Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers by Moosewood Collective (summer reads TXT) 📕

and winter, lots of apple varieties are in season. Choose a couple you’re not familiar with and some old favorites. Serve the apples with several cheeses and sample all the different combinations of apples and cheese.

sweet spiced nuts

These glossy, burnished, not-too-sweet and not-too-spicy nuts are irresistible. With fresh or dried fruit, they make an elegant dessert. Or add to one of our Fruit & Cheese Plates. A great little something to snack on, too—we like to keep them around to nibble on when supper is a little late. They keep for up to a month.

YIELDS 3 CUPS

TIME: 25 MINUTES

⅓ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of cayenne (optional)

3 cups shelled nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously oil a baking sheet.

In a saucepan on medium-high heat, stir together the sugar, ¼ cup of water, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir constantly for a minute, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the nuts and mix well to evenly coat them with the syrup. Remove the coated nuts with a slotted spoon and spread them out on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until browned, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once after 5 or 6 minutes. After you’ve taken them out of the oven, stir again to break apart any clusters. Allow the nuts to cool before serving.

warm plums with mascarpone

Warm caramelized plums are delicious paired with cool and creamy mascarpone. You can also cook the plums under a broiler for about 10 minutes or on a tabletop grill for 5 minutes.

SERVES 4 TO 6

TIME: 25 MINUTES

6 plums

¼ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup mascarpone cheese

1 tablespoon Marsala wine or an orange-flavored liquor, such as Grand Marnier

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Cut the plums in half and remove the pits. Fill each plum cavity with 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar and place the plums in a baking pan. Put 2 tablespoons of water in the bottom of the pan and bake until the plums are browned and somewhat softened, about 20 minutes.

While the plums bake, mix together the mascarpone, Marsala, and the remaining brown sugar. When the plums are done, put a dollop of the mascarpone mixture into each half and serve warm.

caribbean sautéed bananas

Warm, luscious bananas soaked in rum—a little taste of tropical paradise.

SERVES 4

TIME: 20 MINUTES

5 firm bananas

2 tablespoons lime juice

½ cup dark rum

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Peel the bananas, cut on the diagonal into thick slices, and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the lime juice and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the rum, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Pour into a large skillet and simmer on medium heat for a couple of minutes, until the sugar is melted. Add the banana slices and stir gently to coat them with the sauce. Spread out the bananas, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the bananas begin to soften and fall apart. Remove from the pan and serve warm.

serving & menu ideas

Served plain, these bananas hold their own as a simple dessert, or they can be dressed up with toasted coconut and a garnish of fresh mint leaves. They are also delicious as a topping on cake or vanilla ice cream. This is a fabulous dessert to follow a supper inspired by the cuisine of the Caribbean, India, or Southeast Asia, such as Spicy Potatoes & Spinach or Roasted Vegetable Curry.

riesling roasted pears

These subtly spiced pears have an attractive crinkly look and are a lovely finish for an autumn meal. They keep nicely in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.

SERVES 8

TIME: 50 MINUTES

8 ripe pears

zest and juice of 1 lemon

zest and juice of 1 orange

1 cup Riesling or other sweet white wine

6 peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

½ cup sugar

6 whole cloves (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the pears in a baking dish that will comfortably hold them in an upright position.

Place the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. To reduce the liquid a bit, cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t boil over. Pour the spiced wine over the pears and bake until the pears can be pierced easily with a sharp knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Baste once or twice, using tongs to lift a pear if necessary to get to the basting liquid.

Serve at room temperature with the wine sauce drizzled over the pears.

cherry shortbread crumble

The easiest crumble we know of—it uses frozen cherries and store-bought shortbread cookies that you can find on the natural foods shelf. (See photo)

SERVES 4

TIME: 30 MINUTES

16 ounces frozen pitted, sweet cherries without sugar or 3 cups pitted fresh

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup crumbled shortbread cookies or pecan sandies (about 8 cookies)

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Put the cherries into an unoiled 8-inch square baking pan or a 9-inch glass pie plate. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon and add 2 tablespoons of water to the dish. Bake for 15 minutes, and then remove from the oven. Top with the crumbled cookies and bake until the cherries are bubbling and the crumbs are browned, about 10 minutes more.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

orange-almond polenta cake

Making cake batter in the blender? What could be easier? This cake is elegant enough for a dinner party and easy enough for a weekday.

SERVES 8

HANDS-ON TIME: 15 MINUTES

BAKING TIME: 45 MINUTES

⅓ cup cornmeal

⅔ cup unbleached white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups almonds

¾ cup sugar

1 orange

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Sift the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.