Fall and Winter Fruit Recipe Round Up

When kids knock on your door selling something for a fundraiser, do you place an order?  Decline politely and send them on their way?  Offer instead to give a donation?

Some items (Girl Scout cookies, fresh fruit) I always buy.  Other things (chocolate bars, popcorn, mulch) merit a donation.  Some things (cheesecake) depend on my mood at the time.  When I order fresh fruit, though, sometimes I need a little inspiration to use it all up.

Since my son's band is selling fruit right now, I asked my fellow food bloggers for recipes using fresh Fall and Winter fruits. I've got a massive amount of recipes to share, so I broke them down by type of fruit and type of recipe. As you can see by the Visual Recipe Indices above, I like categories.
I've got sweet recipes, I've got savory recipes.  I've got vegan and gluten free recipes.  I've got alcoholic and non alcoholic recipes.  Recipes for every meal of the day--and then some to put up for later!
Poke around and see what you like, then click on the links below the photos to go to the food blog where you'll find each recipe.  And thanks for stopping by!

If my jump links work, you can find

Recipes Using Mixed Combinations of Fruit Here
Recipes Using Clementines, Tangelos, or Tangerines Here
Recipes Using Grapefruit Here
Breakfast/Bread Recipes Using Oranges Here
Cake/Cookie/Dessert Recipes Using Oranges Here
Drink/Ice Cream/Candy Recipes Using Oranges Here
Drink/Sauce Recipes Using Pears Here
Pears in Bars/Tarts/Poached or Stuffed Here
Pears in Cakes/Crisps/Crumbles/Muffins Here
Savory Recipes Using Oranges Here
Savory Recipes Using Pears Here
Savory/Grilled Recipes Using Pineapple Here
Sweet Recipes Using Pineapple Here

Recipes Using Mixed Combinations of Fruit

(Top to Bottom, Left side then Right side)

Winter Fruit Salad from Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Citrus Coconut Cream Dipping Sauce by Back for Seconds Blog

Spinach and Citrus Salad by Girlichef

Winter Sangria by Simple Bites

Citrus Pomegranate Fruit Salad by Simple Bites

Mulled Pom Citrus Mocktail by Nosh My Way

CSA-inspired Winter Fruit Salad by AnnieRie Unplugged

Mimosa by Clean Eats Fast Feets

Recipes Using Clementines, Tangelos, or Tangerines

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Clementine Soy Chicken Thighs by Healthy Delicious

Winter Fruit Feta Salad by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Endive Salad by The Hungry Goddess

Clementine Crunch Cake by The Creekside Cook

Olive Oil Bundt Cake with Tangerine Glaze by Noble Pig

Butternut Squash-Tangerine Soup with Pistachio Gremolata by Noble Pig

Kiwi and Tangerine Salsa by Taste and Tell Blog

Tangerine Waffles by Me!

Homemade Tangelocello by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Tangelocello Martini by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Tangelo Ricotta Cake by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Fennel Salad by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Recipes Using Grapefruit

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Grapefruit Kale Chiffonade by Spa Bettie

Risotto with Scallops and Grapefruit by Healthy Delicious

Grapefruit Soda by Jen's Favorite Cookies

Grapefruit Tart by Food Babbles

Pink Grapefruit Cupcakes by Alida's Kitchen

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Peach and Pink Grapefruit Salsa by Kiss My Smoke

Grapefruit Vanilla Bean Mini Bundt Cakes by Girlichef

Grapefruit Mint Boozesicles by Girlichef

Chipotle Grapefruit Margaritas by The Law Student's Wife

Breakfast/Bread Recipes Using Oranges

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Dark Chocolate Orange Pistachio Yogurt Cups by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Orange Almond Coffee Cake by Diethood

Glazed Poppyseed Muffins by The Kitchen is my Playground

Orange Date Yogurt Bread by The Law Student's Wife

Blood Orange Muffins with Candied Blood Orange Slices by 52 Kitchen Adventures

Orange Blueberry Fruffins by Wine and Glue

Cranberry Orange Scones by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Coconut Crusted French Toast by Because I Like Chocolate

Orange Bran Muffins by Recipes for my Boys

Banana Orange Bread by Back For Seconds Blog

Cara Cara Orange Coffee Cake by Recipes for my Boys

Orange Cherry Oatmeal Muffins by Me!

