Vegetarian and vegan farmers market October recipes! Your October seasonal produce guide + 50 recipes inspired by your local farmers market or CSA bin.
Happy October, Rhubarbarians! It’s as fall as fall can be this month. All the changing leaves, the crisp and foggy mornings, Halloween, and of course, the October recipes!
Did you make any of the September recipes?
September was new for us, with Ellis (grown up Rhubarbaby) starting his first year of school. Pre-pre-school that is! So it’s been a lot of easy, weeknight dinners transitioning into fall. We even got snow this past weekend! Crazy.
We are ready for the coziness of October and all the fun fall activities to begin. Our favorite time of year!
What’s in season in October?
So many seasonal recipes to make in October! Some of your farmers markets might closing, but there is still so much fresh produce to enjoy this month. For this list we are going to focus on apples, cauliflower, cranberries, grapes, kale, mushrooms, pears, pumpkin, persimmons, and kiwi.
Apple recipes
Apples are fruits that are in season from August to November. They are fantastic eaten raw, but are the quintessential flavor of fall in the Pacific Northwest when cooked. Apple pie anyone?
More apple recipes:
- Vegan individual apple crisp
- Baked apple chips
- Apple cinnamon bread from Erhardts Eat
- Apple pomegranate harvest salad from A Simple Palate
Cauliflower recipes
Cauliflower is an edible flower (wow!) that is in season from July to November. Cauliflower is loaded with so many nutrients without a high carbohydrate count, that is has been modernly termed “cauliPower.” The mild taste and texture make it incredibly versatile both raw and cooked. Fun fact: Mark Twain once described cauliflower as “cabbage with a college education.” ?
More cauliflower recipes:
- Cauliflower coconut curry soup with rice and butternut squash
- Vegan cauliflower curry with potatoes and cashews
- Cauliflower quinoa burgers with mushrooms and onions
- Kung Pao cauliflower from A Circus Gardener’s Kitchen
Cranberry recipes
Cranberries are fruits that are in season from September to November. Raw cranberries are very tart and are rarely eaten raw as a snack. But, when cooked they become a bit sweeter and are one of the quintessential fruits of fall here in America. You HAVE to have cranberries on your Thanksgiving table, right?
More cranberry recipes:
- Cranberry chili with cinnamon and cocoa
- Crispy cranberry buttermilk pancakes
- Cranberry clafoutis with dark chocolate and pecans
- Cranberry pomegranate detox smoothie
Grape recipes
Grapes are fruits that are in season from August to October. Fresh grapes are wonderful eaten out of hand, but are used for so many things! Sweet desserts, juices, wines, dried to make raisins, or added to savory dishes for a little sweet crunch.
More grape recipes:
- Mulled concord grape cider
- Fig, grape, and walnut salad from Quite Good Food
- Easy grape jam from Fab Food 4 All
- 3 cheese roasted grape pizza from Live Eat Learn
Kale recipes
Kale is a leafy vegetable that is in season from October to April. It’s a rough and hearty green that is usually eaten by removing the rib or stem and eating the leaves, although the stem is actually edible. Kale is enjoyed raw or cooked and has been modernly labeled a “superfood.”
More kale recipes:
- Garlicky sauteed kale and broccoli rabe
- Kale and mushroom bread pudding from Healthy Midwestern Girl
- Baked kale falafel from Yup, It’s Vegan
- Creamy vegan gnocchi with kale from A Virtual Vegan
Mushroom recipes
A mushroom is any edible fungus (whoa!). They are in season here in the Pacific Northwest during the rainy seasons, so spring and then again in the fall. Mushrooms are packed with earthy, umami flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. They’re distinct flavor makes them perfect for adding to vegan or vegetarian dishes that may lack that “meaty” flavor, and some mushrooms even resemble the texture of shredded meat. How cool is that?
More mushroom recipes:
- Stacked ale mushrooms with arugula and goat cheese
- Cheese tortellini with caramelized onion sauce and mushrooms
- Vegan mushroom pot pies
- Creamy chanterelle soup from Vegan On Board
Pear recipes
Pears are fruits that are in season from August to November. Pears are wonderful eaten raw on their own, but are similar to apples in the sense that they pair well with an endless number of flavors and are fantastic when cooked.
More pear recipes:
- Pear and apple spinach salad
- Pear cranberry steel cut oats from Sharon Palmer
- Chocolate peekaboo pear cake from Vegan On Board
- Pear chips from Beyond the Chicken Coop
Pumpkin recipes
Pumpkins are fruits (yep!) that are in season from September to January. You may be imagining a jack-o-lantern or maybe a pumpkin spice latte, but there are many varieties of delicious pumpkins! For most varieties, the inner flesh and the seeds are edible and can be used in both savory and sweet dishes.
More pumpkin recipes:
- Healthy pumpkin cranberry bread
- Cheesy pumpkin quesadillas
- Healthy pumpkin cheesecake parfait popsicles
- Pumpkin spice yogurt smoothie
Persimmon recipes
Persimmons are autumnal hued fruits that are in season from September to December. The most common variety here in the US are Fuyu persimmons, which are eaten when ripe, but still firm. They are the most flavorful eaten raw, like an apple, or added to salads, but are also wonderful cooked into a jelly or used in baking.
More persimmon recipes:
- Mini persimmon coffee cakes from Vegan Yack Attack
- Persimmon upside down cake from A Baking Journey
- Persimmon jam from Masala Herb
- Persimmon smoothie from That Girl Cooks Healthy
Kiwi recipes
Kiwis are fuzzy, round little fruits that are in season from September to December here in the Northwest US. They have a distinctive green flesh with tiny black seeds. Although the entire fruit is edible, even the fuzzy skin, many people scoop out the flesh and discard the skin when eating raw (give that skin a try!). They are usually eaten raw, but are great used in baking too!
More kiwi recipes:
- Savory golden kiwi sauce from Perspective Portions
- Winter green salad with kiwi from Yay For Food
- Kiwi lime yogurt loaf cake from Sugar Salted
- Grilled kiwi with coconut whipped cream from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
That’s a wrap! Hope you enjoy all that great October produce.
If you make any of these recipes, please let me know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag me on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting Rhubarbarians and the brands that I recommend. If you’re looking for a group of people cooking vegetarian recipes through the seasons, join us on Facebook in our vegetarian and vegan recipes group!
Happy Fall! 
Trish
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