Your guide to some of Canada’s favourite autumn produce

Whether you roast it, mash it or have it for dessert, here’s how to make the most of autumn’s harvest bounty.

The fall harvest offers a rainbow of colours and textures for your family’s plates. Autumn produce can be baked, mashed, roasted, sliced, sauced and more. Here’s how to use popular produce for savoury breakfast recipes, dinner recipes, sumptuous desserts and beyond.

Fall for this fall produce

Sweet potatoes

1. Roast them: Add these beauties to classic scalloped potatoes for a hit of sweetness.
2. Mash them: Sprinkle chives over a mix of mashed sweet and regular spuds for a more colourful side.
3. Have them for dessert: Swap it for pumpkin in everyone’s fave Thanksgiving pie.

Beets

1. Roast them: Toss beets with maple-mustard vinaigrette for a roasted beet salad.
2. Mash them: Boil and mash with tahini and spices for a tasty hummus.

3. Have them for dessert: Shred and bake into a luscious chocolate cake.

Carrots

1. Roast them: Chunk it and roast the roots, and turn the green tops into zesty carrot pesto to drizzle over top.

2. Mash them: Mash cooked carrots and potatoes together for a goes-with-anything side.

3. Have them for dessert:Grate ’em up and make a steamed pudding (in your slow cooker!) that tastes just like carrot cake.

Pumpkin

1. Roast it: Toss roasted cubes with quinoa, feta, and pepitas for a hearty dinner salad.
2. Mash it: Purée and add to a creamy pasta sauce to serve over linguine.
3. Have it for dessert: Bake into a Bundt cake with rum-soaked raisins — it may be better than pumpkin pie!

Butternut squash

1. Roast it: Layer roasted squash, granola, and yogurt for a savoury-sweet breakfast parfait.
2. Mash it: Purée with sweet spices to create an amazing spread for toast, scones, pancakes, and waffles!
3. Have it for dessert: Bake it into a simple yet decadent chocolate loaf cake to enjoy with afternoon tea or coffee.

Parsnips

1. Roast them: Toss parsnips in a mixture of grated Parm and spices before popping into the oven. Crispy, sweet heaven!
2. Mash them: Skip the taters and mash parsnips instead — add a bit of cream cheese and buttermilk for tang.
3. Have them for dessert: Swap parsnips for carrots in your dessert recipes. Parsnip cake, anyone?

For more fresh fall inspiration