Cake/Cookie/Dessert Recipes Using Oranges

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Orange Vanilla Bean Cinnamon Pound Cake by Healthy Delicious

Orange Chocolate Spice Cookies by Wine and Glue

Chocolate Mandel Bread by What Jew Wanna Eat

Orange Sugar Cookies by Jen's Favorite Cookies

Blood Orange Almond Tart by Food Babbles

Olive Oil Cake with Candied Oranges by Food Babbles

Citrus Cranberry Layer Cake by Roxana's Home Baking

Blood Orange Polenta Cake by Little Ferraro Kitchen

Orange Pound Cake by Eat The Love

Blood Orange Coconut Cake by Eat The Love

Blood Orange Lemon Vanilla Shaker Pie by Eat The Love

Triple Chocolate Trifle by Because I Like Chocolate

Kumquat-Orange Cardamom Bars by Lemon Sugar

Blackberry Buttermilk Cake by The Law Student's Wife

Orange Creamsicle Pie by NL Rock Recipes

Blood Orange Marmalade by 52 Kitchen Adventures

Drink/Ice Cream/Candy Recipes Using Oranges

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Orange Creamsicletini by Snappy Gourmet

Sunset Sangria by Wine and Glue

Sangria by The Kitchen is my Playground

The Best Cherry Orange Sangria by Noble Pig

DIY Arancello by Girlichef

Blood Orange Sorbet by 52 Kitchen Adventures

Chocolate Chip Orange Olive Oil Ice Cream by Eat The Love

Cara Cara Sorbet by Recipes for my Boys

Homemade Gumdrops by Jen's Favorite Cookies

Drink/Sauce Recipes Using Pears

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Harvest Sangria by Everyday Maven

Cardamom Apple Pearsauce by Snappy Gourmet

Carrot Cake Jam by Nutmeg Nanny

Pear Butter by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Mint Chip Ice Cream by Ricki Heller

Pear Butter Pear Sauce by Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

Mixed Fruit Butter and Crackers by Pastry Chef Online

Cranberry Pomegranate Spritzers by Because I Like Chocolate

Fall Fruit Sangria by Savvy Eat 

Pears in Bars/Tarts/Poached or Stuffed

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Rosemary Roasted Hasselback Pears by Cooking on the Weekends

Caramel Dipped Forelle Pears by Nutmeg Nanny

Salted Caramel Pears by 52 Kitchen Adventures

Wine Poached Pears by Gastronomical Sovereignty

Vanilla Roasted Pears by Gourmande in the Kitchen

Autumn Poached Pears by Little Ferraro Kitchen

Slow Cooker Poached Stuffed Spiced Pears by 52 Kitchen Adventures

Pear and Cranberry Tart with Almond Paste by Gluten Free Doctor

Pear Tart Tatin by Little Ferraro Kitchen

Oatmeal Cookie Pear Bars by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Vegan Apple Pear Streusel Bars by Because I Like Chocolate

Pear and Ginger Bites by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Poached Pears by Because I Like Chocolate

Red Wine Poached Pears by Dieters Downfall

Pear Butter Waffles by Me!

Pears in Cakes/Crisps/Crumbles/Muffins

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Toffee Pear Pumpkin Bread by Simply Southern Baking

Pear Bourbon Bundt Cake by The Tomato Tart

Maple Pear Pecan Bacon Coffeecake by Gluten Free Doctor

Pear Cardamom Muffins by Gluten Free Doctor

Cranberry Pear Crisp by What's Cookin' Chicago

Pear Almond Muffins by Savour Fare

Pear and Cranberry Cornmeal Cake by Ricki Heller

Pear and Ginger Mini Loaves by Ricki Heller

Winter Fruit Crisp by Keep It Sweet Desserts

Mini Pear Walnut Crisps by Chocolate Moosey

Pear and Pomegranate Crumble by Little Ferraro Kitchen

Maple Pear Shortcakes by Inside BruCrewLife

Pear Walnut Crisp by The Kitchen is my Playground

Fresh Gingered Pear Cobbler by Spa Bettie

Ginger Pear Skillet Cake by Gastronomical Sovereignty

Vanilla-Cardamom Pear Hand Pies by An Edible Mosaic

Savory Recipes Using Oranges

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Orange Soy Pork Tenderloin by Supper for a Steal

Sesame Orange Steak Salad by Cooking on the Weekends

Orange Roasted Chick Pea Spiced Almond Salad by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Orange Peel Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Orange Chicken by Taste and Tell Blog

Quinoa Beet and Blood Orange Salad by Little Ferraro Kitchen

Sweet Potato Stuffed Oranges by Little Ferraro Kitchen

Fennel Orange Avocado Salad by The Hungry Goddess

Arborio Rice Pudding by Gastronomical Sovereignty

Fennel, Blackberry and Orange Salad by The Hungry Goddess

Spicy Orange Beef Carnitas by Running to the Kitchen

Shaved Asparagus and Blood Orange Salad with Quinoa by Running to the Kitchen

Italian Orange Salad by Shockingly Delicious

Crockpot Mexican Pork Carnitas by Savour Fare

Greek Orange Pork and Beans by The Spiced Life

Orange-scented Indian Cauliflower and Potatoes with Curried Fish by The Spiced Life

Savory Recipes Using Pears

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Caramelized Onion, Fresh Pear, and Goat Cheese Pizza by Me!

