Happy eve of autumn. Spring and summer, I welcome with open arms — the enthusiasm of a kid getting ready for school to let out and all the joyous, carefree feelings that the longer days of sunshine, evoke. Fall…not so much.
Sure, we look forward to opening windows, pine cones and especially Halloween, but for someone who waits all year to leap into spring, this is a much more somber time of year. On the upside, there is the beautiful color scheme that autumn brings, naturally. As many watch leaves change from lush green, to magnificent shades of red, orange and yellow, so do the foods that we find abundant in nature, the farmers markets and our grocery stores, making this a perfect time to roast up some gorgeous vegetable dishes while upping our nutrition and fighting inflammation.
Too much inflammation in our bodies leads to issues with digestion, mood swings, joint pain and fatigue as well as contributing to diseases including cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Many autoimmune illnesses and conditions like arthritis and lupus respond well to the enormous amounts of beta carotene fall produce contains.
Why not take advantage of this and try roasting up some seasonal veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin (I splurge and buy it already cut up in chunks) and multicolored pepper. All you need to do is cut them all up and throw them in a roasting pan with some olive oil and spices of your liking. Maybe some cloves of garlic if that’s your thing. I like to season my sweet potato chunks with some cinnamon and my butternut squash with some turmeric, both keeping with the color scheme and upping the anti-inflammatory properties Place the whole tray in a 420 degree pre-heated oven and cook for about an hour. I always check every 20 minutes and stir things around. The peppers will cook more rapidly, but I keep it easy and leave everything in till they are all soft.
Your first 3 chakras will also be very happy with this dish, but of course you are welcome to run wild and add any veggies you like! I find the contrast of something like sweet potato and brussell sprouts to be absolutely magnificent on a holiday table — think of your roasting tray like a an empty canvas and you be the artist.
Fall into the abundance that autumn gifts us with. Whatever you harvest, may it be plentiful!