Autumn is without a doubt my favorite season, but I’ll admit that it’s tough to say goodbye to summer’s fresh bounty. I went to the farmers’ market last week for one of my final trips of the season and snapped a few photos of the delicious abundance. 

Piled high in most of the booths were endless varieties of winter squash. I limited myself to just a few acorns and butternuts, since I already have many more tucked around the kitchen these days.

I’m dying to try this Red Kuri Squash & Fennel Bulb Soup from Lexie’s Kitchen soon (her allergen-friendly pumpkin pie looks great too!), or one of these other tasty squash recipes:

• Pumpkin & Pear Streusel Muffins from She Let Them Eat Cake
• Paleo & Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake from Real Sustenance
• Asian-Spiced Kabocha from Alisa Cooks
• Warm Butternut Salad with Chickpeas & Tahini Dressing from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs
• Pumpkin White Bean Shepherd’s Pie from Cara’s Cravings

Fingerling potatoes, yams, carrots, and beets caught my eye, too. It wasn’t until I was on my way home from the market that I recalled seeing this recipe for Roasted Fingerling Potato Crisps from the one and only Martha Stewart and wish I would have picked some up so I could make them. Bummer…

But these beet recipes sound tantalizing, too:

• Cherry Beet Detox Smoothie from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen
• Shredded Balsamic Kale & Beet Salad from Daily Bites
• Fresh Beet & Apple Soup from Jeanette’s Healthy Living

What would fall be without beautiful round cabbage heads? You might try one of these cabbage recipes to get your cruciferous fix:

• Brussels Sprout & Cranberry Salad from Daily Bites
• Braised Red Cabbage with Chestnuts from Simply Recipes
• Asian Slaw from Elana’s Pantry

Apples of every shape, size, color, and taste sparkled like gems in their white crates. Honestly, I could write an entire post with a list of apple recipes I want to try these days, but this abbreviated version will have to do:

• Apple Coconut Snack Balls from Daily Bites
• CrockPot Applesauce from Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free
• Apple Dijon Salmon with Roasted Broccoli Rabe from Clean Eating Magazine
• Apple Cider Cake from The Sensitive Pantry
• Butternut Squash & Apple Salad from Gluten-Free Cat
• Cinnamon Vanilla Applesauce from Cook It Allergy Free-

This next photo (below) is my favorite image from the morning. It’s homey and down-to-earth, proclaiming the reason I go the farmers’ market so often in the first place. I wish it came as a bumper sticker for my car.

If you’re looking for more healthy harvest-time recipes, you’d love my book. Congratulations to Stephanie for winning a copy in last week’s giveaway! For another chance to win The Pure Kitchen, head on over to Cook It Allergy Free where Kim is giving away a copy and sharing a few photos of recipes she’s made.