There’s a bumper crop of delicious and nutritious fall ingredients debuting on seasonal menus as chefs welcome the flavors of autumn. “I love everything about the fall season,” says executive chef Stephen Herman of Haven restaurant in Brookhaven. “The weather turns, the leaves turn and menus become more earthy with lots of root vegetables.”
Cozy fall fashions replace summer’s sheer whites and brights. There’s a change in the air and on the menu. Fall meals with plates of earthy and robust flavors replace the lighter side of summer. So Herman says so long to summer greens and hello to a fall salad of seasonal veggies with charred lemon vinaigrette. A salad of shaved local squashes, apples, pears and toasted kale is dressed with benne seed vinaigrette. Georgia trout is wrapped in bacon and served with roasted sweet potato, apple and radish with spiced pecan brown butter.
As Southerners get ready to hang around their backyard fire pits and stock up on firewood for cooler temperatures ahead, wood smoke flavors hit fall menus too. Smokey notes punctuate Haven’s pork croquette with baked apples.
“From football to Halloween and local festivals, there are so many reasons to love the fall especially here in the South,” Herman says.
The colorful bounty of fall fruits and vegetables fits right in with fitness. A Harvard University School of Public Health study of over 100,000 people over 24 years found that a person’s risk of excessive weight gain decreased with increased daily consumption of fruits and non-starchy vegetables. Lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, chard, green beans, cauliflower and peppers are all considered non-starchy vegetables. Researchers point out that fiber-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables help control hunger and keep blood sugar levels stable.
Fall’s healthy harvest
Apples: There are five grams of fiber in one medium apple. Have a baked apple for dessert.
Brussels sprouts: There are three grams of fiber in four Brussels sprouts.
Cauliflower: Very low in calories with only 25 calories in a cup. Watch the cheese sauce!
Collard greens, turnip greens and kale: A good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber and calcium.
Mushrooms: Very low in calories, high in Riboflavin and a good source of niacin. Mushrooms add rich flavors to fall's hearty soups and stews.
Winter squash and pumpkin: Rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, fiber and folate.
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