Welcome to the November Seasonal Living Guide: Savoring the Month Ahead! It's the first of November and the crisp, cool air floats through the window as my family and I adjust to the time change of "falling back" an hour. The days are getting shorter, the mornings are cooler, and the rhythm of life begins to shift as we settle into the final stretch of fall.
Here in Wine Country, the vineyards are taking on their autumnal shift, too. Golden, auburn, and orange hues adorn the once hefty vines filled with the fruit that paves the way to our favorite wines in the area. The farmers markets are filled with the last of fall's harvest and our kitchen is becoming the heart of the home once again.
It's a time of heartier meals, slow-cooked dinners, afternoons spent with notes of cinnamon, spices, and sugar wafting from the oven, and the annual gatherings around the table with family and friends. It is also a time to take stock of what we've grown, what we've gathered, and what we want to carry with us into winter.
Autumn truly is my favorite time of year for good reason. It reminds me that seasonal living isn't about constantly doing more. It's about paying attention to what is around us, making the most of what's available, and finding simple ways to bring a little more intention into our everyday routines.
Whether you're tending the last of your fall garden, shopping for seasonal produce, planning your annual holiday dinners, or simply looking for inspiration for the week and month ahead, November offers plenty of opportunities to embrace this season.
As I think about the core tenets of this corner of the internet, I'm leaning heavily into these practices for November:
Grow. Shop. Cook. Gather. Savor.
I invite you to come along with me and try at least one of the above for a focal point this month. Keep reading to see what I'm growing, shopping for, cooking, gathering around, and savoring this November.
GROW
Preparing the Garden for Winter
November is a month of transition in our garden. As the days shorten and the temperatures begin to dip, it's time to wrap up some of the warmer-season growing projects while making room for cool-season crops that will carry us through winter.
One of the things I've come to deeply appreciate about gardening in Northern California is that we have the chance to grow something throughout much of the year. While our summer gardening has drawn to a close, cooler weather invites its own opportunity for growing vegetables, herbs, and other crops that thrive during this time of year.
What to Plant in November
Depending on your growing zone, microclimate, and the weather, November can be a great time to plant garlic, fava beans, peas, and cool season greens.
Some crops to consider planting include:
- Garlic. This is one of my absolute favorite crops to plant in fall. Garlic takes time to grow, and feels like the easiest to plant, and yet the reward is so worth it to reserve a bit of space to grow your own garlic. I am partial to the Killarney Red Garlic from Renee's Garden Seeds. This hardneck variety also produces garlic scapes, which are a favorite for late spring pestos.
- Fava Beans. A great cool-weather season cover crop that can also help improve soil health through nitrogen fixation.
- Peas. I'll try my hand at English Shelling Peas and will include a tellis to support them as they grow.
- Leafy Greens. Winter salads are made all the more delicious with kale, chard, spinach, arugula, and other cool season greens that can be enjoyed both in warm and cold salads through winter.
- Herbs. Parsley and cilantro are two I grow in bulk now. The mint is slowing, but still going strong which I can use in teas. The basil has been harvested, though I will keep a small plant indoors on the kitchen countertop to use for garnishing dishes.
Put the Garden to Bed (Without Doing Too Much)
As we move toward winter, it's tempting to clear everything out of the garden. But, not everything needs to be pulled out from the roots or pruned back immediately. As I've come to learn with the Regenerative Farm Course I took earlier this year, leaving the soil as undisturbed as possible is great for promoting soil health and allowing the nutrients from the plants we've grown to work through the soil.
That said, continue to remove diseased plants and anything that has finished producing. Consider leaving heavy roots in the soil and plant matter that can be beneficial to the garden's habitat. Add compost to your garden beds, refresh mulch where needed, and make sure your soil is protected through the rainy months. I've bought a frost blanket to cover our garden beds to keep them cozy through winter.
It's also a good time to check irrigation systems, protect frost-sensitive plants, and make a few notes about what worked this growing season. I've kept a dedicated journal for this exact purpose as the inquiry practice is seeping its way into my gardening work.
Grow What your Love to Cook
November is a time where I'm also starting to think about next year's garden. One of the questions I always come back to is:
What do we actually enjoy eating?
