New Comfort Foods

Reimagine comfort from the inside out.
Photos by Julie Kramer

Not long ago, in a kitchen near you, Velveeta smothered limp vegetables and baked pasta, cabbage was relegated to insipid krauts, dough came in poppin’ fresh tubes, and avocado wasn’t a fruit—it was the color of the refrigerator.

The future is now. Our tables should be crisp rainbows of color (vitamins and minerals). The foods that give us comfort should also make us healthier, smarter, wittier, more attractive (well, you get the idea).

Find comfort in preparing, eating, and sharing healthy food this fall. Put a twist on old favorites by adding pears to an onion salad, or hiding shredded cabbage in your pastry dough. Smother pasta in beautiful golden squash purée, dry-roast your cauliflower until it’s sweet and nutty, and eat your broccoli raw (or a least marinated).

Relish the meditative process of making a giant batch of pastry dough and take comfort in knowing you can tuck three portions of it in the freezer for quick pie- or galette-making any time. School the kids in bagel making, and collect the last leaves and fruits of the fall garden for tasty savory tarts.

Comfort isn’t shag carpet, potatoes, and neon cheese anymore—it’s antioxidants and fiber, freshness and flavor.

P.S.: Find these recipes in printable format below, add your own notes and keep them in your recipe binder. Or download our digital Winter Recipe Book here.

Fall Recipes 2021

Homemade Bagels By Annie B. Copps / Edible Boston
Basic Pastry Dough by Michelle Kovach of Cracklin’ Crust
Sausage, Cabbage & Red Onion Galette by Julie Kramer
Savory Custard Tarts by Julie Kramer
Sweet Custard Tarts by Julie Kramer
Tahini Cauliflower by Julie Kramer
Pear Salsa by Julie Kramer
Winter Squash Mac + Cheese by Julie Kramer
Spicy Marinated Broccoli by Julie Kramer