Asian Slaw with Korean Pears by Cooking on the Weekends

Mushroom Stuffed Pears with Gorgonzola by Running to the Kitchen

Pear and Arugula Salad by Little Ferraro Kitchen

Turkey, Cranberry and Pear Panini by Peanut Butter and Peppers

Apricot Pear (Vegan) Brie Sandwich by Spa Bettie

Roasted Pear and Brie Galette by Kitchen Tested

Fresh Pear, Fig Jam, and Goat Cheese Pizza by Me!

Leeky Pear Mushroom Toasts by Gastronomical Sovereignty

Savory/Grilled Recipes Using Pineapple

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Ghost Pepper Caramelized Pineapple by Cooking on the Weekends

Grilled Glazed Pineapple by Noble Pig

Gratineed Pineapple by Noble Pig

Honey Garlic Ginger Chicken by Running to the Kitchen

Pineapple Fennel Salad by Noble Pig

Macadamia Nut Chicken with Mango Pineapple Relish by Noble Pig

Hawaiian Chicken Skewers by Emily Bites

Pepperoni Pineapple Pizza by Emily Bites

Hawaiian Pizza by Masala Herb

Pineapple Avocado Salsa by Savour Fare

Hawaiian Scrambled Eggs by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Sesame Pineapple Chicken Salad by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Mexican Black Bean Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Hawaiian Chicken by Busy in Brooklyn

Peach Pineapple Salsa by The Kitchen is my Playground

Pineapple Coconut Green Curry Tacos by Spa Bettie

Sweet Recipes Using Pineapple

(Left to Right, and Top to Bottom)

Pineapple Kiwi Mint Smoothie by Running to the Kitchen

Pineapple Strawberry Rambutan Smoothie by What's Cookin' Chicago

Fruit Skewers and Yogurt Dip by Masala Herb

Fresh Fruit with Coconut Whipped Cream by Everyday Maven

Incredibly Edibly Delicious Pineapple Upside Down Pound Cake by Pastry Chef Online

Pineapple Square Bars by Peanut Butter and Peppers

Pineapple Flower Cupcakes by Spa Bettie

Pineapple Cobbler by Pint Sized Baker

Pina Colada Yogurt Parfaits by Pineapple and Coconut

Whew.  Now if anyone can tell me how many blogs are represented by this list, so I can brag about 156 recipes from 66 bloggers, I'd give you a big kiss. Or a shout out--[thanks, Sarah from The Cook's Life!]

This post is shared with What's Cookin' Wednesday and the From The Farm Blog Hop.

Citrus and Honey Whole Grain Muffins

Oranges and tangerines paired with honey in a whole wheat and oatmeal muffin

When you first get cases of citrus for the Band Fruit Fundraiser, your family is gobbling up oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines as fast as you can peel them.  My family is as spoiled as the composting pig.  I peel the oranges for them as well. I have that hook thingamajig from Tupperware.  It makes it easy.
But after a while, the joy of juice bursting in your mouth pales a bit.  The palate gets a bit tired of such unrelenting sweet goodness. Like living in Hawaii with unrelenting sunshine. It happened to me!
So you get creative, and start serving the citrus as the main event at breakfast.  That goes over well, so for special people you serve salmon and oranges with dinner.  You throw orange sections in spinach salads and fruit salads. [And you freeze the leftovers of those fruit salads for smoothies.]  You buy apples.  And grapes. And you kinda forget about the handful of citrus still in your crisper.

As Norah Jones just sang on my stereo, <they're> just sitting here, waiting for you to come on home <and make a muffin>.

I wanted to make another muffin without added refined sugar, this time on purpose, so I grabbed the honey out of the pantry. Honey pairs very nicely with citrus.  Add in the whole grains--oats and wheat--and you're good to go.  This muffin is a great use for leftover peeled citrus.  Chop the citrus finely, or you will have odd lumps sticking up here and there. You'll live if you do.  I did.  Kids still ate them.
I like to soak my oats in buttermilk overnight because I like the texture of the resulting whole grain muffin, but even an hour's soak makes a difference if you didn't mix these up the night before.

Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Fig Jam on an Eggnog/Butternut Crust (Pizza Night!)

An eggnog/butternut squash pizza crust topped with prosciutto, goat cheese, and fig jam

I wish I had some sort of clever little story about how this pizza came to be.  The plain fact is that my son found half gallons of eggnog for 50 cents after Christmas last year and I figured I'd get one and play around with it.  I also had the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve staring at me balefully, wanting to be included in everything.  So, since I had my 'shred a butternut squash' epiphany, I decided I'd put some in pizza crusts.  That worked out just fine, so I cast a wider net.  I figured the color of the butternut squash would only enhance an eggnog crust (whereas beets or kale in an eggnog crust would be . . . . just wrong).  I knew the eggnog would make a slightly sweet crust, and I love sweet and salty blends, so perhaps this is the right time to try my favorite combo:  prosciutto, goat cheese, and fig jam. [That combo comes directly from a George Foreman grill cookbook--put that in a panini and smash it and you are in for a real treat.]  

