A Light Meal to Welcome Crisper Days

October is such a great time for preparing locally grown food. I love combining crisp, colourful produce with the earthy flavours and feel of fall’s root vegetables. The last of the local farmers’ markets are happening now, and they’re the perfect place to load up on herbs, specialty cheeses, and produce.

This month’s recipes combine these fabulous ingredients in a refreshing pita and feta salad. The cucumbers add a cool crispness and the whole wheat pita croutons offer a crunchy contradiction to the creamy goat’s cheese. The feta and parsley add calcium and other valuable nutrients. Substitute flaxseed oil for the salad dressing’s olive oil and you’ll gain omega-3s, essential fatty acids your brain and nerve cells will love.

As the days turn a little chillier, a hearty French onion soup is the perfect comfort food. My recipe transforms the traditional beef broth into a healthier version using miso paste. A staple in Asia for thousands of years, miso is made from soybeans fermented with a grain such as brown rice or barley. The result is a tasty, salty condiment that is live with bacterial culture and excellent for promoting gastrointestinal health. Soybeans also contain lecithin, which provides key ingredients for brain neurotransmitters, an excellent way to boost brain function. The onions provide sulphoraphanes, which increase immunity, counter free-radical damage, and fight cancer.

Fall produce also provides all that we need for good health through the cold and flu season. Keep an eye out at the market for fresh garlic, beets, sweet potatoes, and green leafy vegetables such as collard greens and kale. These vegetables provide super-sized amounts of vitamin C, beta carotenes, immune-boosting phytonutrients and minerals for a strong immune system.

Pita and Feta Salad

French Onion Soup

Raw Into Fall—Late Summer Recipes

Often at this time of year, our bodies crave light and wholesome meals. For the freshest ingredients, purchase produce from your local farmer’s market. Prepare all three recipes for a complete meal.

Mango-Lime Parfait

Sun Garden Burgers

Rootey-Tootey Salad