Apple Matchstick Salad

It’s apple season! Growing up in the apple orchard when I was little, I loved this time of year when we started to pick and make everything imaginable with apples. We dried them, made apple butter and apple sauce, pies and tarts…the list is endless!

Cutting apples into matchstick-sized pieces for a salad makes them just a little more fun to eat, don’t you think? Slice a few apples this way and toss them with chopped pecans (or any nuts), dried berries and raisins (I bought a mix at Trader Joe’s with golden raisins, blueberries and cranberries), plus some fresh cilantro. Dress with a bit of olive oil, lemon and salt. Sweet, Salty, Savory! 

This week The Forest Feast turned 3, and I love that this little blog’s birthday falls during the harvest season. This week, our family is celebrating my favorite Jewish holiday- Sukkot, a harvest holiday where we build a little hut outside and have meals under it for a week. It’s so fun! And we’ve had warm nights here in the woods lately which has made it even better. I made this salad the other night and it was a hit.

Happy Harvest!

Curly Kale and Curly Pasta (Salad)

Pasta, Beans & Greens! Also easily made with gluten-free pasta, and can be vegan if you use a dairy-free pesto. This is a good one for entertaining because it’s easy to make ahead and great warm or at room temperature.

This post was done in collaboration with on Better Homes and Gardens.

Bread Sticks with Cashews and Sunflower Seeds

These breadsticks made from pizza dough are super easy and soooo good when warm right out of the oven. You can use any seeds or nuts you want, but I chose sunflower seeds and chopped cashews. The cashews are from Essential Living Foods, a company that sells lots of GMO-free, organic and ethically sourced products. You could also add garlic and parmesan. For the full recipe and more pictures, check out my post over at Better Homes and Gardens.

Photos by Erin Gleeson, recipe by BHG

Persimmon Squash Salad

Persimmons are my favorite autumn fruit and I was so excited to share this recipe on Design Sponge on Friday- it’s a great, alternative Thanksgiving side salad. Trees around the Bay Area are bursting with persimmons right now and my friend, photographer Topher Simon, let me come over and pick from (and photograph!) his tree. Be sure when eating persimmons raw you choose the Fuyu variety- they are more squat and crunchy. The other more oblong variety leave a pasty taste in your mouth when eaten raw- they  are meant for cooking with.

Check out the Design Sponge post of this recipe for more photos and detailed instructions. Enjoy!

By Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast

Greek Yogurt Parfait with Fresh Figs

My first post ever on The Forest Feast was exactly one year ago today! I didn’t really know what I was doing (until this fig recipe a month later), but started it as a way to reinvent myself and my work in a new place. Little did I know what it would become and what a following I would develop!  I can’t tell you how much your encouragement and praise has motivated me to continue and to post regularly, thank you!! It makes me so happy to hear people are actually trying and enjoying my recipes. My wish for TFF’s second year is to get a cookbook off the ground (which is actually looking quite hopeful!)

Thank you all so much, from the bottom of my parfait glass. Bon Appetit!

xo

Erin