This crust is a marvel.  It's pillowy and soft thanks to the dairy, yet it bakes up firm enough to stand up like a regular slice of pizza.  It's very slightly sweet.  [If you're wanting a dessert pizza crust using eggnog, add a tablespoon or two of sugar to the crust, and sweet toppings.] My topping combo totally works with this crust--perhaps even better than on a plain crust.  It is delicious and if you find yourself with some butternut squash (leftover roasted mashed would also work fine) and a spare half cup of eggnog, give this a try. It's a StrangeButGood combination!

I've revamped my Visual Recipe Index! For more ideas on what to do with your butternut squash, click here.

Cranberry Apple Pecan Tangerine Mini Muffins

These were for a gathering and I dusted them with cinnamon sugar before baking.

It's all about the leftovers, isn't it?

When I made this bread I had leftover Cranberry-Apple-Pecan mixture.  I froze it, since I am big on the "What do I do with this?  I dunno.  I'd better toss it in the freezer" method of dealing with things.

The paperwork for my taxes is not in my freezer.

Luckily, I married a wonderful man whose wonderful mom prepares taxes for a living, otherwise my tax paperwork would be in the freezer with random assorted bags of vegetables and fruits.  And Butch.

I enjoy the cranberry-citrus combination (and will soon be blessed with Band Fruit Fundraiser citrus, stay tuned for a recipe round up next month) so I decided to add some tangerine to these muffins.  I was making up a frightfully orange smoothie (Tangerine-Carrot-Banana) and since I'd gotten the blender out, I blended up a tangerine first for the muffin batter before continuing with the rest of the smoothie.  If you're not mixing up a smoothie, just chop up a tangerine and add it to the batter, or get fancy and remove the juicy flesh and toss the scaffolding* in the compost.  Alternatively, give the remnants to the composting pig as she'll eat almost anything (her late roommate would eat anything).
Don't give it to the worms--they don't care for citrus.

Spicy Kale Pizza Dough with Mushrooms and Cheese

Sautéed mushrooms and kale with cottage cheese on a spicy kale pizza crust

Food takes time.

Food requires relationships.

Food requires connections.

When Sherry Chen of the BW Greenway said the above words at a recent local foods summit those words struck me.

Food takes time.

Feeding my family from our CSA farm share [yeah, I was part of the choir at that local foods summit. I don't have the raw data, but I know we're eating more than the 10% locally sourced food we were to pledge to eat.  100% of the beets, turnips, fresh figs and radishes for sure] means, for the most part, I am the one taking the time to make the food.  And when that food is not necessarily enjoyed by the entire household it can be hard to justify taking the time for just me.

But--I'm worth it.  And you are, too.

This is a convoluted way of saying that the pizza I'm sharing is more of a personal-sized pizza.  I did not consume the whole pie in one sitting, but if I'd been hungry enough I would have.  I made it knowing I'd be the only one to eat it, and that's fine by me.  It gave me a satisfactory answer to Sherry's question:

Who is fixing your dinner?  Someone has to grow, harvest, and prepare each meal.  

Even if it's not you.

Multigrain Cereal Buns, for Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwiches

A chewy, nutty-tasting bun perfectly sturdy to hold your Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich creation

The craft of baking bread--of scalding the milk, mixing in the right amount of flour, kneading and shaping the dough--is like riding a bike.  It is a memory in your muscles.  It's tricky to learn at first, but once you get the hang of it by baking regularly, even if you haven't done it for a while, the memory comes back to your muscles.  With the muscle memory of how to knead dough comes the mental memories of what else was going on in your life when you regularly made bread.

Last year my mom visited and shared how she makes Red River Buns--what our family likes to eat leftover turkey sandwiches on.  [Or is it in?]  It was a rare treat to see the memories of her life as a county extension agent in Minnesota come flowing out as her octogenarian hands kneaded the dough.  Hesitantly at first, then with more surety and detail.  Then mom reminded me where I get my frugal nature--she cut out the shapes for the buns using an empty tuna can [though since tuna can sizes have shrunk lately, along with most packaging, a larger tuna can would work better].

If you have an opportunity to bake with a loved one, especially something like bread which has spurts of activity followed by periods of inactivity to tea and conversation, please take the time to do so this holiday season.

Roasted Winter Squash Tacos

Strips of winter squash, roasted with peppers and onions, for a seasonal, vegetarian twist on the classic Taco Night

I wish I could be more precise about the kind of winter squash I used for these tacos.  It looked like a cross between a pie pumpkin and an acorn squash, so I am positive both of these types of squash will work.  Ditto butternut or delicata squash, as they'd roast up the same way (and you wouldn't need to peel the delicata). I just got a buttercup squash in the farm share but haven't taken time to play with it yet, so the jury is still out on that one.  If you have a spaghetti squash, I recommend you try Julie's Spaghetti Squash and Black Bean Tacos, as that recipe inspired me to look at the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve with an eye to making a vegetarian/vegan and bean free taco night dinner.

