Recipes

The fall harvest brings us many things to be grateful for – including delicious and healthy acorn squash. Whether baked or stuffed, this buttery vegetable brings flavorful goodness to the table. Here are three easy recipes to warm your family up on a chilly fall or winter evening.

There’s nothing like sharing special food with special friends and family. These three apple dessert recipes bring back many happy memories for me, and I’m hoping they’ll help make some sweet times for you to cherish as well!

No matter how you slice them, apples are packed with all kinds of healthy goodness. Growing tired of the same old “eat-around-the-core” treat? Here are a few simple snacking recipes to jazz up your apple intake and get more fruit and fiber into your family’s daily diet!

Hosting a holiday or other social gathering? Baked garlic is one of the easiest – and tastiest – appetizers you can serve. Try this simple-to-prepare spread and keep your hungry crowd happy until dinnertime.

Looking for a new quick and delicious way to enjoy your tomato harvest? Try bread salad! This tasty meal is easy to make in minutes and can be enjoyed as a great main or side dish.

Like squash? Be sure to give the sweet, nutty butternut variety a try. Packed full of nutrition, this healthy veggie makes a delicious baked side dish or tasty (and good-for-you) French fries. Here are two easy recipes to help enjoy your homegrown harvest.

Nothing quite warms you up in the cool season like chicken soup, and fall is the perfect time to make it. After all, cool-season veggies fresh from the garden are perfect in this magical soup celebrated for its ability to “cure the common cold.”

Cabbage is a home garden staple, but there are many more things you can make with it besides the traditional white cole slaw. Try a few of these recipes – a North Carolina slaw, a pickled favorite from the old country and a family casserole– and you just might find yourself planting more of this good-for-you stuff!

Cucumbers are the coolest vegetable of the season. (And with just 30 calories, harvest and eat all you like!) Here are three recipes plus a spa-inspired suggestion for a quick and easy cool-down.

Butternut squash is one versatile winter veggie because it lends itself so well to baking, steaming, sautéing and pureeing. Not only is this “souper” recipe easy to prepare, it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals – perfect for a holiday or warming winter meal.

Cucumbers and yogurt combine to create a cool salad, relish or refreshing dip that complements just about everything – from sandwich to spicy dish. Easy to make and good for you, too, this recipe makes a great addition to any meal or party spread!

Searching for a super savory dish that celebrates all the flavors of your garden? Try paella! This traditional Spanish meal is surprisingly easy to make at home, and you can use whatever is fresh in your garden to create it.

Cucumbers are an excellent summer treat, whether you like them fresh from the vine or pickled in vinegar. Try this simple recipe for refrigerator pickles and keep enjoying your healthy, delicious cukes for months on end!

Tired of boiling your veggies? Looking for an easy side dish to add to your Thanksgiving Day feast (and beyond)? Try this recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts. Roasting brings out the vegetable’s natural nutty flavor and makes them a delicious source of vitamin C.

Slow-roasting is the easiest method for preparing tomatoes for freezing. Faster and simpler than canning, slow-roasting tomatoes lets your oven do all the work – and the results are especially delicious!

Quiche and omelets are two “egg-cellent” protein-rich dishes that use many of the vegetables grown in your kitchen garden from spring through fall. Try these two delicious recipes for your family – or create an impressive brunch for your friends.

For many, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and marks the beginning of autumn. Take a break from all your labors to make this tasty end-of-summer treat that’ll make you think fall.

Looking for some cooking tips on preparing bell peppers? Roast the whole pepper for a flavorful way to enjoy this popular garden veggie. Learn the easy way to roast a bell pepper, then enhance your sandwiches, salads and main dishes with this tasty – and healthy – treat.

Still loving your vegetable garden but growing tired of the usual BLTs and typical salads you’ve been making all season? Try this new flavorful recipe that changes along with your ripe harvest!

The amazing thing about herbs is you can grow them for pennies, then make amazing dishes that taste like a million! Here are few ideas on how to best use fresh herbs in your everyday culinary adventures. (The flavor they add to nearly any dish: Priceless!)

