tide you over until summer fruit is upon us again.

Italian plum jam

Eggplants

“Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.”

—Carol Bishop Hipps, American writer

This is one that you may need to make now, while October is still young and full of promise. Provençal vegetable tian has many variations on a central theme. What is true of any great tian are the inclusion of tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant; lots of herbs; a decided note of garlic; and plenty of good olive oil to finish. The last field tomatoes may not be at their best, zucchini are coming to an end, but eggplants and red onions abound. Why not try this garlicky, olive oil-laden ode to fall?

Provençal vegetable tian

Tonight the air is crisp, my larder is starting to burst with buttery ballerina potatoes, Brussels sprouts and beets, and I’m getting into an autumn groove. I’ll be using the last of my precious corn this week, and have said a fond farewell to peaches.

The beauty of it all, of course, is that there is always something new to discover, something familiar to enjoy, no matter the season. I’d love to hear what your fall favourites are, what you’ll be cooking and what’s on your mind.