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30 Recipes to Make in September

30 Recipes to Make in September

By Bridget Hallinan and Nina Friend

Updated August 28, 2020

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Credit: Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

September is the bridge between summer and fall, and in this roundup, we’ve included dishes for both seasons. If you’re still on a tomato kick, try making tomato soup with ibérico ham, or spicy sausage pasta with tomatoes and squash; to celebrate apple season, whip up a crostata, miso caramel-apple Danish, or a zippy three-apple slaw to accompany pork chops. Read on for all 30 recipes to try this month.

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White Wine–Baked Apples

Credit: Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

The key to these simple baked apples from Spanish winemaker Álvaro Palacios is using a delicious drinking wine, like white Rioja.

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Swordfish Sicilian-Style

Credit: Greg DuPree

In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe, from cookbook author Marcella Hazan, one of our 40 best recipes ever. The simplicity of the preparation is masked by the volume of the flavors, which come to life with the aid of oregano, lemon juice, and olive oil.

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Rosemary Flatbread with Blue Cheese, Grapes and Honey

"It's a tradition for winemakers to bake bread with grapes to celebrate the harvest," says David Page. Each fall, he uses his wood-burning oven to make this crusty flatbread studded with creamy crumbled blue cheese and sweet table grapes.

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Black Mission Fig Clafoutis

Credit: © CON POULOS

Chef Matthew Accarrino uses fig slices to top this skillet-baked clafoutis. Topped with port-infused whipped cream, this modern take on a classic French dessert works just as well for an after-dinner treat as it does a Sunday brunch substitute for pancakes.

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Tomatoes with Herbs and Almond Vinaigrette

Credit: JOHN KERNICK

Take advantage of the last summer tomatoes by making chef Dan Kluger’s simple but deeply satisfying salad. He uses the oil from the toasted nuts to mix a vinaigrette you’ll want to hang onto all season.

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Apple-Ginger Crostata

Credit: John Kernick

When the weather starts cooling down, crostata is a great way to get your pie feet wet. Food & Wine Culinary Director-at-Large Justin Chapple uses store-bought puff pastry as the base for this beautiful apple-ginger version.

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Roasted Chicken and Acorn Squash with Sumac Brown Butter

Credit: Victor Protasio

Pre-salting the chicken makes for savory flavor throughout and helps crisp up the skin. Browning the butter adds nutty depth to the sauce; a flourish of sumac and Aleppo—though not fresh ingredients—adds a fresh, bright flavor to the finished dish.

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Pork Chops with Three-Apple Slaw

Credit: Victor Protasio

For his zippy version of coleslaw, F&W’s Justin Chapple swaps the cabbage for a mix of sweet and tart apples—Gala, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith—and then tosses them with a creamy, Tabasco-laced dressing.

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Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye with Roasted Fig Miso

Credit: Eva Kolenko

Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama give tender, marbled grilled Wagyu a hit of savory, lightly sweet flavor from the roasted fig miso sauce. Use leftover sauce to slather on ribs before grilling. If fresh figs are not available, use frozen figs rather than dried. Just make sure to thaw them beforehand for the best texture.

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Apple-Ham Quiche

Credit: Victor Protasio

Thin apple and ham slices are rolled together and set in a tender, herby custard sprinkled with sharp white cheddar. For a quicker weeknight dinner, use a frozen 9-inch deep-dish pie shell, blind baked according to package instructions.

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Mayan Pepita-Chicken Stew

Credit: Greg DuPree

This rustic chicken stew is seasoned with a carefully toasted mix of seeds and spices, which are ground into a coarse paste with roasted tomatoes and tomatillos. Stirred into the stew toward the end of the cooking process, the paste both thickens and seasons this warming fall dish.

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Sweet Potato Fritters with Lemon-Tahini Sauce

Credit: Victor Protasio

The barely-there binder in the batter makes for incredibly lacy, crispy fritters. Be sure to cook them gently over medium heat so they cook through and crisp up without burning.

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Tomato Soup with Ibérico Ham

Credit: Victor Protasio

This soup uses no broth or water; tomatoes form the entire base. Crispy ham and fresh mint offset the acidic sweetness of those tomatoes. If you cannot find rosa de Barbastro tomatoes, use the juiciest, ripest tomatoes at the market.

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Seared Fennel and Tomatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette

Credit: Julian Broad

At La Granja resort in Ibiza, Spain, the cooking is all about the gorgeous vegetables overflowing from the property’s garden. In September, when produce is at its peak, the resort’s chef, José Catrimán, says to treat it simply. Here he gives fennel and plump tomatoes a quick char and a drizzle of vinaigrette for a no-fuss side dish that’s ready in 30 minutes.

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Cracked Shrimp with Pineapple-Habanero Relish

Carla Hall’s take on Bahamian cracked conch yields tender, extra-crispy shrimp with the help of a rolling pin to flatten and tenderize the flesh. Hold the shrimp by the tail when “cracking” them to make sure the tail doesn’t separate from the rest of the meat.

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Crispy Ricotta-Kale Tacos

Credit: Victor Protasio

Be sure to heat the tortillas in a hot skillet before stuffing them with the ricotta-kale mixture. Warming them up first makes them more pliable and less likely to break during the stuffing and cooking process. Opt for high-quality organic yellow corn tortillas; they tend to be chewier and more satisfying when fried.

