Eat in season!!!

The months leading up to Christmas are my favourite for seasonal produce. From September onwards all the good root veg comes into season. This means less salads and more veggies on the diner plate. Its important to eat in season for a few different reasons the first is the produce is more abundant therefore it costs less. Just as Wexford Queens Potatoes are at their cheapest in July other veggies become cheaper when they are in season. Another reason is that through tens of thousands of years people cultivating crops we associate seasonal foods with dishes we eat at different types of the year for example at this time of year we tend to cook more stews and casseroles with root vegetables, apple pies in late September & pumpkin soup in October.
But the most important reason to buy produce in season is the flavour. If you buying fruit and veg off a local veg shop or farmers market they will only have local grown produce not some tasteless poly tunnel grown vegetables that have travelled halfway around the world just because they look the part or consumer demands means there is a market for them.
The vegetables you buy that are produced locally will taste great but no as good as the ones you grow yourself if you have the time and commitment (which I don't to be honest). 
There are lots of resources to tell you what's good to buy when my favourite is website is bestinseason.ie but my normal way of doing things is to stroll into my local greengrocer and ask him what's good, the dishes I produce at home and menus written by Potbelly are dictated by this.

Try this autumnal recipe out....
2 tblsp olive oil
30 g butter 
1 butternut squash, chopped into half inch chunks
Small bunch fresh rosemary 
1 red onion, sliced
1 stick celery diced
1 small carrot grated
300 g  fresh farfalle pasta
250 g tub ricotta or cream cheese 
50 g freshly grated parmesan

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• Heat up the oven to 200C . Melt the oil and butter in a pan then fry off the squash until golden transfer to roasting dish and roast for 15 mins
• Throw in the rest of the veg and rosemary, salt and pepper then give it another 10 mins in oven stirring every few mins

while this is roasting boil a large pot of salted water put in the pasta for 2 mins only (it will be slightly hard dont worry bout that) Take out the roasting tin then put in the pasta (drained but keep a few tablespoon of cooking water throw that in aswell)

Stir in the cream cheese  mixing well, have a taste and season with a little salt and pepper if needed

sprinkle over the parmesan and back to the oven for 10 more minutes

Serve with garlic bread and / or a green salad.......