The beautiful part about this time of year – as summer is retreating and fall is just starting to peek through the trees – is the bounty available at any given time. Every single morsel springing from the orchard, the farm, and the herbs in our garden is so perfect just as it is and needs little to make it the perfect meal. This is convenient because we’re busy, our days are full, and we need something grounding, nourishing and delicious to eat, but we don’t have a lot of time for prep, pomp, circumstance…and sometimes even consideration. In our house, as the pace of the summer wind-down/fall transition speed up (yeeps!) our meals have been ridiculously simple and very impromptu. I cook what I have, sometimes without a plan, which is always a sweet reminder that what grows together, goes together; meaning that you’ll always end up with something delicious if you cook with ingredients that are growing in tandem through the season. But in the case of this simple Beet, Radish and Grilled Red Grape Salad that came together as I was preparing for a relaxed pizza party in the backyard last week, it only took one bite to recall that what goes together GLOWS together too.
This time of year is the most wonderful at our local market. Many of our favorite summer treats are still lingering (raspberries! melons!) and starting to mingle with the notable flavors and ingredients of fall; earthy beets, chubby watermelon radishes and carrots, juicy grapes. The day that I came home from the Saturday market with the beets, radishes, grapes and berries together, I felt like a rich woman. The colors of these ingredients drew me in, and the crimson pull made me want to put all of these ingredients together into a bowl…turns out, it’s a thing.
The idea that what grows together, goes together isn’t just an old farmer’s addage. There’s an actual, scientifically proven correlation behind color harmony and seasonality in food, and this salad is a perfect example.
Here’s the science-backed reason to eat aligned with the season that you didn’t ask for any maybe don’t need because do you really need convincing?
Just in case, here we go:
As humans we are hardwired to respond to color in food. Bright, saturated colors often signal ripeness, freshness, and nutrient density, which evolutionarily made us more likely to eat them. As the season draws on, the colors of our foods deepen. Lighter color foods arrive in the spring, while later season produce is deeper and richer in color. Similar colors (reds, purples, burgundy) create a sense of visual harmony—the eye sees continuity, so the dish feels cohesive and appealing. Your roasted beets, watermelon radishes, and red grapes naturally form a red-purple spectrum, which is easy on the eyes and warming for the heart.
Foods of similar color often share flavor or aromatic compounds, though not always. For example, red fruits and vegetables often contain anthocyanins, betalains, and other polyphenols that lend sweet, earthy, or slightly tart notes. So when you group them, the flavors are subtly complementary, which makes the overall taste more cohesive, even if the textures differ (soft beets, crisp radishes, juicy grapes). Quite literally, what grows together, GOES together.
Foods of similar color often carry similar phytonutrients, which means this “red-purple” salad isn’t just visually appealing—it’s also nutritionally synergistic. Beets, radishes, grapes, and blackberries all deliver antioxidants and compounds that support blood health, liver function, and digestion which is precisely what you’ll get when you make this salad.
This salad is Vata-balancing and grounding, perfect for early fall…because early fall created it! The roasted beets provide sweetness and warmth to nourish blood and energy; the grilled radishes add gentle digestive stimulation, while grilled grapes bring moisture and natural sweetness to counter seasonal dryness, all while cooling the fire of pitta dosha. The raspberry vinaigrette ties it together with antioxidants and astringency to support liver and digestion—a perfect harmony for body and mind in this crisp, transitional season.
When we put it all together, this dish is warming, grounding, and lightly sweet—perfect for early fall when Vata is rising.
It comes together in just a few moments, and will add visual intrigue to just about anything you’re serving. We enjoyed it as a side dish for pizza and salad, but I enjoyed the leftovers in a roasted chicken grain bowl the next day. It would also be a lovely stuffing for a sandwich with feta or light cheese too…the possibilities are endless.
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