Making the most of strawberry season means eating them fresh from the field or in a variety of desserts. Turn your harvest into a delicious slice of Shoney Pie or some Strawberry Pretzel Jell-O® Salad.

Wondering what to do with all those extra tomatoes? Turn them into a delicious sauce that’s as good for your body as it is for your taste buds! Here’s how the “Food Sleuth” turns her harvest into nutritional goodness that can be savored long after growing season.

Gifts from the kitchen garden are thoughtful ways to remember your family, friends and neighbors throughout the year. Learn how to turn some ordinary garden and kitchen staples into tasteful gifts for any season with this recipe for spicy pickled grapes.

As the dreaded threat of autumn frost lingers over the veggie patch, many home gardeners are faced with still-green tomatoes left on the vine. Don’t let your remaining harvest go to waste! Learn how to ripen green tomatoes – or give this fried green tomatoes recipe a try!

Eggplant is a widely recognized vegetable but not so widely used in everyday American fare. Growing eggplant is nearly effortless, and incorporating it into a familiar dish may be just the ticket for getting it on your family’s table.

Delicious black beans are easy to grow, easy to cook and filled with good-for-you fiber. Make a little room for these tasty beans in your garden this year for hearty, heart-healthy flavor!

Growing ginger is a fun, easy project you can begin with just a simple starter root from the grocery store. Spice up your growing skills – and recipes – with some ginger propagation know-how.

Summer squash is a great addition to your kitchen garden. From yellow types to green zucchini, there are lots of easy-to-grow, colorful varieties for you to choose. All are delicious and will produce a bountiful harvest to savor and share all season long!

There’s a lot of socializing and eating associated with the holidays. By offering some healthy food alternatives at your festive banquet, you and other partygoers can avoid packing on the extra pounds this season.

Holiday memories are made in the kitchen…with a little sage, a bit of thyme, a pinch of rosemary and a lot of love. Use your homegrown herbs to bake up a batch of your own memories along with this recipe for herbed bread dressing.

The next best thing to a blooming rose is the fruit that follows. Discover how to harvest this remarkable treat so you can enjoy its many health benefits – whether in teas, muffins or this wonderful rose hip jam recipe!

Traditional holiday vegetables are delicious – but are sometimes heavy in cream and fat. Looking for a lighter side dish that’s easy, as well as delicious? Give one of these tasty comfort foods a try this holiday season!

There’s still time to savor those remaining flavors in your vegetable garden. Pluck those veggies and herbs before first frost and enjoy the taste of fresh bruschetta.

Nothing tastes better on your morning toast than homemade jam from handpicked berries. Even better, it’s an easy way to enjoy your harvest year-round (not to mention delicious)!

Looking for a super-simple and delicious breakfast? These easy-to-make scones feature dried sweetened cranberries and common ingredients you probably already have on hand. Try them for the holidays and beyond, and make any morning a special occasion.

If you’re looking for a real taste of fall that you can enjoy all year-round, make some apple butter. It’s easy to do, doesn’t take a lot of equipment and makes a great gift for the holidays!

Did your pecan tree have a bountiful harvest this year? Wondering what to do with all those tasty nuts in your freezer? Here’s a sweet pecan-filled treat that your family and friends will go “nuts” over this holiday!

Looking for an out-of-the-ordinary fruit tree for your yard? Consider persimmons. The sweet fruit is ready for harvest in fall, long after most other trees have finished for the year. Learn more about planting this fruitful beauty, as well as making a delicious rich pudding with the bounty.

Potato latkes are a delicious tradition at Hanukkah and a year-round food the whole family can enjoy. Here’s the recipe for cooking up some great taste this holiday season – and beyond.

When fall comes to town, it’s soup time! And nothing will warm you up quite like this easy recipe for homemade – and homegrown – potato leek soup.

The fruit of the prickly pear cactus ripens in summer through fall. This little-used desert delicacy can be enjoyed many ways – including in margaritas! Unfortunately, this prickly fellow and its fruit are armed with sharp microscopic glochids. Learn how to safely remove them – then celebrate with a margarita!

