Frozen, staring blankly in stunned silence, I am the quintessential deer in headlights, with an 18-wheeler coming straight my way.  All I did was flip the calender page this morning, as one is typically inclined to do at the end of a month, I might add, and suddenly there weren’t nearly enough pages left.  November, a tricky month indeed, means the holidays are here.  No more avoiding them, turning your head from the early displays of lights and tinsel at the mall, pretending they don’t exist.  November means both intense business and a time of celebration for me, mixed well with a generous pinch of stress.  In typical fashion, fumbling through the morning and daily routine, I pushed it to the corner of my mind… And nearly choked on my coffee when every email in my inbox was splattered with festive graphics and messages.  What a cruel  wake up call.

But honestly, it’s still early, right?  We can all save the panic over Thanksgiving menus and Christmas gifts for another day; I don’t know about you, but I’m just not ready.  I’m still adjusting to the whole idea of leaving summer behind, for starters!  But I have found a few things to help soften the blow, and truth be told, almost all of them are seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Not exactly shocked? I don’t blame you, it seems like even the most unspirited scrooges can still get into the spirit of enjoying sweet little treasures like perfectly ripe figs. Though they’re not my most favorite fruit, they’re a quintessential part of the fall transition, just like Aunt Mary’s leaden fruitcake must make an appearance before the holidays are officially set in motion. Okay, maybe that’s an unfair comparison, but figs aren’t something I would simply munch on unadorned. Thus, dressing them up in the simplest of clothing, a quick trip through the oven with a sprinkling of sugar does wonders for both texture and flavor. Park a few on top of warm, soft rice pudding, slowly cooked over the course of a lazy hour or two, and you have something to look forward to come November.

No real recipe is required here; just gather up a bunch of fresh figs, slice them in half, and toss them with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Arrange them with the cut sides up on a baking sheet, and sprinkle the tops evenly with a thin coat of granulated sugar. Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 15 – 25 minutes, until the sugar is caramelized and the figs are fork-tender. Let cool for a few minutes before topping off your favorite rice pudding with a couple halves, plus some toasted and chopped hazelnuts for crunch, if desired. If you don’t already have a favorite rice pudding, start looking here. I think the internet already has far too many standard vegan rice puddings weighing it down, so there’s no need to add mine to the fray.

Bubbling cauldrons are no where to be seen, but there’s definitely something strange brewing in this busy little kitchen. Between standard ingredients that behave contrary to common knowledge, mysteriously disappearing treats, downright impossible recipes that actually work (and quite well, I might add!), it’s hard to deny the unlikely alchemy going on every day. It’s easy to ignore the small, everyday signs that the kitchen could perhaps be enchanted by an otherworldly force, but when I pulled this last batch of cupcakes, you would have to be blind to deny the witchcraft of this working space.

Blue cupcakes. Bright purple frosting. No food coloring, naturally, so even I could hardly believe what I had baked. Truly, what sort of malicious curse would turn innocent confections into visions of the dark arts?

Believe it or not, the powerful wizardry here comes from a very unlikely source; A potato. Though it looks just like any other tuber from the outside, slice open a beni-imo and the magic will become clear. Bright violet through and through, these humble spuds don’t lose their color once boiled or exposed to air, making them a prime coloring candidate. Better yet, their mild, sweet flavor is somewhat akin to a pumpkin or sweet potato, making it easy to substitute an equal amount of purple potato puree in your favorite pumpkin cake recipe for a frightening new hue.

However, even more unusual is that once baked, my beni-imo cupcakes turned not only blue, but strangely swirled with emerald green! This is some sort of witchcraft that’s beyond me, since the batter was thoroughly mixed before hitting the oven… My best guess is that it’s due to a reaction with the baking soda or powder, but further experimentation is clearly necessary. While the results may look quite creepy indeed, they’re far less scary than the average consumer cupcake pumped up with Red Dye #40 and Blue Lake #1- That’s for sure!