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
I do enjoy making my own spice mixtures, and this one looks pretty straightforward, which means I actually have the ingredients.
I know! I was up at our cabin on the north coast and have a small number of spices in the pantry. I substituted the poppy seeds and dried minced onion for nigella. It was delicious as a chicken rub. I rubbed the chicken before cooking and left in in the fridge for 3 hours, uncovered. Then cooked it on the BBQ.
Is the above spice recipe the same one you gave me for Christmas a few years ago? I love that stuff, especially for soups! I was just in Urumqi and no amount of ‘lamb rub’ could fix their food! Only my opinion. All of the veggies were cooked in lamb fat!! Makes me want to become vegan!!
Hi Diane, so good to hear from you. Sorry you had a bad dining experience, veggies cooked in lamb fat sound very indigestible! Duck fat, ok; but not lamb. That spice mixture is the fennel one, you will find the recipe here if you would like to make it:
https://spadesspatulasandspoons.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/november-in-the-kitchen-polenta-with-mushrooms-and-easy-roast-chicken-breasts/
It’s from last November, I used it as a rub for the chicken breasts on the post and gave the ingredients.
When are you coming West?
Good for you to make your own spice mix. We have a store like that and I go crazy looking at all of the different spices/seasonings. I am a big apple fan, pumpkin sometimes like pies always for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing with us Liz… 🙂
Thank you. The Spice Store is intoxicating as soon as you walk in the door, all those wonderful smells. Glad you have one near you as well.
Love that shop!!! And the mix looks fab, I’ll definitely try it 🙂
Thank you Elaine, it is a wonderful store and just keeps getting better. Let me know what you think if you try it.
I will 🙂
I love making my own spice mixes, they always taste so much better! This one sounds so yummy I think I will have to give it a go! Happy FF.
They do don’t they? Let me know what you think. I’ve used it on baked squash and cauliflower and a chicken.
Wow – I love the spice store Liz and such a co-incidence that as I read this post I have a one pot beef dish in the oven for Sunday dinner – flavoured with 2 black cardamom pods of course!
Yeah!!! Is that the same recipe you posted before?
I love stores like that. The spice blend also sounds great. I am going to try it. Thank you!
Me too, finding them is one of the great joys of travel. And this one is right next door, almost walking distance, which is dangerous. My spice drawer runneth over!