It’s that time of year when the autumn’s harvest offers brilliantly-hued fruits of the earth. Enjoy using all the tasty gifts from nature to fill your table with healthy, hearty dishes. Whether vegetarian or not, we can all be grateful for the bounty of the earth and celebrate by trying some new recipes.

Roasted Pumpkin and Carrot Soup

From Christina Cooks by Christina Pirello
30 minutes prep time Serves 4

2 small sugar pumpkins, halved and seeded
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating pumpkins
Sea salt
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 to 4 carrots, diced
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine) or white wine
2 c water
1 c plain soymilk, plus extra if needed
2 tsp sweet white miso
2 to 3 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, pan-toasted, for garnish
2 to 3 sprigs fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Generously rub outside skin of pumpkins with oil. Place, cut sides down, in shallow baking pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt and add 1/8 inch water to pan. Cover loosely with foil and bake about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
2. Place 2 tablespoons oil and onion in medium soup pot over medium-high heat. When onion begins to sizzle, add pinch of salt and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, pinch of salt, lemon zest, and mirin. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Scoop pumpkin flesh out of skins and add to vegetables in soup pot. Add water and soymilk. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook soup until carrots are quite soft, about 25 minutes.
4. Transfer soup, by ladlefuls, to a food mill or blender and puree until smooth. Add small amount of soymilk to thin soup as desired. Return soup to pot and place over very low heat.
5. Remove small amount of broth and use to dissolve miso. Stir miso mixture into soup and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes to activate enzymes in miso. Serve garnished with pumpkin seeds and parsley.

Roasted Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing
From Christina Cooks by Christina Pirello
40 minutes prep time Serves 8

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp barley malt
Sea salt
2 medium Kabocha squash, tops removed, jack-o-lantern style and seeds removed (Hubbard squash may be substituted for Kabocha)
Water, as needed

Stuffing
¾ c wild rice, rinsed very well
1½ c water
Sea salt
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 red onion, finely diced
1 to 2 stalks celery, diced
8 oz tempeh, coarsely crumbled
½ tsp dried basil
½ c pine nuts
½ c dry white wine
2 to 3 c firmly packed, shredded whole-grain sourdough bread
1 to 2 c freshly squeezed orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Whisk together oil, barley malt, and pinch of salt in small bowl. Using your fingers, rub mixture over outsides and insides of squash. Place squash in baking dish, replacing caps. Add about ½ inch water to dish. Cover with foil and bake until squash pierces easily with a fork but is still firm, about 45 minutes.
2. While squash bakes, make stuffing. Place wild rice and water in heavy pot and bring to boil over medium heat. Add pinch of salt, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 35 minutes. Set aside.
3. Place oil, garlic, and onion in skillet over medium heat. When onion begins to sizzle, add pinch of salt and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in celery and saute for 1 minute. Stir in tempeh and basil and saute until tempeh begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add pine nuts and wine and season to taste with salt. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove cover and cook until all liquid has been absorbed.
4. Place bread in mixing bowl and add rice, sauteed vegetables, and tempeh. Slowly add orange juice, mixing well until a soft stuffing forms. Don’t make it too wet.
5. Stuff each squash abundantly and replace in baking dish. Lay caps in dish next to squash, not on top. Cover with foil and bake until squash is quite tender, 35 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size of squash. Allow squash to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to serving platter.
Note: Extra stuffing can be pressed into an oiled baking dish and cooked, covered for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove cover and brown top before serving.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
From The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Ann Gentry
25 minutes prep time | Serves 6

3 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1-1/4 c low-fat milk or plain soymilk
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Combine the potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and boil over medium-low heat for 18 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain, then return the potatoes and garlic to the saucepan. Mash until smooth. Mix in the milk, olive oil, salt, and white pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Note: The mashed potatoes will keep for a few hours. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before serving. Another trick, se only 2/3 to 3/4 of liquid called for initially, then add the remainder when you reheat.

Rich Mushroom Gravy
From The Veggie Queen by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
15 minutes prep time Makes 3 cups

2 Tbsp oil
6 oz crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 c spelt flour
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp black pepper
3 c water
¼ c reduced-sodium tamari
2 tsp lemon juice
2 to 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1. In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, until they start to brown and release a bit of liquid. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
2. Add flour, thyme, and pepper to pan and stir constantly until flour is lightly toasted. Gradually add water with whisk. When blended, add mushrooms and the last 3 ingredients. Mix well.
3. Adjust seasonings as needed. You can add a little bit of sugar or maple syrup for balance. Serve hot over mashed potatoes or alongside stuffing.

Pear and Toasted Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
From The Veggie Queen by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
15 minutes prep time Serves 4

½ c water or low-sodium vegetable broth
1 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ c orange juice
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ c dried cranberries, divided
4 to 6 c greens, including bitter ones like arugula or cress
3 Tbsp walnut halves or pieces, toasted
2 large ripe pears, each cut into 8 to 12 slices
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Combine water or broth and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring almost to boil, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Combine above mixture with orange juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and 2 tablespoons cranberries in food processor. Set aside.
3. Put washed and dried greens in large bowl. Arrange pears over greens and sprinkle walnuts and cranberries over pears. Add dressing and toss. Top with freshly ground pepper. Serve right away.

Chestnut Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce
From Scotto Sunday Suppers and Other Fabulous Feasts by the Scotto Family
30 minutes prep time Serves 8

For Crust:
7 oz graham cracker crumbs
¼ c cake flour
¼ c granulated sugar
¾ c unsalted butter, melted

For Filling:
1 c canned chestnut puree
¾ c sugar
2 lb whole milk ricotta
1½ tsp vanilla extract

For Sauce:
2 c sugar
¼ c water
½ c heavy cream

1. For crust: Preheat oven to 350º. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Press mixture onto bottom of 10-inch springform pan that has been covered with aluminum foil. Bake 12 minutes and set aside.
2. For filling: Reduce oven to 300º. Combine all ingredients in food processor. Puree until smooth and pour into crust. Place pan inside a larger pan in oven. Fill larger pan with hot water. Bake 1½ hours. Turn off oven and allow cheesecake to cool for 1 hour. When it is completely cooked, wrap well and refrigerate.
3. For Sauce: Combine sugar and water in large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pot around until mixture is a deep caramel color and looks like syrup, about 8 minutes. Carefully pour in cream (it will bubble up). Continue to cook for another minute. Cool to room temperature. Pour over cheesecake before serving.
Note: The sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator. If you are watching your sugar intake, omit sauce from recipe.