Photo: Thinkstock

This may be the most food-centric month of the year, but we're making a plan to enjoy our meals for all 30 days. Here's what's on our menu...

Chestnuts
These tree nuts, which are in season now, aren't terribly popular with Americans (our per capita consumption is less than an ounce per year, compared with a pound per person per year in Europe, and 2 pounds per person in Asia). There are many reasons to try them though: They're sweet, have very little fat and are cholesterol- and gluten-free. Roast them or try them in this filling soup. If you can't find dry-packed roasted chestnuts at your local market, try Kalustyans.com.

Brussels Sprouts
These mini-cabbages are another seasonal food that fall on the low end of the popularity scale. If you think you don't like them, this article explains why--and gives ways to tame their astringency and bring out there inherent (really!) sweetness.

A Meal with Your Eyes Closed
Dans le Noir, a "dining experience" with locations around the world, comes to the U.S. this month, with a new restaurant in New York. Diners eat in complete darkness, guided and served by either a visually impaired or blind staff. Just how different does food taste when you can only rely on your senses of taste, touch and smell? Try it yourself this month, by eating dinner with a blindfold on. To get the full experience, have someone else prepare the meal for you, so you're totally in the dark (pardon the pun) as to what's on your plate.


Raisin Bread
Store-bought or homemade, eaten for breakfast or dessert, we love this bread any time of year, but especially right now, since its cinnamon flavor goes so nicely with many other fall foods (incidentally, November's National Raisin Bread Month). Here's a recipe for Caramelized Banana Raisin Bread Pudding made with low-fat milk and just a tiny bit of sugar; or try this Quark with Honeyed Apples and Raisin Bread, which includes a cow's milk cheese from Central Europe similar to ricotta.

Turkey
Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away, and if you start working on it now, you can source a sustainably raised one. Eatwild's State-by-State Directory of Farms is a comprehensive source for grass-fed meat and dairy products in the U.S. and Canada. It lists more than 1,300 pasture-based farms and is adding more every week.

Keep Reading
Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Honey Mustard Dressing
How to have a low-stress Thanksgiving
9 seasonal fall recipes to savor