Whole Foods for Fall and Halloween treats (gluten free and Organic) *sponsorpost

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Fall means pumpkins, the changing colors of leaves and one of our favorite holidays: Halloween! In the west, this is prime season for apple picking, delicious squash and, at Whole Foods Market, the arrival of delicious Icelandic lamb. Check out our ideas this month on how to make the most of what is many people’s favorite time of the year!

Apples:

Smell that? The air is crisp, leaves crunch beneath your feet. It must be fall, which means it’s prime time for some of our favorite varieties of apples. Below are some tips to help you choose the best ones, whether at Whole Foods Market or your favorite local orchard:

·         Don’t wash your apples until you are ready to eat them—unwashed apples store longer than washed ones

·         Store your apples in a cool, dark place to extend their shelf life until you’re ready to use them

·         While “one bad apple can spoil the bunch,” you can use bruised apples in delicious recipes, from applesauce and apple butter to smoothies and apple chips baked in the oven

Winter Squash:

Fall also heralds fresh squash season. With so many varieties, it can be intimidating to incorporate squash and pumpkins into your menu, but once you learn a few key techniques to cut and cook squash, you’ll want to add them into all your dishes through the New Year.

Exploring the wide variety of squash available at Whole Foods Market and farmer’s markets is one of the most rewarding culinary adventures you can take this fall. Butternut, Delicata, Spaghetti, Acorn, Kabocha, Hubbard, or Buttercup squash are just a few of the varieties to try, along with pie pumpkins. Most are grown locally in each state, so look for the local sign at your grocery to support farms near you.

Most people are intimidated by cutting squash—the key first step to preparing it for soups, casseroles, and entrees. These veggies can be large, unwieldy, and seem dangerous to the uninitiated! Here are some failsafe tips and techniques to get these cut down to size for use in your favorite dish:

·         Choosing the right knife is key to getting the job done—it should be long, heavy and extremely sharp—a flimsy or dull knife can be dangerous when cutting squash because it can slip and cause cuts

·         Stabilize the squash so it doesn’t roll out from under you and use the “claw” technique with your fingers to hold the veggie, should your knife slip (so no fingers are exposed to the blade)

·         Cut off both ends of the squash from where the “neck” ends and the body begins

·         Take the “body” of the squash in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds—you can dry or bake these for a delicious fall snack with a little sea salt later!

·         Begin to cut rings in the squash in the size you want the cubes to be—similar to cutting a cantaloupe

·         Cube out the remaining pieces around the same size (typically 1” or so)

Some people microwave their squash for 2 minutes prior to cutting to make it a little easier

Experimenting with fun varietals like Spaghetti Squash opens up great crock pot, oven and even microwave options to get vibrant fall fare on your table in a short amount of time.

 Recipes:

·         Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs

·         Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Cardamom

·         Winter Squash and Apple Soup

·         Raw Apple Crisp

·         Sweet Potato Apple Cake

·         Apple Cheddar Quesadillas

Squash Cooking Tutorials:

·         Spaghetti Squash

·         Butternut Squash

Also check out Whole Foods for gluten free and organic Halloween treats for your school and home parties. We love Annie's and Justin's product, get them now at Whole Foods.

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