You could make a strong case that autumn is the best season for cooking and eating.

        Many fruits and vegetables of summer are still available — a few tomatoes and ears of sweet corn (at least until first frost), green beans and zucchini that just won't die.

Try some of these cool-weather favorites: (clockwise, from bottom right): Radicchio Slaw, Triple-Shot Bourbon Pork Roast, Baked Scallops with Lemon Relish, Caramelized Pumpkin Crostada, and Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Apples. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        And then there are the new arrivals — apples, pumpkins, winter squash, cabbage and kale.

        The change of seasons invigorates our appetite. Cool, brisk winds make us hungry for more hearty, indulgent foods, and the weather better accommodates cooking indoors. On a chilly evening, baking a pie or roasting a pork loin in a hot oven isn't a sweaty chore. It feels good.

        And our attitude about dining changes like the color of the leaves. Gone are the casual shorts-and-T-shirt-days of summer. When we go to a friend's house for dinner, we wear pants and maybe a nice sweater. The host may bring out her best china and light candles that smell sweetly of beeswax, not citronella.

        In autumn, we are more serious about our time at the table — it's kind of a warm-up for the holidays. But this doesn't mean the food has to be complicated or formal. The dishes should be fresh, seasonal and comforting as a crackling fire on a nippy night.

        Here's our menu for an autumn dinner party. Just add good friends.

Recipes
        We call this “Triple-Shot” Bourbon Pork Roast because there's bourbon in the marinade, glaze and pan sauce. The bourbon complements the earthy sweetness of the caramelized onions in the pan. For another flavor dimension, add sliced apples to the pan after reducing the heat to 250 degrees. The bacon adds smoky richness to the roast, but if it sounds too indulgent, omit it.

Triple-Shot Bourbon Pork Roast

        MARINADE

        1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or thyme

        1 garlic clove, minced

        1 teaspoon dry mustard

        1 tablespoon soy sauce

        1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        3 tablespoons bourbon

        4 tablespoons pure olive oil or vegetable oil

        (divided)

        1 4 to 5 pound pork roast (bone-in or boneless)

        3 slices bacon, cut in half (optional)

        1 onion, sliced thinly

        GLAZE

        1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

        1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

        2 tablespoons bourbon

        SAUCE

        3/4 cup apple cider

        1 tablespoon bourbon

        Mix sage, garlic, dry mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, bourbon and 2 tablespoons olive oil to make marinade. With end of small paring knife, poke about 2 dozen tiny holes on both sides of pork. Rub pork well with marinade, cover (or seal in plastic bag) and refrigerate overnight.

        Before roasting, preheat large roasting pan in oven for at least 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Drain marinade from pork and discard marinade. Put remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in hot pan and add pork fat side down. Roast for 5 minutes and turn fat side up. Lay sliced bacon to cover surface of pork and roast another 5 minutes.

        Scatter sliced onion around pork in pan and reduce heat to 250 degrees. Roast, uncovered, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until internal temperature registers 135 degrees. During last 10 minutes of roasting, glaze pork.

        To make glaze, combine Dijon mustard, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons bourbon. Brush top of pork with glaze. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees and return pork to oven. Cook for another 10 minutes or so to brown.

        Remove pork from pan and tent loosely with foil for 15 minutes before slicing. (Internal temperature should rise to 145 degrees.)

        To make pan sauce, mix apple cider with 1 tablespoon of bourbon. Add to hot roast pan and stir to scrape up any caramelized bits. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees to reduce sauce slightly.

        Slice pork roast and spoon over pan sauce and caramelized onions. Makes about 12 servings.

        Substitute less expensive red cabbage for the radicchio in this slaw. But try to serve it while the dressing is warm.

Radicchio Slaw with Warm Honey Dressing

        1 medium head radicchio

        1/2 head Napa cabbage

        3 scallions, sliced thinly on the diagonal

        DRESSING

        2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed in mortar

        or ground in spice grinder

        3 tablespoons honey

        3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

        1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

        Salt and black pepper, to taste

        Cut radicchio into 4 wedges through the core. Remove and discard the core. Slice leaves into 1/8-inch wide ribbons. Halve the cabbage, remove the core and slice like the radicchio. Put cabbage and radicchio in large bowl, cover with ice water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and repeat. Drain again, pat dry and set aside.

        To make dressing, combine crushed fennel seed, honey and vinegar in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve honey. Remove from heat and whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

        Toss radicchio, cabbage and sliced scallions in large bowl. Add warm dressing and toss to coat salad. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

        Adapted from Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking (Chronicle; $35)

        Make the relish and vinaigrette ahead, and this comes together quickly as an appetizer or first course. Substitute your favorite salsa or other sauce for the relish if you wish.