This is a Play With Your Benriner meal.  After laboriously halving, deseeding (more fun in next year's compost!), and peeling the squash, I thinly sliced it with my Benriner (link to Alanna's tutorial, or use a mandoline, or a sharp knife).  I gave the ends to the worms in the worm bin in my son's closet, as the composting guinea pig is not a fan.  Nor do pigs like the onion I thinly sliced next.  However, guinea pigs do like peppers and cilantro, so this meal wasn't an entire waste in a composting pig's eye as those were used in abundance.  Putting your seasonal abundance to work, that's what I'm all about.

I chose to roast the squash slices because I wanted a fajita strip shape (since I was using a bag of fajita size tortillas) and it was fun to layer the jalapeño, onion, sage and peppers on top of the squash to finish the whole thing under the broiler.  Only one pan to clean up, which I appreciate!

NOTE:  I created this recipe to be gluten free through my choice of ingredients. Check labels to confirm that your products are also gluten free. Good sources for determining that your products are gluten free can be found here:

http://knowgluten.me/2012/03/31/other-names-for-gluten/

http://glutenfreedoctor.com/gluten-free/

http://www.celiac.com/categories/Safe-Gluten%252dFree-Food-List-%7B47%7D-Unsafe-Foods-%26amp%3B-Ingredients/

Roasted Winter Squash Tacos

3 small winter squash, peeled, gutted, and sliced ~ 1/8 inch thick (about 7 to 8 cups loosely packed)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin (depending on how spicy you like things)

1/2 to 1teaspoon ground coriander (ditto)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (as above)

1 onion, peeled (skins to the soup pack!)

1 Tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño

1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves, sliced into ribbons

2 cups sliced bell pepper, colors of your choice

Arizona Dreaming or other taco seasoning, a few shakes worth (probably 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon)

tortillas

Optional

1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

guacamole

shredded Mexican blend cheese

sour cream

salsa verde

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss squash slices with seasonings, then spread out on a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until soft and tender.  Add onion, jalapeño, sage and pepper strips on top of squash.  Shake a bit of seasoning (Arizona dreaming, or a taco seasoning) on top of the onion and peppers.  Turn on broiler, and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, about 4 inches from the heat, until the vegetables get some color.  Gently combine all vegetables in bowl to distribute the seasonings evenly.

One of the things I like about Taco Night is how everyone can customize their meal.  I liked to spread the tortilla with guacamole, then layer the roasted vegetables, cilantro, cheese and sour cream.  My spouse preferred to add salsa verde on his roasted vegetables for more spicy flavor.  The kids had some squash with their cheese and sour cream.  How would you top your taco?

This post is shared on the Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cookin' Wednesday, the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up, From the Farm Blog Hop

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Sausage Spinach Mozzarella Ball Pizza

Crumbled Italian sausage, fresh spinach, marinated mozzarella balls and artichoke hearts top this welcoming pizza

The subtitle on this pizza is Homecoming Pizza, and not the dance/football game kind.  If you're interested in the reason behind the subtitle, enjoy the recipe and meet me on the other side.  But first, here's how to make this yummy pizza.

Thanksgiving Leftover Remake--Poutine?!

Roasted potatoes topped with cheese curds and gravy, with optional turkey, turning Thanksgiving leftovers into a new meal.

Gravy seems to be an orphan leftover in my house.  We always seem to eat up all the mashed potatoes but not all the gravy.  Yes, I know I can make a Thanksgiving casserole with all the same stuff I just ate moistened with gravy, but I like to find different tastes for my leftovers.  So what do I do with my leftover gravy?

Well, it's the season of excess plenty, so why not make poutine?

[Big Ol' Honkin Disclaimer:  I have never eaten real poutine.  I am not even Canadian--my Canadian mom chose to take a job in the US where she met my dad--though I've got relatives and friends Up in the Great White North. But it seems very wordy to say "potatoes topped with cheese curds and re-heated leftover gravy" when "poutine" conveys the same idea.]

It never occurred to me to make poutine at home.  For this, I give credit to my son.  He and I share a similar affinity for unagi and furikake, so if he wants to try something it's a good bet that I would also like it.

In my house, on your birthday, you get to choose what you want to eat for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dessert.  My son wanted the appetizer for his birthday dinner to be poutine.

Poutine is no amuse bouche.  I had no idea what I was in for!  I'd heard of it, sure, but had no clue that we'd be too full from the appetizer to appreciate dinner!  I decided to try it again, when I had leftover gravy, as a stand-alone snack/meal thing.

Try this if you have more gravy than mashed potatoes!

Roasted Pumpkin and Eggnog French Toast

French toast made with roasted pumpkin and eggnog batter for a seasonal brunch

My kids are very fortunate French toast eaters.  They are blessed with not one but two grandmothers who rock at making French toast.

