Cooking with Delicious Fall Produce

Here at Catering Works, there are many things we love about Fall: the cooler weather, falling leaves, crackling fires, and trips to The State Fair. However, our favorite part is the delicious foods in season! We love cooking with local and seasonal produce, and Fall’s unique harvest has been inspiring several items on our menu! Such as:

• Roasted Sweet Potato Frittata: Oven roasted sweet potatoes, sage and Parmesan cheese baked into an egg custard
• Brown Rice and Lentil Cakes with Winter Squash: Delicious brown rice and lentils with vegetables and seasonings top roasted winter butternut squash and molasses horseradish sauce
• Polenta Lasagna: Layers of creamy polenta, Chorizo sausage, Swiss chard and tomato sauce with Fontana and Mozzarella cheese.
• Apple Spice Cake with Chai Buttercream: Our moist apple spice cake topped with Chair buttercream icing with hints of cinnamon and clove.

Jill Santa Lucia, founder of Catering Works, especially, loves this season, and finds inspiration all around her. She said, “Fall is my favorite time of year. My all-time favorite vegetable is Butternut Squash. 
It is so versatile and when combined with the right ingredients it makes a great center plate, or entrée. This time of year my favorite recipes are Butternut and Black Bean Chili, Butternut Gratin, Curried Coconut Butternut Soup with tart apples”

If you’d like to get in the kitchen and create some of your own Fall treats, finding local produce is easier than you may think! By visiting our State Farmer’s Market, or the Mid-Town Farmers market, you’ll come face to face with many of the area’s local farmers! They are able to answer any questions and, if asked, will make delicious recommendations for that night’s dinner.

Or, if you prefer, you can have produce delivered directly to your door! Produce Box picks only the choicest selections for you and your family, and brings them to your home on a weekly basis. Simply choose the items you would like online, and they’ll appear at your doorstep.

Also, every grocery store has a local produce section. They’re generally marked well, and boast fruits and vegetables from North Carolina farmers. This way you can support our area’s farmers, eat what’s in season, and pick up those other necessities you need that you can’t find anywhere else. Buying local produce couldn’t be easier!

What are some of your favorite fall dishes? Do you usually buy local produce to cook with? We would love to hear your stories and know what’s happening in your kitchen!