Week 10: What's in our Basket?

If you don't know what's going on with this basket stuff catch up here:
Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5 / Week 6 / Week 7 / Week 8

The leaves are changing colours, the air is getting colder, everything is pumpkin flavoured - fall is definitely here. This is our last basket from the summer season and based on its contents I can officially say summer is over! Every time we go to pick it up I am shocked by the amount of food we receive. I can't imagine getting a weekly full share because our biweekly half shares are always filled to the brim with delicious produce. The true mark of fall in our basket was with a giant butternut squash but there was also some confusion with these little, shelled, tomato-like items - which we later found out were tomatillos. We loved our basket so much that we've signed up for another one for the fall - and a holiday one too for Christmas, but I know, I know, too far away for excitement - however I won't be keeping up the regular basket blogs, unless they really stand out. With this basket I'm excited for veggie roasts, soups and more, here is what's in our basket:

Vegetable Half-Share:

2 red onions, a bunch of white potatoes, a butternut squash, head of lettuce, tonnes of tomatillos, one bunch of kale, on bunch of spinach, 5 turnips, 4 peppers, so many carrots and a bulb of garlic!

Fruit Share:

A bunch of McIntosh apples, one bunch of red grapes, 5 anjou pears, and 2 lemons.

Their Potential

Roast up those tomatillos for a delicious salsa verde.

The perfect autumn dish with maple, apples and what else, butternut squash.

Take a break from butternut squash soup and why not try this carrot-ginger version?

Kale and butternut squash combine to make this beautiful, sweater-weather tart.

Why choose between cake and pie when you can have them both in an apple-pie cake?

Three-tier candied-pecan cake with brown butter pears - get in my belly.

Summer is for grilling, fall is for roasting! Roasted turnips are my new thing.

Out & About: In the Orchard

Fall is now in full swing and I've got autumn recipe ideas bursting out of my head. In the summer one of my favourite things to do is go berry picking and lucky for me the fruit farms don't close up for another few weeks - it's apple picking season! The next couple weeks are full of school deadlines and I took a much needed break this past weekend at Chudleigh's apple orchard to pick my weight (and maybe then some) in apples.

The honey crisps (seriously the best apples ever!) and the McIntoshes are out, and Mom and I loaded up to get ready for some fall baking. The honey crisps are just for eating, but we're planning on making some apple butter, apple chips, apple sauce, and freezing some for future pies, crisps and other delicious apple desserts. Though Chudleigh's is best if you're bringing the whole family along for a day of petting zoos, picnics, and playgrounds, they do have a fantastic apple selection - but if you're looking for straight up apple picking, I'd stick to your regular ol' fruit farm, There will be plenty of apple recipes coming up on the blog in the next few weeks but if you're ready to start some baking now why not try out this delicious apple rhubarb loaf or these apple and oat scones, your taste buds will definitely stay happy.