Can a grandmother rock at something?  Well, these women sure do.  My kids love Grandma's French Toast--regardless of which grandma they are visiting.

When I first met my mother-in-law, she told me she was a "plain Jane cook".  She sure makes something 'plain' like French toast taste super when we visit!  She has her recipe memorized (and now I do, too):  for every 4 pieces of bread you need 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  It's a no-fail recipe that we love to eat while gathered around the large table, watching the woods outside.

My mom's contribution to my kids' Grandma French Toast Experience is her choice of bread.  Mom buys day-old bread (hmm, I wonder where I get my love of marked down food from?), usually hoagie rolls, and slices it into thick rounds.  She serves the kids breakfast on the bar while they sit on stools overlooking her kitchen.

Combining mom's bread with my mother-in-law's batter results in a delicious breakfast treat when it's just mom making the French toast.  For this post, though, I decided to kick it up a notch.  I thawed some packages of pumpkin (that I'd roasted and put up for muffins) and added it to the batter.  I had eggnog, and decided to use that in place of milk.  Because the pumpkin was pretty thick, I opted to toss the whole thing in the blender to mix it up.  This creamy concoction was so delicious I had to share.

Try this for a special brunch or just for an everyday weekend breakfast.  My kids tell me that the leftovers made a tasty school-day breakfast treat.  Even if it's not as good as when Grandma makes it!

Turkey Pesto Olive Feta FFF-a-boli, Thanksgiving Leftover Remake Pizza Night!

Turkey, green olives and feta cheese combined with pesto in a rolled pizza

I knew when I made these pizzas that I wanted to do a Leftover Remake using turkey.  I just didn't have any turkey to try it with!  Then we celebrated Thanksgiving, I got some turkey leftovers to work with, and I could make this vision a reality.  Turkey, pesto from the freezer stash, green olives, feta cheese . . . sounds like a winning combination.

Then my spouse asked for a Nic-o-boli for his birthday, and I veered off into a different direction.  What if I took that topping combination I'd envisioned, and stuffed it into a rolled pizza?

We all agreed it worked great.  If you have leftover turkey meat, and you've put up your pesto (or have a jar in the fridge) try this FFF-a-boli.  It's delicious (and what I'd be making for Friday Night Pizza Night the day after Thanksgiving if I wasn't a food blogger who has been inspired by this)!

ABC: Apple/Apricot, Beet, Cranberry Sauce--Quick Take

A colorful side dish of cranberries with roasted beets and dried apricots simmered in a sweetened apple cider/orange juice broth. A delicious addition to holiday meals and a terrific way to use farm share beets that gets the whole family to dig in.

New photos for 2015, same tasty recipe!

I'll freely admit I'm a fan of the can.  Not the jellied cranberry sauce (though I'm sure it has its uses).  I have no issue, however, with canned whole berry cranberry sauce.  It's fine. Want a recipe for a doctored up can of cranberry sauce? Here's my Semi-homemade Cranberry Pineapple Pecan Salad.

I also love cranberry-orange relish, and cranberry-apple sauce.  Whole Foods made a cranberry-beet-apricot dish on their salad bar years ago that my mom re-created.  I decided to combine all of those into this side. It's sweet but not too sweet, tangy but not too out there.  And the color is freakishly vibrant.

For more recipes using apples or apple cider, please see my Apples/Apple Cider Recipes Collection. For more recipes using beets, please see my Beet Recipes Collection. For more recipes using cranberries, please see my Cranberry Recipe Collection. This is the only recipe in the Apricot Recipe Collection so don't bother clicking over there. These collections are part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me eating locally and seasonally from the farm share, the farmer's market, and seasonal abundance. I've got even more recipe ideas on my Pinterest boards, follow me there to see them. I'm also sharing new recipes on my FB page so check that out as well. Want to know how to use this blog?

Pumpkin Cranberry Maple Kugel

This cross-cultural mash up of fresh pumpkin, cranberries, and maple syrup with noodle kugel makes a lightly sweet (without sugar) dessert--and a terrific post-holiday breakfast!

This post is part of the Thanksgivukkah Food Blogger Potluck hosted by Stefani of CupcakeProject.com.  You can read all about it here, and scroll down for links to many more recipes!

I think it is a natural tendency, when you embark on a new endeavor, to look to those experienced in the field for guidance.

When I became a mother I looked to the women around me who were a few months/years ahead of me on the motherhood journey.  From the practical (my oldest friend took one look at the giant convertible carseat I was lugging in and out every day and loaned me her snap-in infant carrier) to the more intangible (while fretting about the lower percentile my son doggedly stayed in on his growth chart, another friend reminded me that when he gets to college, no one will remember or care where his height/weight fell on the chart at age 6 months). The help I received from those women who have gone before me made a huge difference in my life.

