Fruit

Here's a clean, bright dessert that makes a great finish to any meal and can be prepared days ahead. Plus, who knew that mellow vanilla would go so beautifully with tangy cranberries?

This relish has a smoky, savory quality, thanks to the chiles and garlic. Unlike most cranberry sauces, this one doesn’t require any added liquid.

Skip the wine—this salad is perfect with a Belgian ale. Saint Andréis a soft, ripened cheese much like Brie or Camembert. Either cheese would make a good substitute.

White wine vinegar and dried cranberries give this relish its tang.

The bright flavors are a nice counterpoint to rich foods.

Fresh thyme adds a savory note to sweet roasted apples and caramelized onions.

For best results, be sure to use artisanal sourdough bread.

If sweet yams are a must for your thanksgiving spread, this dish is the one for you. There are no marshmallows in this modern version—just plump brandied raisins and a maple and brown sugar glaze.

A little bit of clementine peel adds a citrus note to the turkey. The smoky, slightly bitter southern-style gravy is terrific drizzled over the meat or over mashed potatoes. For a pretty garnish, decorate the platter with whole clementines.

The earthy flavor of the beet is balanced by sweet raisins, spicy ginger, and sweet-spicy red onion. After Thanksgiving, serve this chutney with lamb.

A tangerine's skin is so thin that when it's cooked, you can eat the fruit—peel and all. Asian sweet chili sauce is an orange-colored, slightly spicy bottled Thai sauce; it's available in the As ian foods section of some supermarkets. Chinese five-spice powder can be found in the spice section of most supermarkets.

Mediterranean Herbs cilantro and mint add a fresh note to this cranberry sauce. Pomegranate molasses lends a bit of sweetness—and an extra shot of color.

Any leftovers would be great for breakfast.

Fruit makes a great puree and a thirst-quenching smoothie, and is just plain fun to pick up for toddlers. You can always serve fruit raw, but the flavor intensifies if you bake it. This recipe applies to any firm fruit, such as apples and pears, and stone fruit, such as peaches, pears, plums and apricots. The can be frozen, although nutrients will be lost.

This deep-dish crumb-topped pie combines several winter fruits and confirms that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The pears become soft, the apples remain slightly firm, the figs add texture and sweetness, and the tart cranberries pop in your mouth, making this rustic pie a sensory treat. Be sure to plan ahead, as this recipe calls for chilling the dough for one hour, chilling it again after you roll it out (this reduces shrinkage of the crust during baking), and then baking the pie for over an hour. It is an hours-long process, off and on, but it is worth every minute. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a glass of apple or pear brandy (preferably from Clear Creek Distillery), it is the perfect final touch to a dinner party.

Tender and crisp, packed with delicate herbal and aromatic lemon flavors, these rolled shortbread cookies accented with a little sea salt are easy to prepare, versatile, and delicious.

The fool originated in England in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. It is a simple dessert that combines tart fruit with whipped cream. The British traditionally made this dessert with gooseberries, but in spring rhubarb is the perfect choice, with its bright, tart flavor. A very simple dessert to prepare (we wince to say any fool can make it), this recipe calls for cooking a compote and then folding in whipped cream. It is elegant served with a shortbread cookie, which adds a delicious crispy element. To really doll it up, add a Candied Rhubarb Strip.

Chocolate and pears make an excellent combination. Here, bittersweet chocolate and sweet pears meld together to form the perfect balance. For this recipe, you can either take a rustic approach and toss the pears haphazardly into the pan or opt for a more elegant look by arranging the pears in concentric circles. Look for a good dark chocolate, which is not the same as unsweetened chocolate. Also, there are two kinds of unsweetened cocoa on the market; be sure to use unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa, not natural cocoa. When combined with baking soda, natural cocoa can impart a bitter taste to baked goods and cause them to rise too much.