What I Plant in My Fall Garden
Fall is full of wonderful options for your garden. It is a season that I adore when it comes to vegetables, when the colder weather starts to roll in, even in California, fall vegetables play to all my wants and needs. With fall also comes gatherings with friends and family, not to mention Thanksgiving. I like to plant a garden not only for these gatherings which I hold near and dear to my heart but also for the weeknight dinners where I don’t have hours to put together a tasty meal.
I like to create a larder from my harvests, whether that be purees, stocks, ferments, pickles, and sauces. Using all your bounty will not only save you from putting your hard work in the trash but it will also allow you to cook with ease, and with big flavors. If you have the space to plant a variety of vegetables and herbs, do it! The culinary opportunities are endless. If you are workings with limited space, plan accordingly. Plant what you know you and your family like to eat or something new you want to try, use vegetables that you can cook and preserve in different ways to get the most out of your garden.
Below is my list of vegetables and herbs I like to keep in my garden for the current season.
My Vegetables:
Butternut Squash
Herbs Herbs Herbs!
French Thyme
I like to use cabbage in salads, pickles, and ferments. I also put it on my sandwiches for extra crunch. Squash is a fall staple. Perfect for soups and purees, I also just love it cut up and roasted for a healthy side or snack. Broccolini is one of my favorite vegetables, I love this grilled. Check out my recipe here from a previous blog post. I always keep celery in my garden during the fall. I make a lot of salads so whether it is just sliced up and added in or pickled (pickled celery recipe) it is one of my favorite additions to my lunches. Kale is a hearty lettuce that plays well in soups and braises but also great sliced thinly for salads or slaw. Check out our kale and cabbage slaw recipe here. Spinach is easy to grow and boast tons of healthy vitamins. I love it in sandwiches, salads, and a side for dinner. See our spinach salad recipe here as well. And of course, all the herbs! What’s a chef without their seasoning?! I am always trimming fresh herbs for all my cooking. I also love drying them for my larder to season with flavorful herb later in the season.
