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Emily Ho lives in Los Angeles in a petite, adorable apartment with a very small kitchen. She brings us reports from the market scene in Los Angeles, along with some wonderful vegetarian recipes.

Here are a few of her favorites from the past year at The Kitchn.

Squash is abundant this season, from giant varieties to petite ones like these sweet dumpling squash. We recently picked up a few of these from Weiser Family Farms and intended to bake them with just a little butter and maple syrup. Then, a pot of leftover quinoa and some farmers' market pistachios and dates inspired us to make these little side dishes. The sweet and savory quinoa stuffing could be used for acorn or other winter squash, too.

Here's a sweet gift idea: cake in a jar! We'd never heard of these until recently, but apparently it's an old country tradition and several bloggers, like Angry Chicken who made the cakes above, have experimented with them. They're just the right size gifts for co-workers, and they can be easily mailed to friends and family. We like the fact that it's a gift with reusable packaging, too.

Resembling large albino carrots, parsnips were once a staple in many parts of Europe, especially among the poor. Appreciation for parsnips waned with the spread of the potato, which is a shame because their flavor is anything but humble. Parsnips are complex – sweet, nutty, starchy, and even a bit citrus-y, not to mention nutritious. Like many root vegetables, late fall and winter is the peak time for parsnips. They taste even better after a frost, which converts the roots' starch into sugar.

I grew up drinking Mexican hot cocoa on Christmas eve, but an allergy to chocolate forced me to seek a different beverage tradition. Enter my new, grown-up favorite: hot buttered bourbon and cider.

Along with the classic sugar cookies and gingerbread men this time of year, it can be fun to add some unexpected, savory twists to your holiday baking. Herbs and spices like pepper and rosemary can add heat and dimension to biscotti and shortbread. Cookies made with parmesan or blue cheese may be enjoyed as appetizers or just a little respite from all the other sugary treats in our cookie tins. From cumin to seaweed(!), here are some savory cookie recipes we're eager to try.

Blue potatoes, red carrots, purple cauliflower – the rainbow of offerings at Weiser Family Farms is so vibrant right now that we couldn't limit this week's market report to just one fruit or vegetable. Weiser also has an extra special treat this month that Angelenos should keep an eye out for. And even if you don't shop at the Hollywood Farmers' Market, read on for recipes that cover the spectrum of seasonal produce.

This year, everyone in our family agreed that we are blessed with plenty of things in our lives. While we're not averse to gifts of homemade sweets and savories, we're keeping the stuff to a minimum and donating to worthy causes instead. People on our gift lists may "receive" a vegetable garden in a Native American reservation, a wood-conserving stove for a Central American family, or a beehive for Fair Trade honey producers. Elizabeth profiled a couple of great charities earlier this month. Here are five more organizations that help make a difference.

I was hit with the flu this week and did little of my usual eating, let alone cooking. One meal does shine through the haze, however – a nourishing bowl of oatmeal with Fuyu persimmon slices, memorable for the bit of freshness and sweetness they brought to an otherwise dreary period of canned soup. With their almost cinnamon-y flavor, persimmons are a natural complement to oats. A Flickr search for this perfect pairing brought up a recipe that's inspiring me to get back on my feet and into the kitchen this weekend.

Last week, we wrote about the stunning Romanesco now in season at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. Though eye-catching in a different way, the gnarled and hairy – some might even say ugly – celery root is another fall/winter vegetable that's just as worth bringing home.

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When it comes to ice cream, my partner and I could not have more different tastes. He is an ice cream fiend, known to stop by the ice cream parlor for a scoop of chocolate just seconds after proclaiming he is full from dinner. I, on the other hand, generally don't like ice cream (gasp!), as I am somewhat lactose-intolerant and prefer fruity sorbets. There is one thing we can agree on, however: our love for Delicieuse, a Redondo Beach ice cream maker with an emphasis on handcrafted, natural products. We recently had the opportunity to try several classic and seasonal flavors available through Delicieuse's new online shop. The company's founder, Patricia Samson, also gave us her apple tart recipe to share with Kitchn readers.

With its marvelous lime green cones and spirals, the Romanesco is a vegetable we have a hard time resisting whenever it catches our eye at the farmers' market.

On Thanksgiving, I will join my boyfriend's relatives for a feast of traditional turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie alongside Korean dishes like spicy kimchee, savory pajun pancakes, and kimbap seaweed rolls. Meanwhile, I'll think of my own Chinese and Vietnamese family sitting down to dinner with steaming bowls of rice and roast duck.

Nuts and seeds are so readily available at grocery stores that we may not think of them as being seasonal. But at the Hollywood Farmers' Market, where shopping is guided by the rhythm of the seasons, autumn is clearly the time for walnuts, sunflower seeds, and macadamia nuts.