If there is such a thing as a must-have regarding food, at the moment it’s absolutely vegetables from grandma’s time.
Old fashion vegetables are the bold colors and power flowers among foods. Here’s my top 5 old school vegetables (plus recipes) that are in season right now that you really should try.
Parsnip
Contains lots of fiber, potassium, folate and vitamin C and aids in digestion, energy metabolism, muscle function and supports the immune system.
Recipe: Toss carrot sticks and parsnip sticks with olive oil, ground coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400° F/200° C, tossing once, until browned and tender.
Brussels sprouts
Brussel sprouts contain lots of vitamin A, C, E, K and manganese. The benefits of Brussels sprouts are a.o. healthy skin, they fight inflammation, aid in digestion, ensure proper brain and nerve function and promote bone health.
Recipe: maple sweet Brussel Sprouts with cinnamon tofu, raisins and almond topping
Kale
Kale is full of vitamin A, C and K and copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Kale is beneficial for bone health, anti-aging and supportive in the treatment of acne.
Recipe: stir fry half a clove of garlic, add kale and 2 eggs with a little bit of salt and pepper.
Sweet potato and pumpkin
Sweet potato is full of fibers that aid in digestion and keep your blood sugar level more in balance than regular potatoes. Pumpkin is full of vitamins A, C, fiber, beta-caroteen and potassium and is beneficial for a eye sight and cholesterol levels. Moreover, pumpkin is full of powerful nutrients that treat acne, slow down premature skin aging, restore water balance, aid in weight loss and even reduce your chances of developing certain types of cancer (National Cancer Institute.
Recipe: Comforting Spicy Pumpkin Halloween Soup with Apples & Coriander
Another recipe that I tried yesterday (and which you could already see me preparing on Instagram) is a sweet potato-pumpkin stir-fry with dates, almonds, cinnamon and agave syrup (see image below. Sorry for the bad quality, it tasted much ymmier than what it looks like 🙂
Read on for the recipe!


- 400 gr / 1.7 C pumpkin, washed, cubed (you don't have to remove the skin)
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
- water to boil
- pinch of fine Celtic seasalt (or regular salt if you don't have this type of salt at home)
- 60 gr / 0.5 C almonds, slightly chopped
- 6 medjool dates, pitted, soaked, chopped (I used regular, pitted dates. Medjool dates are larger and have more meat on them)
- 1 tbs ground cinnamon
- 2 tbs agave syrup
- 1 tbs coconut oil for baking
- Boil the sweet potato for about 10 minutes or until soft and drain.
- Heat a griddle with coconut oil, turn heat medium and add the sweet potato and pumpkin.
- Add the dates, cinnamon and agave syrup and stir until the sweet potato and pumpkin get a little tan.
- Add the almonds and turn the heat down.
- Serve with love.
Copyright featured image: Manfred Koh @ Flickr