Fall's Best Produce & Recipes (and the restaurants that serve them)

Pumpkins are as much fun to pick and carve as they are to eat. For the freshest pumpkin with the brightest flavor and the least amount of damage, choose yours from a local pumpkin patch. Not only is this fun, but it guarantees that your pumpkin didn’t get jostled around in transport.

Recipes to make at home:

•Pumpkin soup

•Chocolate-apple pumpkin marble cake

Try the seasonal menu at Per Se in New York City, NY.

Picking apples is a great family activity and fun for all ages. Most modern apple farms have dwarf trees, whose branches are closer to the ground for easier access (especially for children). Remember to carefully place apples in a basket, because dropping them absentmindedly can cause them to bruise and spoil faster.

Recipes to make at home:

•Caramel apple crumb pie

•Butternut squash and apple soup

Try the seasonal menu at NOBHILL in Las Vegas, NV.

'Tis the season for cranberries! This magical little fruit is harvested in September in the Northeast and can be found fresh or frozen in most supermarkets. Cranberries are used to make great drinks, in baking, and for decorating. If you're planning on chopping cranberries for a recipe, buy them frozen for easier chopping.

Recipes to make at home:

•Mulled cranberry-apple cider

•Cranberry-glazed sweet potatoes

Live in Boston? Try the seasonal menu at The Bristol.

If you've never included acorn squash in a meal, you're missing out. Don’t be discouraged by its homely exterior – acorn squash is sweet and very easy to cook. When picking an acorn squash, choose one that isn’t shiny to ensure that it was picked when ripe. And yes, although the squash is mostly green, a little orange on its rind is perfectly okay.

Recipes to make at home:

•Sugar-baked acorn squash

•Curried acorn squash-and-apple soup

Try the seasonal menu at York Street in Dallas, TX.

A cousin of the apple, pears are juicy and delicious if not a little more temperamental. Pears are best to buy when they're firm, not soft, and don't have dents, cuts, and bruises. Unlike apples, pears have a much shorter shelf life and should be used shortly after they're purchased.

Recipes to make at home:

•Caramelized pears with toasted hazelnuts and chocolate sorbet

•Curried squash-and-pear bisque

Try the seasonal menu at Blackbird, in Chicago, IL.

Cabbage is most often used in coleslaw or the famous cabbage soup diet, but we prefer to use it in healthy soups and satisfying entrees. When buying cabbage, look for heads that are heavy for their size and firm to the touch.

Recipes to make at home:

•Cabbage-and-white-bean soup with prosciutto

•Roasted cabbage rolls

Try the seasonal menu featured at Margot Café and Bar in Nashville, TN.

Carrots are a superstar among other vegetables. Between being eaten almost constantly by cartoon character Bugs Buggy, pushed on us as children to make our vision better, or used as the noses of our beloved snowmen, carrots are unique and delicious. When buying carrots, search for ones that are crisp and don’t bend easily.

Recipes to make at home:

•Carrot-parsnip soup with parsnip chips

•Carrot soufflé

Try the seasonal menu at Vidalia Restaurant in Washington, DC.

Rutabagas are rough to the touch, heavy for their size, and can be added to mashed potatoes or served as a simple flavorful side dish on their own. When buying rutabagas, feel for firm skin, and then store them in the refrigerator.

Recipes to make at home:

•Maple-glazed rutabagas

•Chicken and rutabaga stew

Try the seasonal menu at RNM, San Francisco, CA.

Our favorite leafy green vegetable has gained popularity over the years for its great taste and nutritional value. It can get confusing when you have the option of buying spinach fresh in a bundle, fresh in a plastic bag, or frozen. If you choose to buy fresh, make sure the leaves are a deep green color and aren't starting to become limp.

Recipes to make at home:

•Lentil and spinach soup with roasted red pepper and pomegranate molasses

•Cod-and-creamed spinach casserole

Try the seasonal menu at Orlando, Florida's Citricos.

Cauliflower is often seen as the ugly step-child of broccoli, but it's actually very different and has its own unique flavor and texture. When buying cauliflower, look for a creamy white color with few, if any, brown spots. Also, look for a stem that isn’t dry and discolored.

Recipes to make at home:

•Creamy cauliflower soup

•Brown butter cauliflower mash

Try the seasonal menu at Robert's of Charleston in Charleston, SC.