Baked Scallops with Lemon Relish

        RELISH

        1 large shallot, diced finely

        1 tablespoon orange juice

        1/2 lemon

        1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

        2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

        Salt and pepper, to taste

        VINAIGRETTE

        1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

        Salt and pepper, to taste

        5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

        1 pound medium scallops, rinsed and drained

        Handful baby greens such as lettuce, arugula and mustard

        To make relish, combine diced shallot with orange juice in small bowl with pinch of salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.

        Cut lemon half into 4 wedges lengthwise. Peel, seed and cut central core from each. Cut each wedge in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into thin slivers. Combine lemon with shallot mixture. Stir in olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

        To make vinaigrette, whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and set side.

        To prepare scallops, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil, enough to coat bottom of pan. When oil is nearly smoking, add scallops in one layer.

        As scallops begin to sizzle, place skillet, uncovered, on the top shelf of hot oven. Bake scallops about 5 minutes. They should be firm to the touch, but juicy.

        To assemble, toss baby greens with vinaigrette and arrange leaves on each plate. Portion hot scallops on each plate and spoon over a little lemon relish. Makes 4 to 6 appetizer servings.

        Adapted from Chez Panisse Cafi Cookbook (HarperCollins; $34)

        You can substitute acorn squash, pumpkin or other hard winter squashes for the butternut in this beautiful soup. Adjust the curry to your preference, adding a little at the beginning and more later, as needed

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Apples

        1 medium butternut squash, cut in

        half lengthwise

        2 tablespoons pure olive oil or vegetable oil

        1 large onion, chopped

        1 rib celery, chopped

        1 clove garlic, minced

        Salt and white pepper, to taste

        1 to 2 tablespoons curry powder

        5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

        3/4 cup heavy cream

        1 apple, diced (unpeeled)

        Place cut squash, cut side down, on baking sheet and roast in 350-degree oven until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove squash to cool.

        Over medium-low heat, slowly sauti chopped onion, celery and garlic in large pan or pot until soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove peel from roasted squash and cut into chunks. Add to onion mixture and stir to coat with oil. Add salt, pepper and curry powder. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

        Add 5 cups of stock and stir. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes. Puree soup in processor or with immersion blender until smooth. If soup appears too thick, add more stock. (Soup can be made to this point up to 2 days ahead. Keep covered and refrigerated.)

        When ready to serve, bring soup to gentle simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly stir in cream. Taste for seasonings and ladle into bowl. Garnish with diced apple. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

        A crostata is a rustic, free-form Italian tart. Make the dough and the filling ahead and bake it just before serving.

Caramelized Pumpkin Crostata

        FOOD PROCESSOR TART DOUGH

        1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

        2 cups all-purpose flour

        1/4 cup sugar

        1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

        1/4 cup ice water

        PUMPKIN FILLING

        1 small sugar pumpkin, about 4 pounds

        2 tablespoons unsalted butter

        1 cup sugar

        Confectioners' sugar

        CRHME ANGLAISE

        2 cups heavy cream

        4 egg yolks

        1/4 cup sugar

        1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

        To make dough, cut butter into -inch cubes. Return butter to refrigerator at least 10 minutes. Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.

        Add butter, tossing a few times with your hands to coat with flour. Pulse 15 times, or until butter is size of small peas. With motor running, add ice water all at once. Process for 10 seconds, stopping machine before dough becomes solid mass.

        Turn contents onto sheet of foil and roughly form into a 7-inch disk. Cover dough completely with foil and refrigerate at least 1hour before using or up to 2 days. (May be frozen for up to 2 weeks.)

        To make crostata, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds. Place, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Roast pumpkin in oven until flesh is very soft, about 20 minutes. Remove pumpkin from oven and allow to cool. Scoop flesh from pumpkin shell and set aside.

        Melt butter in skillet large enough to hold pumpkin. Add sugar and stir constantly over low heat until sugar caramelizes and turns mahogany brown. (This may take as long as 20 minutes.) Add the pumpkin and toss in the caramel to coat. The caramel may seize or solidify, but will melt again after a few minutes. When the pulp is well combined with the caramel, transfer it to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

        Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll processor dough into a 13 to 15 inch circle or rectangle on a floured surface and transfer to a baking sheet. Top with caramelized pumpkin, leaving a 2-inch border around the outside of the dough. Raise the dough border to enclose the sides of the tart.

        Bake the tart for about 18 to 22 minutes, until crust is golden. Remove from oven and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve with whipped cream, caramel sauce or crhme anglaise. Makes 1 crostata.

        To make crhme anglaise, heat cream in heavy saucepan to just below boiling point. In bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until blended. Add hot cream in slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour mixture into clean saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Do not boil.

        Pour custard through fine strainer into mixing bowl set over ice. Stir custard for a few minutes to cool. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Makes 2 cups .

        Note: Make apple or pear crostatas by filling tart with sliced fresh fruit. Sprinkle with sugar and dot with butter before baking.

— Adapted from Cucina Simpatica (HarperCollins; $30)

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