Do you have fall traditions? In David Morgan’s house, fall means cooking – and eating! Pumpkin bread has been a particular favorite of the Morgans for years. If you’re looking for something new and delicious this season, try David’s family recipe!

Pumpkin brings out the best in seasonal cooking. Learn how to make an easy pumpkin puree (just in time for the holidays), as well as the names of a few great pumpkins recommended for cooking.

If you’re looking for a quick little appetizer or super-fast dinner idea that uses fresh ingredients from your garden, check out this easy pizza recipe. All you need are some veggies from your garden and a few things from the store, and you’re ready to cook – then enjoy!

Easy to grow in spring or fall, red cabbage is a colorful veggie that adds interest in the garden and tasty crunch to salads, slaws and other dishes. Learn how to grow this cool-season veggie, as well as make a great slow-cooker recipe.

Red peppers pack a powerful nutritional punch, and the flavor is unbeatable! Learn the easiest way to preserve your pepper harvest in fall – and later sauté it – to enjoy all winter long.

After a cold, dreary winter, we deserve the joys of spring. Get ready to enjoy the benefits of homegrown rhubarb!

Fall is the perfect time to prepare green chiles – and experience a Southwestern tradition! Learn the easy steps to roasting, preserving and enjoying all kinds of green chile peppers, then add fantastic flavor to your favorite recipes – including this delicious chunky salsa.

Don’t just scoop out the seeds from your pumpkins and throw them away. Make a tasty – and nutritious – treat for everyone to enjoy. Depending on how you roast them, pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, can be sweet, spicy or savory. Check out these easy roasted pumpkin seed recipes.

Deliciously sweet and creamy, butternut squash is easy to roast: Just cut it into chunks, toss it with herbs and spices, and pop it in the oven. Then use it in all kinds of flavorful recipes that boost your health and add a whole new dimension to mealtime!

So many root vegetables – potatoes, carrots, onions, beets, sweet potatoes – can be easily roasted for a delicious dish. These recipes only take minutes to prepare, but you’ll relish them as if you slaved for hours in the kitchen.

Late summer is the perfect time to find new ways to enjoy the bounties of your garden. With just a little bit of work and some ingredients you’ll find in your garden and pantry, you can whip up a batch of pesto pasta salad sure to please.

Fresh herbs are wonderful for making gourmet-style jellies, the perfect accompaniment to a variety of roasted meats and vegetables. Even better, making your own is as simple as brewing tea – not to mention a delightful way to savor nature’s goodness year-round!

Fall brings more than leaf changes and pumpkins – it means cranberry season! If you love the tangy fruit and are looking for new ways to enjoy it beyond the traditional holiday sauce, try these recipes courtesy of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association.

Greens are sometimes difficult to get past picky palates, but these 3 recipes for Swiss chard are sure to be hits. They’re packed with flavor, familiarity and, of course, all the wonderful nutrition leafy greens are known for!

Looking for a new signature dish for the holidays? Try Megan Bame’s sweet potato casserole recipe. Filled with nutritional goodness and creative in presentation, this is one easy side dish that will have your guests talking – and serving up seconds!

Whether you buy an indoor kit or plant a log outdoors, growing mushrooms is a fun science project. The best part is: You can eat the results! Learn how one indoor kit proved particularly successful, as well as how to prepare a delicious mushroom sauce for grilled chicken.

There’s nothing better than cooking up a tasty meal using homegrown goodies from the garden. But who wants to slave over a hot stove in the heat of summer? Try these easy, flavorful recipes that won’t leave you overheating in the kitchen.

Looking for a new way to cook your homegrown vegetable harvest? Try tempura – a traditional Japanese cooking method. It’s quick and easy (not to mention fun and delicious)!

Homemade applesauce is easy to make – and good for you! Learn how to turn your apple harvest into a quick and delicious side dish or ice cream topping your family is sure to love.

Your vegetable garden is bursting with flavor – now what do you do with all those tomatoes you’ve been picking? Turn your harvest into a quick and easy puree! Here’s how, along with some tasty puree-based recipes sure to please the fam.

Try a delicious twist on the traditional apple pie: Toss some cranberries in the mix, and enjoy a holiday dessert sure to please the entire family and neighborhood.