Fall

When I was a kid and my parents took us out for breakfast, I always ordered a glass of cranberry juice. I loved the way it sparkled like rubies in a glass. But most of all, I loved its mouth-puckering tartness that sent shivers down my jaws when I drank it. (Even typing that sentence caused the same reaction.)

Now that I'm all grown up, I no longer drink cranberry juice. Maybe my taste preferences have changed, or maybe I've just become a wimp.

Fresh cranberries, however, I adore. And since cranberry season peaks between October and December, now is the perfect time to buy them.

In the fall, cranberries are used most commonly for cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving Day, yet they have so much more potential. They balance the sweetness of baked goods such as pumpkin muffins and banana bread. They add a jolt of flavor to homemade sweet apple sauce. And they perk up fall vegetables, such as butternut squash and sweet potatoes.

October is National Apple Month!

It's apple season (and the upcoming holidays) and hopefully more brisk weather have put us in the mood for apples, any variety, whole in a lunchbox or in any of the lovely versions from our contributors' kitchens!

Apple-Lime-Mint Spritzer
Epic Apple Pie-Buttermilk Shake
Spiced Mulled Cider
Toffee Apple Martini

Beet and Apple Salad with Honey Dressing and Pomegranate Seeds
Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Walnuts
Endive, Apple and Pecan Winter Salad
Autumn Apple and Potato Salad

Homemade Apple Sauce
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Spiced Cranberry Apple Chutney
Baked Butternut Squash with Apples & Cranberries
Pomegranate Glazed Baked Squash and Apples
Apple and Walnut Cornbread Stuffing
Sausage, Dried Cranberry and Apple Stuffing
Sweet Potato Gratin with Apples, Rosemary, Sage and Gruyere

Pork Cutlets with Sweet and Sour Apples
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Fennel

Cinnamon French Toast with POM Apple Compote | German Apple Pancake | Spiced Apple Waffles | Apple-Maple Walnut Breakfast Quinoa | Mimi's Apple Butter | Old-Fashioned Apple Streusel Muffins

Fall Harvest Cinnamon Apple Cake | Teddie's 1973 Apple Cake | Apple Crisp | Grandma Ople's Apple Pie
Cranberry Apple Cobblers | Easy Apple Phyllo Crisp | Louisa May Alcott’s Apple Slump
Sweet and Salty Caramel Apples | Apple-Pumpkin Delight
Deep Dish Apple Pie | Green Apple Gallette | Pomegranate Apple Pie

This brussels sprout salad recipe is perfect for lovers and haters of the little cabbage-looking sprout. The flavor is so mild, that it barely has any cabbage flavor. Because the brussels sprouts are shredded, guests might not even know they are the basis for the dish. Sweet apples and toasted nuts add complexity and crunch. It's a nice balance of sweet, salty, crunchy, tangy with just a touch of richness from the walnuts and the oil.

Brussels sprout slaw is yet another recipe that was created out of "whatever was in the house." I will admit, laziness that keeps me from going to the store in turn inspires new recipes on a regular basis. In this case I had one apple and a bag of brussels sprouts. Back from a weekend out of town, I had no desire to go shopping.

My original plan was to roast or saute them, but raw was a refreshing change from the expected. You could probably slice the brussels sprouts very thinly with a knife, but it's much easier to do in a food processor or with a mandolin. You do have a mandolin, right? Cheap Japanese ones are fine, just watch your fingers!

Parsnips. Parsnips parsnips parsnips.

Just saying the world really fast makes and in repetition makes me laugh. I don’t know why.  And yet as cute and funny looking as they are (think albino carrots), I realized I don’t include root vegetables in my life nearly enough. And why is that? It’s not as if I don’t like them. I just never seem to think about them. Perhaps because they are our seasonal winter-loving friends, hiding underground until someone comes along and plucks them from the earth. Maybe it’s because they are starchy, somewhat tough and require some finesse and trickery to enjoy.

(I’m going to exclude radishes from the above, as they are just fine sprinkled with a little sea salt, perhaps a dab of butter, and popped into my mouth like there’s no tomorrow.)

Parsnips are delicious when pureed or roasted with other root vegetables, but I’m digging this recipe I found while on a work assignment. It screams winter, and pairs perfectly with a tender, slow-cooked pork roast. Comfort food at its best.