For some readers, this may be bad news – fall is just around the corner. However, it’s our favourite time of the year!
One of the best part of autumn is the return of comfort food. When people think of fall, pumpkins and cozy spiced flavours often come to mind first. But Ontario’s autumn harvest offers so much more. From colourful root vegetables to crisp orchard fruit, fall is one of the most abundant and flavourful times of year for locally grown produce.
Root vegetables like beets, onions and carrots are in season throughout the fall. They’re packed with nutrients, easy to prepare and store well for weeks; a practical choice for busy households. You can roast them, add them to soups and salads or just enjoy them as a side for a perfect fall meal.
Getting that kind of quality onto your plate takes more than good weather; it’s the result of decisions growers have been making for decades. Ontario’s fruit and vegetable growers have long been working to farm more sustainably using less water, energy, fertilizer and crop-protection products, while keeping soils healthy and their operations viable. It’s an ongoing effort, and buying local means supporting that continued work season after season.
Growers are also investing in technology to make these gains more precise, such as smart watering and spraying systems that target inputs more accurately, robotic weeding systems that cut down on herbicide use, and even cameras that count fruit tree buds to predict harvest timing and reduce guesswork.
We encourage you to support the 705’s farmers and businesses by purchasing produce at the many upcoming fall fairs and markets.
Here’s a comforting fall-time recipe from Foodland Ontario:
Creamy Carrot Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) Ontario carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 Ontario onion, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups (1 L) water or chicken broth
- 1 13 oz (385 ml) can 2% evaporated milk
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) pepper
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) nutmeg
Directions
- In a large saucepan, bring carrots, onion, celery, bay leaf and water to boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Discard bay leaf and purée soup in batches, in blender or food processor, until smooth.
- Stir in evaporated milk, pepper and nutmeg until well blended.
- Pour into vacuum-bottle to serve hot or pour into plastic container and refrigerate to serve chilled. (Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
For more recipes and to learn more about Ontario fruits and vegetables head to ofvga.org.
