I think pumpkins and winter squash are a significant fall comfort food. They make delicious side dishes as well as the perfect ingredient for adding flavor to desserts, casseroles, soups and pancakes. For me, they symbolize the change of seasons and are a reminder of the holiday season ahead.
The tart flavor of chardonnay verjus, the unfermented juice of sour grapes, replaces the more common citrus in this honey-sweetened sherbet. This dessert, from Ryan Pollnow, pastry chef at Kendall-Jackson Wine Center in Fulton, Calif., is excellent served with fresh tropical fruit tossed with a bit more honey.
