In my experience, knowing what can swap around in a recipe is the measure of strength in a cook. As the seasons shift, I’ve been thinking about the recipes I carry between them. Here, I wanted to share a collection of recipes that will hopefully help you bridge the gap we’re in right now – as summer produce wanes but before the fall market explosion.

As this Pear Crumble could be made with apples or plums in the fall as berries or peaches in the summer, staple recipes can take on different personalities as they shift with the season. Just as this Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pears is a delicious fall recipe, perfect for the coming months, but you can carry it beyond by switching the pears for peaches, transferring the skillet to the grill.

Risotto is a perfect vehicle that switches seasons effortlessly, and while I have many recipes to support that (from this baked spring onion ditty, to this quickie orzo version with pancetta and radicchio, and even this pearl couscous asparagus number. The idea is to have a warm liquid that’s craveable for the season (stocks for savory fall and winter, a mixture of wine, maybe, and broths as spring approaches) and a vegetable that can braise to tender as the risotto cooks. Rice, the classic, will lend itself to a longer cooking time, and so can take on a heartier veg or green, whereas the pastas (either the orzo or pearl couscous) will suit a quicker-cooking green or tender veg best.

And there are the salads, like this Winter Kale Salad, which, for fall, I would make with mushrooms instead of carrots, and in spring, radishes instead or in addition to carrots, with quinoa swapped for the wild rice. This lentil and bulgur salad features roasted eggplant and zucchini, which is a nod to late summer, but could easily step into fall with a roasted root veggie or squash as stand-ins.

Here are similar curries, one with butternut squash for fall, and cabbage and paneer for winter. And here are two different seasonal ways to poach chicken in milk: with Swiss chard and sweet onions (Fall), or with tarragon and peas (Spring).

These baked shells with parsnip and sage, another perfect recipe for the coming months, could follow you into winter, swapping parsnips for pretty much any veggie, including roasted broccoli (which would inspire me to swap the crème fraiche for ricotta to add heft). Same goes for my favorite Sugar Pumpkin Lasagna. Hard to go wrong with pasta and veggies baked with cheese until warm and bubbly.

Thank you, as always, for supporting my work and following along here. Thinking about favorite recipes I’ve made over the years brings life to my work, recipes that have been filed on a shelf for many years. It returns me to the person I was when I wrote them, as any good recipe can etch a moment in time and memory. I hope these I collect here do the same for you, making you and your people feel special in the everyday gathering for dinner. If you haven’t already, consider upgrading to a paid subscription, as it allows me to make space for this reflective work in my life rather than ever reaching toward the new. As thanks to those who already are paid subscribers, I’ve cooked up a new recipe for this transition season we’re in just for you. To all, see you at the start of next month for more recipes and fun in the kitchen!