Fruits and veggies just taste better when they’re fresh, local, organic, and seasonal. That is the bottom line. I can pretty much guarantee that this soup would not have been so incredibly delicious had I purchased the ingredients at the store… especially in the middle of January.

But… that day will come. Right now, though, I will be savoring every last bite of my Fall Harvest Veggie Soup.

It was quite easy- Into a large stock pot went the following ingredients in the following order, allowing a little time in between each ingredient to bring the broth back to a boil:

I served it with some bread and mozzarella cheese. It was really, really good soup. I’m glad I have some leftovers.

I made this delicious, simple Indian dish once for Taste & Create. But, my version of bread was lacking in flavor, texture… just wasn’t very good. And, produce wasn’t in season, which changes everything. So, I made it again. Here’s the link to the Bazaar Jaisey Aloo recipe.

The only thing I did differently was use 3 nicely ripened, large, fresh tomatoes that I chopped instead of the canned tomatoes I used in the past, and I added a chopped zucchini… just because.

I served this with some homemade naan. Delicious dinner.

Scarlet Queen Turnips were in the CSA share, and I really had no plan for them. I tucked them in the fridge and didn’t pay attention to them until I decided to make a potato salad. Turnips go well with potatoes because they have a similarly smooth texture, add a little variety, and lighten some bites since you’ll get mouthfuls that are not all potato.

For this potato salad, I boiled 10 small Yukon Gold potatoes and 6 large Scarlet Queen Turnips until easily pierced by a fork. I drained them and gave them a rinsing in cold water to stop them from cooking.

When cool to touch, I quartered them, transferred them to a large mixing bowl, and dressed them with:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 TB apple cider vinegar
• 2 TB Worcestershire
• 2-3 TB German mustard
• fresh ground black pepper