Recipes bridge gap between seasons to get the best of summer, fall

• 1 (3-pound) chicken
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons water
•  1/2 cup soft goat cheese
• 4 flour tortillas
• 8 ounces figs, chopped
•  1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Generously salt and pepper the chicken inside and out.

3. Put the olive oil in a heavy oven-proof pan, the same one you’ll roast the chicken in. Turn the heat to medium-high. When it’s hot, add the chicken and sear it for a couple of minutes on one side. Gently turn it over and sear the other side.

4. Slide the chicken in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Then flip it and cook on the other side for 20 minutes more. Finally, cook the chicken breast-side down for 20 minutes. It should be cooked through, but check to make sure the inner temperature hits between 150 and 160 degrees to make sure.

5. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest — uncovered — on a plate.

6. Put the pan back on top of the stove and add the water, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen all of the bits from the bottom. Pour these drippings into a bowl.

7. When the chicken’s cool enough to handle, pull off enough to make 2 cups of shredded chicken.

8. Divide the goat cheese between 2 flour tortillas, spreading it evenly so it’ll act as glue. Add 1 cup of shredded chicken to each tortilla. Now add the figs, dividing them between the two. Sprinkle the hazelnuts on top. Add a tortilla on top of each serving and lightly press down.

9. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add one of the quesadillas, cook until browned on the bottom, and flip to the other side, adding additional butter if necessary. Cook until brown and crispy, remove from the skillet and cut into wedges. Repeat with the second quesadilla. Serve immediately, spooning chicken drippings on top of the quesadillas.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 1,193 calories, 56 grams fat, 106 grams carbohydrates, 68 grams protein, 180 milligrams cholesterol, 1,013 milligrams sodium, 9 grams dietary fiber, 42 percent of calories from fat.

Roast chicken recipe adapted from Jacques Pépin’s “Poulets & Legumes” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 10 large basil leaves, plus additional for serving
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 pounds zucchini, cut into thick slices
• 1 pear, finely diced (I like Comice)
• Parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the olive oil and shallot in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Let cook until the shallot slices start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the basil and cook for 1 minute more. Add the potato pieces and vegetable stock. Cover and cook until the potatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the zucchini, cover, and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook until the zucchini softens, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and puree in your blender or with a hand blender; either will do the job. Serve right away with chopped pear, basil, and Parmesan curls or let cool, refrigerate, and serve as a cold soup. Season as desired.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 185 calories, 6 grams fat, 30 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams protein, 1 milligram cholesterol, 821 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber, 26 percent of calories from fat.

For the basil oil:

• 10 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
•  1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste

For the salad:

• 1 pound zucchini
• 1 pound yellow squash
• 1 large eggplant
•  1/2 cup olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper
• 1 roasted red bell pepper (jarred are OK)
•  1/4 cup olives nicoise, pitted
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 8 ounces medium-size mozzarella balls
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 large basil leaves, torn

1. Make the basil oil: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Set aside for an hour, at least, before serving. You can also make this a day in advance.

2. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

3. Slice the zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant into discs about  1/4 inch thick. Lay out as many as you can on a large baking sheet. You may need to do this in batches. Lightly brush olive oil on both sides of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, turning once, until browned on both sides. You may also grill these outside or on a hot grill pan. As the vegetables finish cooking, remove them to a plate to cool.

4. Slice the roasted red pepper into strips.

5. To assemble the salad, layer the cooked vegetables along with the red bell pepper in a medium-size bowl. Add the olives, pine nuts, mozzarella balls, capers, and basil leaves. Drizzle with basil oil. Serve at room temperature.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 523 calories, 45 grams fat, 18 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams protein, 51 milligrams cholesterol, 338 milligrams sodium, 7 grams dietary fiber, 74 percent of calories from fat.

•  3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•  1/2 cup almond flour
•  1/3 cup oatmeal
•  1/4 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
•  1/4 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
•  1/3 cup butter, at room temperature

Fig mixture:

• 1 pound figs, chopped
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon rosemary, plus more for serving

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and put a piece of parchment on a large baking sheet.

2. Mix the flour, almond flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, salt and rosemary in a mixer bowl. Add the butter and mix until large lumps form. Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll out each one. Put these discs on the parchment paper as you go. Bake for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix together the figs, honey, and rosemary. When the little crusts have baked for 10 minutes, top with the fig mixture and bake for 10 more. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with additional rosemary and serve right away or later, at room temperature.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 296 calories, 14 grams fat, 42 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 28 milligrams cholesterol, 130 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber, 40 percent of calories from fat.

Adapted from a recipe in

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