It's easy to be swayed by the beautiful images in the seed catalogs. I, too, have fallen in love with certain varieties only to plant them and find that it's either more labor intensive to care for or the seeds just didn't germinate in the ways I had hoped. Could it have been a result of a gardening error on my part? Maybe. But, I'm going to keep planning the garden with the above question in mind.
Think about the herbs you reach for when cooking dinner. Consider the vegetables your family enjoys regularly and the ingredients you'd love to have more readily available. A garden doesn't need to be large or elaborate in order to make a meaningful contribution to your kitchen.
Harness the Seasonal Inspiration
Start a list of what you'd like to grow next year. Consider which vegetables you buy most often, the herbs you use regularly, and the crops that might be worth preserving or freezing for later.
SHOP
What to Look for at the Farmers Market in November
One of my favorite parts of seasonal cooking is letting what we find at the farmers market help shape what ends up on the dinner table. November brings a wonderful mix of fall produce and the beginning's of winter's bounty. Persimmons and pomegranates are making their now regular appearance. Apples and pears are plentiful for snack cakes and pies. Winter squash is great to have on hand for soups and roasted sides. And the Brussel sprouts and hearty greens are ready for a number of simple weeknight dinners and holiday meals.
Shopping seasonally doesn't mean you need to completely reinvent your grocery list every week. Instead, think of the farmers market as a place to find inspiration and pick up a few ingredients that can make the meals you're already planning feel a little more special.
Here's what I have my eye on this month:
- Persimmons. Both Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons are seasonal favorites. Fuyu persimmons can be enjoyed while still firm, sliced into salads or eaten like an apple. Hachiya persimmons need to become softer, almost jam like, before we can enjoy their sweet, custardy flesh in baked good, puddings, or other desserts. I make a batch of Persimmon Butter for this annual tart.
- Pomegranates. Their jewel-like seeds bring color, texture, and a bright color accent to fall salads, roasted vegetables, grain bowls, and desserts.
- Apples and Pears. Perfect for baking, poaching, roasting, or enjoying flesh. I love having a bowl of seasonal fruit on the counter for easy snacks and afternoon baking inspiration.
- Winter Squash. Butternut, delicata, kabocha, and other varieties are versatile staples. Roast them, blend them into a soup, add them to pasta, or use them in hearty grain bowls.
- Brussel Sprouts. I'll roast them until caramelized or shave them into salads. They're delicious when paired with toasted nuts, crunchy pomegranate arils, and a bright vinaigrette.
- Broccoli and Cauliflower. These are wonderful roasted and added for soups, purees, or in grain bowls.
- Leeks and Root Vegetables. These are fantastic foundations for soups, stews, and roasted side dishes for those cozy dinner evenings.
- Hardy Greens. Kale, collards, mustards, and other greens are wonderful additionals to soups, stews, braises, pastas, and bean dishes.
Shop with the Holidays in Mind
November also brings the start of the holiday meal planning season. Before filling your shopping cart, take a little time to think about you'll be cooking over the next few weeks. I like to start by checking what I already have in the pantry and freezer. It's easy to accumulate ingredients over the course of a busy season, only to forget what's tucked in the back of a cupboard or freezer drawer.
Before I start shopping for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals, I take inventory of:
- Pantry staples like beans, broth, grains, pasta, and baking ingredients.
- Frozen vegetables, stocks, and ingredients preserved from summer.
- Proteins tucked away in the freezer.
- Baking supplies like spices, sugars, flour, and other ingredients we'll need for holiday recipes.
From there, we'll build our shopping list around what we're actually missing.
This small step can save time, and money, while reducing food waste and making the weeks ahead feel a little more manageable.
Support Your Local Food Community
November is also a wonderful time to think about where our food comes from and the people who make it possible.
Whether it's buying produce directly from a local farmer, joining a CSA, picking up cheese from a regional cheesemaker, sourcing meat from a local butcher, or choosing a bottle of wine from a local winery, these small decisions help support the local food communities that makes seasonal living all the more special.
Seasonal Inspiration: Visit your local farmers market this month and choose one ingredient you haven't cooked with recently. Let it inspire a meal or something new to try in the kitchen.
