Stone Fruit

Sweet-tart apples, pungent blue cheese and crunchy pistachios make an irresistible combination in this fall salad.

This chicken takes about 10 minutes to pull together and then about a half hour of mostly hands-off time in the oven. In theory, you could time things so the chicken is ready as soon as the kids go to sleep. But if you can't for the life of you figure out a way to steal the few minutes needed for prep while the kids are awake, then just take care of step 1: Preheat the oven.

During the developing and testing process for this book, this dish became Hubby's new favorite. Totally unexpected—I was sure he'd steal a line from the kids and say, "Thank you anyway, but this is not my taste." (We taught them to say that instead of "Ooo, yick!") It's just not the usual stuff and spices he goes for, but apparently the combination was soooo his taste. And mine, too. It's one of those winner recipes that will make you dance around your kitchen. You may hug me now.

A quick blanch helps take away the bitterness in the kale for the pesto. A bit of lemon brightens it up and help the pesto retain its bright, green color.

To serve these for brunch without waking up at the crack of dawn, make the dough the day before and chill overnight, wrapped in plastic. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

When apple season hits but peaches still linger at the market, it's time for a standout condiment to round out a main course or dessert.

Who says blender cocktails can't contain farmers' market produce? Here's a drink that highlights our favorite late-summer fruit.

Just dump, shake, and bake this super tasty, couldn't-be-easier dessert. It's even better when made with our Homemade Yellow Cake Mix .

Plum wine is a traditional Japanese aperitif that's wonderful straight or with a splash of soda.

The joy of this simple dessert is that it is even better at room temperature, so you can make it in advance with ease. Be sure to pull it from the oven when the egg mixture is just set, so that the luscious cooked plum texture can meld perfectly with the batter. Think of it as a thick fruit pancake cooked effortlessly in the oven while you do other things.

Yes, it's a long recipe with several parts, but each step is easy enough, and it can all be made ahead.

Get set to impress with this ice cream cake with all of the familiar flavors and textures you'd find in a banana split, like a caramel banana jam, maraschino cherries suspended in vanilla ice cream, and a heavy hand of crushed peanuts sprinkled on top.

Slightly underripe plums? Add a touch more honey.