The Best of Fall Produce

One way to save money is to buy what’s in season, and right now that’s goodies like apples, pears, cabbage, beet and squashes. The trick is to find ways to make them a meal. One thing I love to accompany sandwiches is coleslaw. However, after eating the same old, same old during the summer I was in the mood for something a little different. Just so happened that in this week’s CSA box there sat a red cabbage, and at the grocery store I saw bags of apples on sale for 97 cents a pound. Anytime something goes under a dollar a pound, I buy it and then decide what to do with it later.
So with the apples and red cabbage I came up with a different take on coleslaw. I used another fall favorite beets and actually cheated a little here because I used the beets I’d canned from last year’s CSA box but I’m sure fresh ones will work too.

½ red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup diced beets
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (this gives it a nice bite)
1 tablespoon of vinegar (I used some from the canned beets but red wine vinegar is perfect too)
½ teaspoon of celery seeds
1 tablespoon honey mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
And optional- some sweetened dried cranberries for decoration

Place the cabbage, apples and beets in a bowl and toss thoroughly.

In another bowl add the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, celery seeds, mustard, salt and pepper together. Whisk well and then add to the bowl with the cabbage mixture.

Stir together until everything is well coated and then put in the fridge to chill.
Serves 6-8

And if you’re looking for more recipes featuring apples, I found this one online a few days ago and made a batch of it yesterday. Half is for now, the other half I’ve frozen for winter enjoyment.

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/move-over-jam-diy-roasted-apple-butter-163300689.html

Another produce item that’s in stores right now is kale. I’ve been putting it in soups and even added it to a vegetarian meatloaf which I think was the perfect way to use it. It’s a nutritional powerhouse and good value for money so here’s a link to other ways to use it-
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/leafy-eats-7-tasty-ways-slideshow-160800194/

Happy saving and have a good weekend.