Fall: Recipes in Season

Seasons
Fall

Fall is a time of transition, from the best of summertime produce to a harbinger of winter selections. Strongly seasonal fruits like pomegranates and persimmons again become available after a long absence. Winter squashes show their widest variety. And the apples of Washington and New York make for fresh cider drinking all over the chilling countryside.

Fall Recipes

Ajvar

(Serbian roasted eggplant and pepper spread)

This vivid red eggplant and pepper spread originated in Serbia, but its popularity has spread throughout the Balkans and beyond. In Serbia, ajvar (Serbian: Ајвар) is made with the rogo pepper and can be mild, medium or spicy. Large batches are traditionally prepared in the fall and put up for the winter. Use ajvar as a spread on bread, a condiment for roasted meats or a Mediterranean-style side dish. Read more »

Apfelmus

(German applesauce)

Apfelmus is your basic applesauce that is a typical German accompaniment to roast meats like Schweinebraten. Jews of East European origin serve epl tsimes with latkes or use it to top blintzes. Applesauce is perfect as a dessert for children or babies as it is easily digested. It can also be used in many baking recipes to add moisture and cut down on the amount of fat. Read more »

Apfelstrudel

(Austrian apple strudel pastry)

Hot apple strudel is one the most famous and delicious desserts to come out the kitchens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Supple dough is stretched paper thin and rolled up around a tart-sweet filling of apples and raisins. Read more »

Apple Cake

(United States apple cake)

Apple cake is popular throughout the United States, especially during the fall when the new apple harvest is coming in. This simple, moist, rich cake really hits the spot. Read more »

Apple Fritters

(Jewish batter-fried apple rings)

Apples are a popular treat at Hanukkah, whether served as an applesauce topping for latkes or fried in a tasty batter for apple fritters, a tradition that supposedly originated among Greek Jews. Read more »

Ash-e Jow

(Persian barley bean soup)

This thick soup, or ash, is chock full of nutrients and fiber. A mix of beans, lentils, barley and vegetables, ash-e jow is slow-simmered to make a rich, nourishing, rib-sticking dish. Eliminate the meat and use vegetable stock or water for a great vegetarian meal. Read more »

Atole

(Mexican warm cornmeal beverage)

Atole (ah-TOH-lay) is an ancient Mexican beverage with origins in pre-Columbian times. Similar warm drinks, thickened with cornmeal, are found throughout Central America and are especially popular for breakfast. Mexican atole is traditional at dia de los muertos celebrations, and it's chocolate version, champurrado, is popular at Christmastime. The consistency of atole varies anywhere from almost porridge-like to a thin, pourable drink. Read more »

Baechu Kimchi

(Korean cabbage pickle)

Kimchi, a strongly flavored and odoriferous pickle, is one of the bedrocks of Korean cuisine. Koreans have been salting vegetables in one form or another for over 1000 years as a way of preserving the harvest to last through the hard Korean winters. Late fall is kimchi-making season, or Kimjang, when great quantities of pickled vegetables are placed in large ceramic pots and buried in the ground to ferment. Read more »

Barmbrack

(Irish fruit bread)

Barmbrack is a tea bread popular in Ireland, especially around Halloween. It is best served toasted with a smear of butter and a cup of Irish tea. Read more »

Besan Laddu

(Indian sweet chickpea flour balls)

Besan laddu or ladoo is a very easy sweet to make and is popular throughout India, especially at festivals and celebrations. It is said to be the favorite sweet of the elephant-headed Lord Ganesh. Read more »

Bigos

(Polish hunter's stew of meat, cabbage and sauerkraut)

The national dish of Poland, bigos is an amazing melange of meats and sausages slowly braised over a bed of mellow sauerkraut. Bigos is a popular cold-weather dish in Poland where it provided a handy way of using up cabbage that was put up before winter set in. Bigos is a favorite meal for the day after Christmas and is also popular in Lithuania and Belarus. Read more »

Blaukraut

(German braised red cabbage)

