What to Eat

Pork Chops with Apples and Brandyby Anne Bramley

A seasonal-cooking specialist shares one of fall’s best and most grownup recipes.

Who can deny the appeal of pork chops and applesauce? It’s one of the true fall comfort foods. But really, applesauce is for kids. These apples cooked in brandy and cream won’t be mistaken for Mott’s.

Click here for the recipe.

Heirloom Apple and Smoked Gouda Salad with Honey Walnut Dressing by Deborah Schneider and Deborah Szekely

Two great culinary minds come together to offer one simple yet savory salad recipe.

What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? Finding half a worm. Third worst is the mealy apple, all too common in the coming season. This salad makes sure your apples will be crisp and tart, as heirloom apples are usually firmer and more flavorful than warehouse-ripened Red Delicious. Truthfully, though, any variety of apple would be great on this perfect fall salad.

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Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Mustard Seeds by Sarah Leah-Chase

The pride of Nantucket presents a dish that will please dinner guests from coast to coast.

As the summer fades, so do the colors on our plates. Goodbye greens, goodbye peaches, and hello white: potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga. And though cabbage is another traditionally light-colored plant, red cabbage always adds a deep burst of color to the pale shades of cold-weather cooking. This preparation pairs beautifully with pork and game dishes.

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Roast Quail with Apples and Pecans by Frank Stitt

James Beard’s best chef of the Southeast will expand your palate by pairing an old favorite (apples) with a new type of bird (quail).

Quail are a breed of tiny birds, and so many good things come in this small package, including deep, complex flavors, a surprising amount of meat, and in this case, apples. The flavor of good, tart apples and aged balsamic vinegar makes a wonderfully savory yet light fall first course.

Click here for the recipe.

Caramelized Apple and Calvados Crêpes by Lou Seibert Pappas

You can still use local ingredients for a dessert that channels a foreign favorite: the incredible crêpe.

Apple pie is credited as the being the most American of all fruit desserts. But long before the Americans were creating lattice tops, the Europeans had cornered the market with French tarte tatin, Austrian apfelstrudel, and Dutch appeltaart. This dessert harks back to those days, with traditionally European crêpes and French brandy as the base for sweet caramelized apples.

Click here for the recipe.

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