A cookbook plan for October

Anyone else find themselves relying solely on the internet for recipe ideas these days? Pinterest makes it so easy - especially now that I've given in to my organization mania and created boards for pretty much every and any recipe I see.

That said, I do have a nice collection of cookbooks I worry I'm neglecting. What's the use in them taking up valuable shelf space if I only look their way when I can't remember the flour measurements for pancakes and waffles? Seriously, my bookshelves are plenty overflowing and nobody likes dead space.

So when planning out what I'd like to eat in October, a practice I've been doing for over a year that's served me well, I thought I'd go old-school and base my recipe selection on my cookbooks. I'm focusing on three that have produced some great dishes before:

 

Since I'm not a huge red meat fan, all three have a great selection of fish and vegetarian recipes that sound pretty tasty. And now that Fall has arrived, I can turn on my oven without worrying I'm going to pass out due to heat exhaustion. So what better way than to celebrate with some roasted veggies, hearty soups, and attempts at new flavor combinations?

Now that I tend to have some money left-over at the end of every month, I'm more willing to take a risk and buy a new spice or ingredient that I'm not positive I'll love. In the past, I've been hesitant because if I ended up hating the dish, it meant I was eating buttered noodles or beans until my next paycheck. Now, however, I'll simply move on to the next dish (or go back to buttered noodles - let's be honest, they're still pretty tasty. I know, I have the palate of a 7-year old at heart).

This month I'm going to experiment with harissa and parsnips. I've eaten parsnips in a stew my cousin made a while back and didn't die, so why not pull on my big girl pants and try making them myself? And I've seen Harissa used in several other dishes that have looked good, so why not give it a try on top of farro (another new-to-me grain I discovered in August) with honey and feta?

So here's my list:

Moosewood Low-Fat Suppers

• Harira (pg 85)
• Orzo and Pea Soup (pg 93)

Moosewood Simple Suppers

• White Bean and Mushroom Ragout (pg 73)
• Vietnamese Noodle Salad (pg 111)
• Old Bay Roasted Fish & Vegetables (pg 164)

Smitten Kitchen

• Honey and Harissa Farro Salad (pg 78)
• Linguini with Cauliflower Pesto (pg  123)

If they turn out well, I'll share some pictures and the recipes as the month progresses (assuming I don't lapse into bad blog behavior again)

Anyone else loving some cookbooks recently? Leave me a comment to let me know - I've found my local library has a surprisingly good selection!