Three cozy autumn recipes
Stuffed peppers in homemade tomato sauce, Mom’s signature apple cake, and delicious baked apples with honey and walnuts.
This post is a part of the series of family recipes that are cherished, loved, and passed through generations in my Belarusian and Ukrainian families. I cook each recipe in my kitchen and include detailed descriptions and photos of each step, as well as cooking secrets and tips. View all family recipes from Eastern Europe.
Autumn has been one of my favorite seasons since childhood. I loved the start of school and the change in the weather. Every day, I watched as the maple tree in front of our kitchen window gradually changed colors. I never rushed home after school and spent hours picking up colorful leaves, chestnuts, and acorns for crafts and decorations. Autumn evenings were spent reading books, doing homework, and gathering in our small cozy kitchen: talking, drinking tea, and eating Mom’s apple cake. I loved our long walks through the autumn forest to the family countryside house (dacha). Autumn was the time for gathering harvest, preparing the garden for winter, and cooking meals with seasonal vegetables. Peppers and tomatoes; cabbages and beets; squashes and pumpkins; potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic; apples and pears — we grew everything ourselves, ate as much as possible, and made winter preserves.
Growing your own food is something absolutely ordinary in Eastern Europe, unlike the U.S., where it’s more of a trend for those who want to eat healthier. When I was a teen, I remember saying that I would never have a garden and I would buy food only at the stores because I was tired of helping take care of the family garden. Right now, I’m missing growing my own food and dreaming of moving to a place where I’ll be able to do it.
Eating with the seasons is natural in both my and my husband’s families, and we tend to cook seasonal meals whenever we have a chance. In this post, you’ll find three perfect recipes for autumn. Stuffed peppers in homemade tomato sauce is the recipe of my Ukrainian mother-in-law, as well as the recipe of the delicious baked apples with honey and walnuts. Apple cake is the recipe of my Belarusian mom that she baked almost every week in the fall, as we had lots of apples from our garden. This cake is the ultimate taste of autumn to me.
No matter what climate you live in, I hope you’ll try cooking these recipes, which will bring an autumn atmosphere to your home!
Stuffed peppers in homemade tomato sauce
This is the recipe of my Ukrainian mother-in-law. We also cooked it in my Belarusian family but with slight variations. Ukraine has a warmer climate than Belarus, and peppers and tomatoes grow in abundance there. This recipe combines both vegetables in a very delicious way. It’s a hearty and very comforting meal. It takes time to cook, but the result is worth the effort! Personally, I’m not a big fan of bell peppers, and this is one of the very few dishes with bell peppers that I eat because they are so tasty!
Mom’s signature apple cake
Favorite apple cake of all time. It’s delicious both warm and cold. Easy to cook, simple ingredients, and so tasty!
Baked apples with honey and walnuts
One of the easiest desserts, which is also healthy and delicious! Baked apples preserve the vitamins and health benefits, and together with honey and walnuts, they make a perfect combination. My Ukrainian husband adores this dessert, as it reminds him of his childhood.
Below, you will find the step-by-step recipe instructions and photos of each step, which are available for paid subscribers. By upgrading to paid, you won’t only receive access to all previously posted family recipes from Eastern Europe, but will also allow me to continue my work and support both of my families who became refugees and whose recipes I share with you.
Contents:
RECIPE #1