Persimmons, Pomegranates, Peppers and Pumpkins (--try saying that five times!)
These colorful produce items all peak in Southern California in November, providing a gorgeous bounty for your Thanksgiving table. Ayurveda divides the world among three primary doshas or seasons – vata (Fall into the early part of Winter), pitta (Summer) and kapha (late Winter into Spring) and we in the West tend to recognize four growing seasons. The Fall vata season is when we experience cooler winds and dryer weather. In California we sometimes experience an Indian Summer during the months of October and November with the surrounding warmer waters and hot dry winds blowing from the East. It’s when we reap the benefits of the summer sun and harvest foods to store and enjoy through the Winter months.
And what a harvest it is! The farmers markets are a glorious burst of color with burgundy pomegranates, deep reddish-orange persimmons, yellow, red and even purple bell peppers, more hot and sweet chili peppers in all shapes and sizes, plus pumpkins and other hard or so-called winter squashes in all shades of yellows, oranges and green. While we don’t get to see many leaves changing colors in Southern California, the harvest itself provides a bright rainbow and vibrant reminder of the transition to Fall. To paraphrase Albert Camus, “Autumn is the second spring where every [produce item] is a flower.” However you view the Fall (as an extension of summer, as a transition to winter or as colorful as spring), you can certainly taste the benefits in the bounty of its harvest.
Did you know that the more variety of colors you eat from the rainbow, the more nutrition you’ll incorporate in your diet? Red fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds such as lycopene, quercitin, and hesperidin that fight aging, arthritis and have been shown to prevent prostate cancer; they help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Enjoy high concentrations of these nutrients by eating persimmons, red bell peppers and pomegranates. Yellow and orange produce items are typically high in beta carotene, potassium and Vitamin C, and thus reduce the impact of aging, prevent against macular degeneration and prostate cancer; they also lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and support collagen and bone growth. Enjoy orange and yellow peppers, pumpkins, plus acorn, delicata, spaghetti and butternut squashes to receive these benefits. Note that butternut squash can be used interchangeably in recipes requiring pumpkin, and that once roasted, you can eat the skin, too: thus, they are much easier to cook with than peeling a pumpkin!
The Fall harvest includes foods that provide your green powerhouses like chlorophyll, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium and folate that reduce cancer risk, fight aging, improve digestion, support eye health and strengthen your immune system. Take these in by enjoying green bell peppers, Italian sweet peppers, jalapenos, spinah and other dark leafy greens, and even the skin of green kabocha squash, which softens enough to eat when cooked.
Naturally blue and purple foods contain additional nutrients including the super anti-aging reservatol (famous for its high concentration in red wine) and other flavonoids that fight inflammation and cancer, plus ones that support immune and digestive function and mineral absorption. Find high concentrations of these age-fighting phytonutrients in grapes, purple bell peppers (found at your local farmers’ markets), purple yams or sweet potatoes and pomegranates.
To most easily enjoy your pomegranates without staining your fingers or your clothes, cut them open and then remove the seeds or “arils” while the fruit is submerged in a big bowl of water. The bitter, white pith floats to the top and the seeds sink, so you can easily pour off the pith and drain the arils.
To enjoy the abundance of the rainbow, combine a few different colors into one dish.
- Try spinach salad with sliced persimmons and pomegranate seeds dressed with citrus or ginger vinaigrette.
- Roast or steam acorn squash until tender, scoop and mash the orange flesh, then mix with some cooked red quinoa, and stuff into green bell or pasilla peppers; roast the stuffed peppers in the oven until tender and serve as a gorgeous and vegetarian main dish.
- And, one of my absolute autumn favorites, roast bite-size chunks of butternut or kabocha squash until tender, and then toss with blue cheese (optional) and walnuts over red leaf lettuce, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and scatter pomegranate seeds over the top. This is a perfect first course for Thanksgiving or a weeknight entrée salad when served with some crusty bread.
We are fortunate to be able to have access to such colorful abundance. When you feast on the entire array of colors, you needn’t worry whether you are getting enough nutrients to prevent against cancer or slow the aging process or support heart health; it happens naturally. Include a rainbow of seasonal produce each day to find balance during this season of transition, live in harmony with nature, and thus maintain vibrant health through the shorter and darker days of autumn. Your body (and your taste buds!) will thank you for it.
The Farmers’ Corner brought to you by Red Jen Ford, Certified Holistic Health Coach, Yoga instructor and Manager of the Westwood Farmers Market. Visit the Westwood Market in the Vets Garden Thursdays from Noon to 6:00 PM, where Jen teaches people how simple it can be to eat local, sustainably grown food and support a healthy and more balanced life. Contact her at: redjenford.com or call (714) 960 – 9082. The Westwood Farmers Market can be found at: westwoodfarmersmarket.com.
By Red Jen Ford
Red Jen Ford is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Instructor and Seasonal Eating Expert. Jen teaches her clients the benefits and simplicity of eating local, sustainably grown food. Enjoy more of her dishes in her seasonal recipe booklets or her online course, Simply in Season: Recipes to Celebrate Healthy, Easy Seasonal Food.