As my children grow into their teens, I continue to look to those ahead of me, and I'm especially interested in the interactions of mothers and their now-adult children.  I avidly observe my friends who have adult children with Spina Bifida, watching and learning the steps of the complicated dance that is supporting yet not directing another adult's life.  It is fun to see photos of a friend enjoying a day at Disney with her daughter who now works there.  It's gratifying to see another friend's daughter drop in to see her mom at work, just for a little Mom time (and not money!).

Why am I going on about mothers and adult children?  It was Molly, visiting her mom during sled hockey practice recently, who gave me the idea for this recipe.  See, while I was brainstorming Hanukkah/Thanksgiving mashup ideas, all I could think of was latkes.  Over the years I've been over to my oldest friend's house many times to make--and eat--latkes, but they were the star of the meal.  While I was chatting with Molly and her mom about other Hanukkah dishes, like brisket and roast chicken, Molly suggested kugel.
I just happened to have my copy of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese (Amazon affiliate link) because I was working on this post and wouldn't you know it, there's a recipe in Melt for Sweet Potato Kugel. [Put this book on your holiday wish list, unless you're local to me, then check it out of the library or borrow my copy--I keep finding more recipes I must try, and each one I've made is well-written with delicious results.]  Obviously from the title of this post I didn't make that recipe (I used pumpkin not sweet potato, fresh cranberries not dried, maple syrup in place of sugar and changed up the spices) but since Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord have gone before me into the world of autumnal vegetable kugels I am glad to follow their guidance.

Just like I follow others who have gone before me.

Vegetarian Antipasti FFF-a-boli Rolled Pizza on Sweet Potato Dough

A cheesy mix of mushrooms, artichokes, pickled peppers, pesto and olives rolled in a sweet potato crust

It's been a while since I've shared a rolled pizza.  I started with a Basic FarmFreshFeasts-a-boli, then later a Beef and Mushroom FFF-a-boli.  Coming next Friday I'll have a tasty turkey 'boli using Thanksgiving leftovers.  But today, I am all about the vegetables.

The base of this rolled pizza is a Roasted Sweet Potato crust I shared here. [Can you tell that I make multiple batches of dough in one go, so I can play around with the toppings?]  Since I usually have an antipasti bar going on in my refrigerator door I grabbed a bunch of jars for pizza topping ideas.  I put back the grape jelly, peach jam, sriracha and lemongrass but kept the stuff you see below.  Starting with a base of sautéed mushrooms, I added some pickled peppers, then olives and artichoke hearts, with pesto to tie the whole thing together.  Three cheeses make this extra gooey and yummy.

If you eat turkey for Thanksgiving, but will be serving vegetarians in your post-Thanksgiving Eat All The Leftovers period, keep this pizza in mind.

Cranberry Chicken Meatballs with Cranberry Gravy

Cranberries, sage, and red onion flavor ground chicken in meatballs served with cranberry gravy

My spouse used to buy CDs and books based on the covers (you know, in the days pre-online shopping, when you'd physically scan the shelves and pick up what caught your eye).  He discovered Willy Porter's Dog Eared Dream (Amazon affiliate link) that way (cute dog on the cover).  He also found a cooking with fruit cookbook (which, sadly, has been lost in the many moves).  I always intended to use that book to add more fruit to savory dishes, but it never really caught on with me.

I have a taste memory of a wonderful chicken schnitzel melba (chicken, peaches, brown gravy) from Restaurant Paltzer in Spangdahlem, Germany that is my Gold Standard for a savory, fruit-and-meat entree.  I'm still working on the recipe for that (though my German coworker is helping!), but since it's getting on to cranberry season and I'm all about eating with the seasons (or putting up produce while it is in season to eat later) I'll share these cranberry chicken meatballs.

Even though I tend to stock a lot of local ground beef in my freezer, I am not immune to a good deal on ground chicken at the grocery store.  I had chopped cranberries (from these muffins) and some red onions and sage from the farm share.  The family was pretty pleased at the thought of chicken and noodles for dinner.  Perhaps they were happy about a pink meal that didn't contain beets. Even though I had 2 burners and the oven going, this meal wasn't that much plate-spinning effort.  I threw the meatballs together and chucked them into the oven, freeing up my hands to make the gravy while the noodles and meatballs were doing their own thing.

Mini Cranberry Yogurt Oatmeal Muffins

A pretty little lightly sweet muffin with cranberries, Greek yogurt-soaked oats, and a candy topper.

Note:  I am so glad to have the seasons change--I've been sitting like a swan* a bunch of recipes (because, you know, our family likes to eat each day) that were not really seasonal for posting on the blog at the time I made them.  I mean, who wants to read about cranberries in March?  I'm glad to share them now, and to give you ideas for what to do with your cranberries.  And yes, currently I'm cooking stuff that uses the last of the summer produce so I'll be sharing it next summer.  I'm starting my own personal NaBloWriMo where I plan to write up blog posts as many days as possible in order to deal with the pile of recipes and head notes that clutter my work space.  With breaks for eating muffins, pizza, and beets, of course.  Yes, I am nesting. ;)

I buy cranberries when they are in season and inexpensive, then I store them in my fruit and veg freezer (not to be confused with the meat freezer) until I'm wanting some fruit for a muffin and open the freezer up, scan the contents, and think 'well, why not cranberry muffins?'  That was an entirely run on sentence.  I see where my son gets it from.  I was thinking about my usual Soaked Oat muffins, but was out of buttermilk--though I did have a bucket of plain Greek yogurt.