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Grilled Flatbreads with Broccoli Rabe, Ricotta, and Rosemary Honey

Use a less expensive clover honey for the rosemary-infused honey here. Heating the honey will release much of its fragrance as it takes on the floral, piney taste of rosemary. Use leftovers in cocktails or with a cheese plate.

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Roasted Merguez Sausage with Apples and Onions

Credit: Victor Protasio

For this sheet pan dinner, use Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples, which hold their shape better during roasting that other varieties. Plus, their pleasant sweetness balances the intensely spiced merguez sausage.

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Balsamic and Soy Marinated Skirt Steaks with Charred Peppers

Credit: Victor Protasio

This simple grilled dinner is all about fresh summer produce. Herbs and smashed garlic quickly infuse charred sweet peppers, capturing their heat straight from the grill.

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Griddled Chicken with White Wine Jus

Credit: Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

With so many enticing options on the menu at Flood’s in Portland, Maine, it’s easy to make a colossal mistake: overlooking the griddled chicken. Served on a sea of buttery polenta with swirls of umami-charged sauce made with chicken stock fortified with wings, herbs, and white wine, this is the dish worth recreating at home.

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Whole Baked Pumpkin Soup

Credit: Aubrie Pick

Baking pumpkins whole traps steam inside the vegetable, resulting in a lush, velvety pumpkin purée and making the skins easy to remove. A simple reduction of dry white wine mingles with butter to balance the sweetness of the pumpkin. The recipe was one prepared by Copenhagen chef Christian F. Puglisi at a week-long culinary retreat at Rocca delle Tre Contrade in Sicily.

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Roasted Broccoli Steaks with Tomato Butter and Tapenade

Credit: Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

At his Philadelphia restaurant, chef Greg Vernick treats broccoli like a steak, roasting it at a high temperature on a preheated pan to achieve a lightly charred crust. Cooked on the same pan, umami-packed tomatoes blend up into a super-quick sauce enriched with just the right amount of butter.

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Spicy Sausage Pasta with Tomatoes and Squash

Credit: Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

Added just minutes before serving, thinly sliced squash melts into the pasta without losing its shape and texture. Use a mandoline to achieve wafer-thin slices.

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Miso Caramel-Apple Danish

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

With filling options more numerous than their flaky layers, Danish have legions of fans across the globe. This upgrade on the classic cream cheese filling stars a sweet and savory tango of buttery miso-enriched caramel brushed over wafer-thin slices of apple.

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Yogurt Rice

Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Tempering the toppings in hot oil, a technique known as making a tadka, brings out their flavors and is the perfect counterpoint to the cooling yogurt in this simple, comforting dish. Be sure to use plain whole-milk yogurt, not a strained, Greek-style yogurt, for the creamiest porridge-like texture. Food & Wine restaurant editor Khushbu Shah makes this comforting yogurt rice whenever she needs some self-care after a long trip.

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Mezcal Negroni

Credit: Victor Protasio

This riff on the classic gin and Campari cocktail has an earthy richness courtesy of smoky mezcal. Carpano Antica Formula vermouth is full-bodied and flavored with herbs and spices, lending dry, barely sweet flavor to this Negroni. Cocchi Americano and a generous citrus garnish bring a light, citrusy bite.

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Patty Melts with Charred Scallion-Chipotle Mayo

Credit: Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

Classic versions of the patty melt often include caramelized onions, but those take time, so here cookbook author Molly Stevens leans on quick-charred scallions instead. Chipotle-spiked mayonnaise adds an extra dose of lushness and a punch of smoky heat. For the cheese, semisoft cheeses like Oaxaca or Monterey Jack add a satisfying tang, but any good melting cheese works—cheddar or Swiss are perfectly delicious stand-ins.

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Kwame’s Escovitch Snapper

Credit: Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop styling by Christine Keely

Inspired by his travels in Jamaica, 2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi shared this recipe for escovitch snapper. In Jamaica, escovitch fish—fish that’s fried and then topped with pickled, thinly sliced vegetables—is everywhere. In chef Onwuachi’s version, a garlicky marinade forms a crust as the fish cooks, adding flavor and keeping the snapper moist and tender. The pickled tangle of thinly sliced chiles, carrot, and onion make a punchy, crunchy topping for crispy fried whole snapper.

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Brown Butter–Basted Pork Rack with Garlic and Rosemary

Credit: Aubrie Pick

The farmer who raised the pigs used by Copenhagen chef Christian F. Puglisi at a week-long culinary retreat at Rocca delle Tre Contrade in Sicily broke down the racks for this roast; ask your local butcher to tackle the task for you. After an initial sear to speed up the rendering process, the well-trimmed and scored pork fat guarantees tender, juicy meat and roasts into a crisp, golden brown crust.

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Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale

Credit: Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

With its earthy sweetness and dense texture, butternut squash makes a hearty vegetable steak. At Chaval in Portland, chef Damian Sansonetti highlights its complexity with his chorizo spice mix. He blooms the blend of cumin, Pimentón, and coriander in oil to release their aromas, which provide a smoky foundation for this shoulder-season dish.

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By Bridget Hallinan and Nina Friend