Blaukraut, also known as rotkraut or rotkohl, is a popular German side dish. It is most often served with pork, sausages, goose, duck or game and a side of mashed potatoes or potato dumplings. In England, the same dish is called Suffolk red cabbage. Read more »

Bográcsgulyás

(Hungarian beef and pepper stew)

Bográcsgulyás (boh-GRACH goo-YAHSH), or goulash, is one of the classics of Hungarian cuisine. Variations of this basic dish are popular throughout Central Europe. Bogrács is Hungarian for "kettle", and gulyás was originally the word for "cowboy." Today goulash refers to both the herdsmen and the stew they first cooked in their kettles. Read more »

Boston Baked Beans

(American white beans baked with molasses)

The earliest colonists in North America learned how to slow cook beans with maple syrup from Native Americans. Molasses was a common sweetener in the United States throughout the 19th century, and Boston was a center of production. One tasty result of this abundance was Boston baked beans. It's not called Beantown for nothing! Read more »

Boston Brown Bread

(American steamed wholegrain molasses bread)

What goes best with Boston baked beans? Why, Boston brown bread, of course! Lightly sweet, with a deep, rich color, brown bread is a scrumptious, whole-grain treat made from a batter that is steamed, sliced and spread with butter. Most New Englanders are familiar with a version that is sold in cans, but it's so easy to throw together, there's no reason not to make your own. Read more »

Boxty

(Irish potato pancakes)

Boxty comes from the northern regions of Ireland and goes well with a breakfast of sausages, bacon and eggs or as a side dish to Irish stew. Read more »

Brasato al Chianti

(Italian beef braised in red wine)

Brasato al Chianti is great Tuscan cold-weather food and goes well with polenta or potato gnocchi. Brasato, Italian for "braised," can also be made with Barolo or any other Italian red wine. Read more »

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

(English roasted Brussels sprouts with cheese sauce)

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap. Undercooked they can be bitter. Overcooked they turn into nasty mush. But if you cook them just right they have a tender, nutty sweetness that will make you a convert. This recipe pairs Brussels sprouts with a delicious cheese sauce in an easy-to-prepare dish. Read more »

Caramel Apples

(American caramel-covered apples)

Caramel apples are a traditional autumn treat in the United States, especially popular with children around Halloween. Fresh apples are impaled on wooden sticks and dipped in sticky, sweet caramel. The caramel-coated apples are often rolled in nuts or candies for the ultimate flourish. Read more »

Carrot Tzimmes

(Israeli Jewish carrots braised with honey)

Tzimmes, or tsimmes, is a Jewish side dish that is a traditional part of a Rosh Hashanah meal. Carrot, or mehren, tzimmes, are a favorite, slowly simmered with honey to make a sweet dish symbolizing a sweet new year. Read more »

Challah

(Israeli Jewish braided Sabbath bread)

Challah is the traditional bread that begins Sabbath meals in every observant Jewish home. These braided loaves are a symbol and reminder of the miraculous manna that fell from the heavens to feed the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. For Rosh Hashanah, a round challah is favored and symbolizes the cycle of the year. Read more »

Chicken Pot Pie

(American savory chicken stew in pastry)

Chicken pot pie is a hearty American wintertime dish that uses produce in season during the cold months of fall and winter. Classic recipes have the chicken stew encased entirely in flaky pastry. This simpler version uses a tasty biscuit topping instead. Read more »

Coq au Vin

(French chicken braised in wine)

Coq au vin is a classic winter dish from the Bourgogne region of France. Use a burgundy, Beaujolais, or any young, full-bodied red wine for this warming braised chicken dish. Read more »

Cornbread Dressing

(American cornmeal bread dressing)

Cornbread dressing is the only dressing there is for many Southerners. It's a favorite for Thanksgiving. The recipe below is a basic foundation for many variations. Each cook has his or her favorite version. Read more »

Cranberry Sauce

(American cranberry condiment)

Cranberry sauce is an essential part of any American Thanksgiving meal. Many families serve it for Christmas dinner too. Some people have to have cranberry sauce in the shape of a tin can; others prefer this more naturalistic version. A less sweet cranberry sauce is served with game birds in northern Europe. Read more »