A quick check of my muffin bible, Muffins: A Cookbook (Amazon affiliate link) reassured me that it was possible to use yogurt in muffin batter, and in fact their recipe for Cranberry Yogurt muffins is very slightly adapted here.  I didn't use the entire bag of cranberries in this recipe, but don't go on a rant about it like I did, instead come on back next time, because I will share the Cranberry Chicken Meatballs with Cranberry Gravy I made using the rest of the cranberries I'd chopped.

Another Note:  I made these to serve as an after school snack to a bunch of girls (who came over to unplug my fruit and veg freezer work on a school project).  I was concerned that the cranberries would be too tart, so I added a candy melt for a hit of sweetness when you popped the muffin in your mouth, and made them mini because they looked cuter (sort of like wee Oliver, our new-to-us wiener dog).  If you don't have or don't want to use candy melts, please feel free to bump up the brown sugar to 1/2 or 3/4 cup if you're concerned about the tart vs sweet level.

Beef and Cheddar on Pumpkin Pizza Dough

A hearty pizza of roast beef, mixed with barbecue sauce and topped with cheddar, on a roasted pumpkin pizza crust

I realized that despite the large amount of cow in the freezer, I rarely share very meaty pizzas.

I think it stems from a desire to Use All The Vegetables from the farm share, plus a desire to decrease the amount of meat per serving, but regardless of the desire, the end result is that we rarely eat a (homemade, at least) very meaty pizza.

This is a very meaty pizza.  I had leftover shredded beef (Sarah at Imperfect Kitchen's Perfect Pot Roast sounds like a good way to have some leftover shredded beef) as well as a pumpkin pizza crust, and I wanted the opposite of the Pumpkin and Black Bean pizza I shared last week.

It worked--this is nothing like that pizza, though if you gave me a slice of each I'd eat them both real fast.  I'd finish with this one, though, because the BBQ beef and cheddar flavors want to linger on my tongue.  [I like my last bites of a plate of food to be my favorite ones.  Strange, I know.]

Potato, Beet, and Leek Soup (And How To Make Vegetable Stock)

A thick vegan or vegetarian or omnivorous soup of potatoes, beets and leeks

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My spouse is a vegetarian, at least while he's away on his all-expense paid work trip to an exotic foreign locale.  If you think it's ironic, considering I just shared a post on 106 Recipe Ideas Using Ground Beef because I have 110 pounds of ground beef in the freezer, you're in good company.

Since the rest of the household is omnivorous, I've been experimenting with ways to create meals we can all enjoy.

I've heard homeschoolers will use the Bus Stop Method of teaching--introducing a subject, then dropping off students to work at different levels while continuing to teach that subject.  I consider recipes like this, and my Vegan/Vegetarian/Omnivorous Valentine's Pizza and my Acorn Squash, Beet, and Sweet Potato Chili, to be similar to the Bus Stop Teaching.  Call it Bus Stop Cooking (though bear in mind I am cooking in my kitchen, not at a bus stop, and I have access to running water, an oven, stove, and all that).

 The base of this recipe is a vegetable stock, slowly cooked in the slow cooker (is that redundant?) all day (and in fact I kicked this batch over to Keep Warm and let it go overnight since I didn't feel like dealing with it in the evening).  I like mushrooms in my vegetable stock, so when I realize that I'm not going to finish a package I'll toss them in with the rest of the cast of vegetables into a Vegetarian Soup Pack in the freezer.

The inspiration for this soup came from Alanna's Greens 'n All Beet Soup.  I love the flavor of that soup, but my kids aren't crazy about chunks of vegetables, and lately with my obsession with sautéed beet greens there just wasn't any left for soup.  So I figured I'd adapt Alanna's recipe with the veggies I had.  Once I simmered and pureed the soup, I had a rick, thick, vegan bowl of yumminess (shown above).  That's Bus Stop #1.  Adding a dollop (love that word) of sour cream makes a nice vegetarian bowl (shown below left).  Bus Stop #2.  Adding a pound of browned and drained ground beef to the pot means that we've arrived at the final destination--a soup for omnivores [aka another way to get my kids to eat beets.  With beef.]

I don't know if my spouse will continue as a vegetarian when he returns.  He says he'll eat "happy meat", so I've sourced a "locally-raised on locally-grown and -ground GMO free feed" turkey for Thanksgiving.  I do know that I will continue this Bus Stop Cooking method, because it tastes good!