Six recipes to help you tap into the autumn bounty of apples

Apples at their seasonal best are suddenly everywhere. These six recipes will help you make the most of them—sometimes in unexpected ways.

BEEN APPLE PICKING YET? Neither have we. But with September here, billboards relentlessly announce apples for picking. As do travel emails and social media ads. But even if you prefer to pick yours in the produce department, as we do, there are many ways you do with them besides just, well, eating them.

Roast Duck with Apples, Pears and Potatoes

We love when something quite simple to make looks so impressive. That’s exactly what the roast duck shown above is. Besides roasting the duck, you roast apples, pears and potatoes in duck fat, diving them a luxuriously savory flavor.

Apple Cake

This rustic cake is dotted with chunks of apple macerated with lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar, producing a cozy, flavorful cake that’s sweet, but not too sweet.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Apples and Capers

Chicken thighs are seared, then finished in the oven with apples, capers, shallots and rosemary for a meal that tastes like autumn. And as the weather turns cooler, this dish is a perfect excuse to heat up the oven.

Apple and Dried Apricot Galette

We’re big on rustic here, as this post proves. And galettes are a beautifully rustic take on pies. This particular galette features apples, dried apricots and thyme.

Pork Chops with Balsamic-glazed Apples

Apples and leeks are literally tarted up with balsamic vinegar and apple cider, then spooned over dry-brined, pan-seared pork chops. As seasonal and delicious as it sounds.

Braised Duck Legs with Sauerkraut and Apple

In the most roundabout way possible, these duck legs braised in a mix of sauerkraut, apples and shallots were inspired by delicate French sweets brought back from Paris by a colleague. How’s that for back story?