Fall

This luxurious soup soothes on a wintry day, warming the palate with rich duck confit, sweet root vegetables, and earthy barley. Pearl barley, by definition, has had some of its bran removed, but we found that different brands varied widely. Higher-fiber varieties will have a slightly longer cooking time.

A scoop of ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, or a dollop of crème fraîche would be great with this.

Try these with roast pork, as well.

A fun idea: Paper-thin slices of white vegetables are dressed with an Italian blue cheese vinaigrette.

The pears give this pretty pizza fresh flavor and texture.

The sweetness of the pears and honey in this recipe are a nice foil for the savory ricotta.

Chunks of fresh cranberries and dark, milk, and white chocolate chips dress up oatmeal cookies for the holidays.

A touch of cream Sherry amplifies the sweetness of the nuts and the squash.

This puree is a wonderful vegetable side dish for any cool-weather braise or stew.

The sweet, creamy pulp of ripe Hachiya persimmons shines in a luscious dessert.

Boston brown bread is in the canned-vegetable aisle of most supermarkets.

Because Gruyère is somewhat salty, use unbrined roast turkey in this dish. Also, and old-fashioned turkey gravy (no cider or soy sauce) will enhance the gratin best.

The milder flavor and softer aroma of Turkish bay leaves are preferable in this dish.

These are especially good when made with leftover grilled turkey.

Fuyu persimmons are an inspired addition to winter salads. This one would make a lovely starter at Thanksgiving dinner.