Compote

Pile it on waffles, stir into Greek yogurt, or spoon over cheesecake or crepes: Blueberry compote knows no bounds.

Use this fruit compote to fill pastries, spoon over ice cream, or mix into smoothies.

We usually rail against kitchen tools that do only one thing and take up precious drawer space, but cherry pitters earn their keep as far as we are concerned.

This compote would be quite fine on toast.

Dark sweet cherries and apple cider lend sweetness and depth to this bourbon-and-black-pepper-spiked cranberry sauce.

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.

Spoon this quick dessert sauce of fall-spiced grapes over pound cake or ice cream.

Tart, sour, and just as refreshing as ye olde cranberry sauce.

Rhubarb's natural tartness is balanced by the sweetness of the brown sugar and raisins, creating the perfect foil to cut through rich meats.

You will need to make this colorful dessert at least 8 hours in advance. If you want to stretch it to serve 12, spoon a half-cup of fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt into each bowl and top each serving with a half-cup of Spiced Fruit.

Julie Robles, one of the first cooks at Lucques and later the chef de cuisine at A.O.C., came up with this delicious savory (as opposed to sweet) cherry compote. This time of year I go crazy for cherries and also serve this compote on roast pork or with an assertive cheese like Taleggio.