COOK
Cozy Meals for Cooler Days
As the weather cools, I find myself naturally gravitating toward meals that are a little more comforting. Pots of beans slowly simmering on the stove, roasted vegetables coming out of the oven, slow-cooked meats, and simple pasta dishes all start making their way back into our regular dinner rotation.
But, cozy cooking doesn't mean it needs to be complicated cooking.
Some of my favorite meals are built around a handful of seasonal ingredients, a few pantry staples, and a little time in the kitchen. November is the perfect month to weave these types of meals into our Dinner Plans.
I'm sharing a few of my favorites for this time of year below:
- Braised Rapini with Creamy White Beans
- One Pot Pasta with Seasonal Pesto and Herby Chicken Meatballs
- Roast Fig Salad with Heirloom Japanese Squash Recipe
- Maple Harissa Roast Carrot Soup Recipe with Crispy Mushrooms
Build DInner Around What You Already Have
With the holidays approaching, November can start to feel like a particularly busy month in the kitchen. This is where I try to find easy ways to simplify everyday meal planning.
Rather than starting from scratch every week, I like to think about what we already have and how to bring those ingredients together. A simple formula I come back to is:
Protein + Produce + Starch + Flavor = Dinner
A few combinations I keep in my back pocket for November's dinners:
- Chicken + Apples + Roasted Squash Puree + Seasonal Mostarda
- White Beans + Braising Greens + Crusty Sourdough + Parmesan
- Sausage + Brussel Sprouts + Potatoes + Rosemary
- Salmon + Roasted Cauliflower + Farro + Lemon Herb Dressing
- Pork Loin Steaks + Pears + Mashed Potatoes + Sage Butter
Once you have a few combinations in mind, it becomes so much easier to make dinner from what's already in your kitchen.
Make Room for Holiday Cooking
November is also a great time to start thinking about the dishes you want to serve during the holidays. I think about the dishes my husband's family makes each year like their Carrots on Parade.
When meal planning for the gatherings you'll host, choose recipes that can be prepared ahead, identify which ingredients can be purchased early, and think about how much oven and stove top space you'll need on the day itself. A little preparation now can make Thanksgiving and other gatherings much more enjoyable.
Seasonal inspiration: Choose one seasonal ingredient and make it the starting point for a meal this week. It might be a squash, a bunch of kale, a bag of Brussels sprouts, or a basket of pears.
GATHER
Make Room for Meaningful Moments
November naturally gifts us more opportunities to gather around the table. Between Thanksgiving, family traditions, and the start of the holiday season, food becomes an especially meaningful way to connect with the people near and dear around us.
I also think it's worth remembering that gathering doesn't mean you have to host an elaborate dinner or that it has to be aesthetically coordinated. Sometimes, it's sharing a pot of soup with friends, a casual Sunday Supper, or a simple dessert brought to a friend's house to savor over a glass of wine. The best gatherings come from making people feel welcome rather than making everything perfect.
Planning a Thanksgiving Menu that Works for YOU
If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, the start of November is the perfect time to start thinking about the kind of gathering you want to have. Choose a manageable number of dishes and look for opportunities to prepare components ahead of time.
A few ways to make the Big Day just a little easier:
- Choose or one two dishes that can be prepared a day or two ahead.
- Prep vegetables and organize ingredients in advance. I like making batch prepared mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery) to have ready for stuffing and sides.
- Make sauces, dressing, and the cranberry sauce ahead of time.
- Choose a combination of hot dishes and room-temperature sides.
- Delegate a dish or ask guests to bring something.
- Remember: store bought is fine! I already pre-ordered ready made rolls at a local bakery so I don't have to make them.
- Don't forget to plan for leftovers!
And, most important, leave yourself enough time to enjoy the meal and good conversations with loved ones, too!
Setting A Seasonal Table with What You have
This year, I'm aiming to use whatever I have on hand to see the table for holiday entertaining. Do not cave to the pressure of purchasing an entirely new collection of decorations or linens to create a welcoming holiday table.
Rather, look to the season for inspiration. Pull in a few branches from the garden. Layer with seasonal fruits. Add linen napkins, candles, and a simple centerpiece using greenery you find nearby to create a beautiful table with little effort.
