Are you as tired of pumpkin spice this and that as I am? From Halloween on it’s everywhere I go. Stores are reeking of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. It’s too much. And I cannot get my arms around a pumpkin latte. But, I know that I am in the minority, I don’t really enjoy pumpkin pie either. I much prefer apple or pecan or mincemeat. And pumpkin pie spiced air freshener? No thank you!
Here is another idea for flavoring the season.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I am a big fan of the spices from the Oaktown Spice Shop on Grand Ave. in Oakland, CA. Just take a look at their website to get an idea of the variety of wonderful spices they carry. If you don’t live in the bay area, they do ship.
Their Harvest Spice mix was highlighted in our local paper a few weeks ago. You can easily make the mix yourself to use on thick slices of delicata, acorn, butternut squash, or even a roast chicken. I made one alteration to the recipe because I am not fond of caraway seeds, I substituted cumin seeds. Feel free to add the caraway seeds back in if they are a favorite in your household.
Harvest Spice Mix
Harvest Spice Mix (makes 1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon nigella seeds (or 1/2 tablespoon of dried onion flakes and 1/2 tablespoon of sesame seeds)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon dried savory or oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1 teaspoon caraway seeds)
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or Turkish urfa biber flakes
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked sea salt
- Grind the fennel, nigella, mustard, peppercorns, savory or oregano, and cumin in a spice mill or mortar and pestle to a coarse texture.
- Stir in the pepper or urfa biber and the salts.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a month.
I’ve been using this mix the past week but don’t have any pictures. The food has been eaten too quickly! I’ll try and post some pictures if I can keep the dishes away from my hungry family.
Baked chicken with harvest spice