Hello from the Sacramento airport! I rang in November in San Francisco yesterday. My pal Erin showed me around and dropped me off at the airport this morning. I’m glad you all can’t see me now—I’m surrounded by crumbs from the life-changing croissant I got yesterday at Tartine. I’ll tell you more about the trip once I’ve had time to collect myself (but for now, there’s Instagram).

You’ll find my monthly guide to November produce below. Freezing temperatures mean that produce selection is starting to dwindle, but we still have lots of delicious options this month (apples! kale!).

Thanks again to Becky for letting me base this resource on her “Eat Seasonal” monthly seasonal produce lists. Check out her November post for an illustrated list that you can use as a desktop background or screensaver (it’s free!). Tag your seasonal produce and recipe pics #eatseasonal on Instagram so we can go check them out!

Apples

So many gorgeous apple varieties are here. I love crisp, chopped apples in salads with blue cheese and apple slices dipped into peanut or almond butter. Conventionally grown apples are exposed to lots of pesticides and then coated with wax, so organic apples are definitely worth the extra expense. Apples elsewhere:

View more C+K apple recipes ↣



Beets

Confession: I don’t like beets, so there are precisely zero beet recipes on this blog. In my defense, raw beets make my throat feel scratchy. Beets are tremendously earthy and can be eaten fresh, cooked or roasted. Some (like the golden variety) are pretty sweet. Beets elsewhere:

broccoli

As it turns out, broccoli is totally irresistible once roasted with olive oil and sea salt. Like all brassicas, broccoli goes great with garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and other bold flavors. Select small, tightly packed florets with minimal brown spots. Broccoli elsewhere:

View more C+K broccoli recipes ↣



cabbage

I can’t get enough cabbage! Cousin to broccoli, this potent anti-cancerous cruciferous vegetable is great raw, in slaws, roasted in pieces, or chopped and sautéed with olive oil and garlic. Select cabbages with compact heads that feel heavy for the their size. Cabbage generally keeps for a pretty long time in the vegetable crisper, so it’s a good ingredient to keep on hand. Cabbage elsewhere:

View more C+K cabbage recipes ↣



carrots

Watery baby carrots have been tarnishing grown-up carrots’ reputation for years. I love to turn full-sized raw carrots into “noodles” with my julienne peeler or “ribbons” with a regular peeler. Carrots are also fantastic when well roasted—leave them in the oven until they are deeply caramelized and golden. Carrots elsewhere:

View more C+K carrot recipes ↣



cauliflower

Cauliflower: Trendy since 2012, good for you since forever! Roasting cauliflower with olive oil and sea salt transforms the cruciferous vegetable from bland to French fry irresistible. You can also pulse raw cauliflower in the food processor to give it a rice- or couscous-like texture. I was skeptical about cauliflower crust pizza, but it can actually be pretty good! Cauliflower elsewhere:

View more C+K cauliflower recipes ↣



chard



Leafy green chard looks like its relatives spinach and beets. Chard often has gorgeous red, pink, orange or yellow stalks. Chard is used most often in Mediterranean cooking and its roots trace back to Sicily (so Wikipedia says). You can eat chard raw, but it is usually served cooked. I don’t have any chard recipes yet, which is crazy! Chard elsewhere:

collard greens

Poor collard greens have been overcooked for decades. They’re often seen in Southern cooking with bacon. Raw collards are pretty tough and bitter, as far as greens go. My favorite way to cook them is the Brazilian method: julienne the leaves and sauté them briefly with olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes. Then they’re absolutely delicious! Check out my spaghetti dish (shown above) for the cooking method. Collard greens elsewhere:

kale

I’m obsessed with kale. You’re obsessed with kale. We all love kale, and for good reason! It’s tremendously good for you and totally delicious, given the right preparation. Chop kale for stir-fries or a side of greens (sauté in olive oil and garlic), or massage it with a dash of salt for salads (see any of my kale salads for further instruction), or lightly coat roughly chopped kale with olive oil and roast it for kale chips. You can also blend kale into smoothies or juice it. Kale elsewhere:

View more C+K kale recipes ↣



parsnips

Parsnips are root vegetables that look like off-white carrots with parsley-like, leafy tops. Unsurprisingly, they’re related to both carrots and parsley. Parsnips are usually served roasted or cooked, but can also be eaten raw. They’re particularly high in potassium. I don’t have any parsnip recipes (yet), but I’ll work on that! Parsnips elsewhere:

pears

Pears can be finicky. They’re generally more grainy than their cousins, the apples, and ripeness is fleeting. They are delicious, however. Pears play nicely with blue cheese and balsamic vinegar in sweet-and-savory salads. In desserts, they’re lovely with warming spices, cream, honey and lemon. Pears elsewhere:

View more C+K pear recipes ↣



potatoes

Who doesn’t love a crispy potato? Roasting cubes of potatoes brings out way more flavor than boiling them. Varieties outside of the standard Russet (especially the more colorful potatoes) tend to offer more nutritional value. Buy organic! Potatoes elsewhere:

View more C+K potato recipes ↣



pumpkins

Shhh, don’t tell, but pumpkins actually aren’t all that flavorful by themselves. The pumpkin craze that strikes every fall is really just a collective craving for creamy texture and warming spices. It’s a pretty irresistible combination, for sure. Roast fresh pumpkin for savory dishes or toss it into the food processor to make homemade pumpkin purée. (The moisture content in homemade pumpkin purées can vary significantly, which is why most bakers opt for canned.) Pumpkins elsewhere:

View more C+K pumpkin recipes ↣



radishes

How I love radishes! Raw, chopped radishes lend a spicy crunch to salads and makes a great garnish for fresh Mexican meals. I often prefer radishes to raw red onion, which can easily overwhelm other raw ingredients. Whole, raw, spicy radishes served with butter and flaky salt are an incredibly simple and delicious appetizer. I also love pickled radishes, but the verdict is still out on roasted radishes. Radishes elsewhere:

View more C+K radish recipes ↣



Sweet Potatoes

I used to hate sweet potatoes! Then I tried a sweet potato fry and changed my tune. I still don’t enjoy sweetened, mashed sweet potatoes, but I could live off of salted, caramelized, roasted sweet potato. I especially love Mexican-style sweet potatoes with black beans, salsa verde and hot sauce! Sweet potatoes elsewhere:

View more C+K sweet potato recipes ↣



winter squash

Winter squash is here! I’ve seen butternut, delicata, spaghetti, acorn and kabocha lately! Most winter squash (like butternut and kabocha, but not delicata) have thick skins that usually need to be removed. Squash elsewhere:

View more C+K butternut squash recipes ↣



Looking for an ingredient that didn’t make the list? Check my new ingredient index for relevant recipes. If you want even more recipe inspiration, check my fall recipes board on Pinterest!

More resources you might appreciate: fruit and vegetable tools you actually need, 16 recipes that pack well for lunch (see also, lunch packing tips) and 10 fresh and filling salad recipes.