“Eat with the seasons” has been the universal mantra in the food world for as long as “farm-to- table” has been in vogue. Foods just seem to taste best during the time of year they’re naturally aligned with, even with so many produce varieties now available year-round.
Alice Waters began promoting this way of thinking at her legendary Berkeley, California, restaurant, Chez Panisse, in the early 1970s. But it was Martha Stewart who convinced me and legions of other amateur cooks that it wasn’t so hard to create stylish meals of farm-fresh flavors wherever we lived. My worn copy of “Martha Stewart’s Quick Cook” — her 1983 collection of elegant yet practical, seasonal menus — continues to inspire me.
Her 99th (!) book, “Martha Stewart’s Fruit Desserts: 100+ Delicious Ways to Savor the Best of Every Season” (Potter, $28.99), reinforces the ethos upon which her empire is built. Streamlined yet sumptuous recipes represent 30 years’ worth of reader favorites developed in the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living magazine that pay homage to the growers who produce their main ingredients. The uncomplicated techniques are largely rooted in American tradition, yet all seem exciting and new.
Autumn’s harvest provides the cozy makings for Apple Bourbon Potpies and Pear and Fig Pandowdy; winter calls for tastes of sunshine in the form of Whole Lemon Pound Cake with Pomegranate Glaze or a bracing Clementine Granita. The first signs of spring are just the nudge I need to whip up a pretty pastel Strawberry-Pistachio Semifreddo, or perhaps a Vanilla-Rhubarb Tart. And Berry-Cornmeal Sheet Cake and multi-hued Melon Pops spell summer fun to me.
Right now, I’m debating the best way to use a spare bag of cranberries: baked in a buttery skillet cake, frozen in a port-spiked sorbet, or combined with dried apples in a deep-dish pie.
I look forward to pondering more dessert decisions like these in the year ahead, with the produce bins and this handy primer as my guide.
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow her at susanpuckett.com.
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