- Use whatever linens are readily available and on hand. I love a neutral tablecloth with a linen table runner. Place settings have white or ivory ceramic plates and beautiful linen dinner napkins.
- Persimmons, pomegranates, pears, and autumn foliage make lovely natural accents.
- Light a few candles and create a fun, relaxed playlist.
Make Cooking a Family Activity This Season
The older I get, the more I realize the kitchen is often where some of our favorite holiday memories happen. This season I'm encouraging myself to enlist family members to help with simple preparations of the meal, whether that's peeling and washing vegetables, stirring a pot, helping bake something sweet, or simply setting the table. I'm taking this opportunity to have the kids help more, too.
It doesn't need to be a perfectly organized activity. Often, the best memories come from everyone being together, enjoying the process as much as the meal itself. These are the memories I know I'll hold onto long after the evening ends.
Find Reasons to Gather Beyond Thanksgiving
Many conversations with friends recently have centered around the need to build community more intentionally. As the holiday season approaches, I'm starting to think about smaller moments and opportunities to bring people together. This could be:
- A casual dinner with friends
- A neighborhood potluck
- A weekend baking afternoon or cookie swap
- A Sunday Supper
These can all become traditions we start that we look forward to year after year and don't need a fancy or elaborate plan to make it a success.
SAVOR
Find the Beauty in the Slower Season
As much as November can feel like a month of preparation and gathering, for me it's really a time to slow down the pace and appreciate the little things.
The days feel shorter now as daylight ends well before I'm ready for dinner. The evenings carry a crisp chill in the air and there's something comforting about spending more time at home (I'm never mad about that!). It's the season for lighting the candles at dinner (something my youngest loves to do), for making an afternoon baking project after the zoom calls end, and enjoying a relatively quiet morning with a cup of coffee. These are the small rituals I carry with me that make living and relishing the seasons so rewarding.
Ways to savor this month with more intention:
- Bring the Harvest Indoors. I love the simplicity of having seasonal ingredients within reach. Keeping a bowl of seasonal fruit on the counter or the center of our dining table serves as a gentle reminder of the season we're in and what it has to offer.
- Make Time for Baking. The scent of apples and pears baking in a snack cake I share with the kids over afternoon tea to accompany our poetry lessons feels more and more like a gift as we all grow older. There is something so gratifying about making a simple cake, fruit crisp, the favorite pie, or a batch of muffins alongside loved ones that makes the season feel all the more special.
- Enjoy the Quieter Side of Wine Country. Not gonna lie: autumn in Napa is one of my absolute favorite seasons. Harvest has wrapped up, the vineyards are beginning their winter rest, and the landscape takes on a quieter, more muted palette. I love taking the "scenic route" wherever I can. There is so much to appreciate about the communities and landscapes that surround us.
- Reflect on the Growing Season and the Year So Far. Before the year draws to a close, I like to take a little time to think about this past year and growing season. I'll take note of what I grew, what I cooked, and what seemed to have success in the garden. I find that paying attention to these little details helps make the decisions I make feel more intentional. It also gives us a starting point for planning the next year's garden and goals.
- Start a Gentle Winter Reset. This is also a good time to begin thinking about the months ahead. Take a look at your pantry, freezer, kitchen routines, and garden. Are there ingredients that need using? Are there things you want to ensure you preserve or prepare before winter comes?
Your November Seasonal Living Checklist
If you're wanting to make this feel a little more intentional, check out my free printable below.
Download and print the the below checklist.
Carrying the Harvest into Winter
As we move through November, I hope you'll find a little time to enjoy everything this season has to offer. Visit the farmers market, spend an afternoon in the garden, make something comforting in the kitchen, or invite someone over to share a meal.
Seasonal living doesn't have to mean doing more or making everything from scratch. It's about finding ways to connect with the food we eat, the places we live, and the people we share our tables with.
It's about using what we have, appreciating what's available, and making the everyday moments feel a little more meaningful.
Here's to a November filled with good food, warm kitchens, generous gatherings, and plenty of reasons to savor the season. How do you plan to relish the month ahead? Let me know in the comments here.
Let's savor this next month, together.
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