The summer garden is history, apart from some straggling tomatoes and peppers. I like to slow-roast those last plum tomatoes until they almost caramelize and then enjoy them on bruschetta with a little yogurt cheese underneath. Napa Valley’s grapevines, stripped of their fruit, have started to turn rusty colors, and that annual transition makes my appetite shift, too. I’m thinking now about dinners built around yellow split-pea soup or a hearty pasta sauce with Brussels sprouts and sausage. Thanksgiving is imminent, and for me, it’s as much about the side dishes as the turkey; braised red cabbage with pancetta is a contender this year. The cool weather makes me crave heartier cheeses, too—like hard mountain cheeses, Cheddars and blues. A shaved fennel and apple salad with toasted walnuts is the perfect complement. And while fall pears are at their best, I’ll be poaching them in red wine and serving them with a dollop of ricotta cream.
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