[2] Another popular fall combination: endive, pear, and maple-candied walnuts (photo © Barrel and Ashes [permanently closed]).

For inspiration, check the websites of salad cafes like Fresh & Co., Just Salad and Sweetgreen

At Just Salad, the fall menu includes:

 
At Sweetgreen, a fall highlight is:

 
Other favorite fall ingredients:

 
In addition to Recipe #1, Fall Salad, there’s a fall cheese course recipe below, along with a recipe for lime-flavored salt.
 
 
RECIPE #1: FALL SALAD WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS & SQUASH

Here’s another yummy idea from Sweetgreen: the Chicken + Brussels salad with roasted brussels sprouts, chopped romaine, mesclun, roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, and cranberry vinaigrette.

You can serve it with or without the protein, the former as a lunch salad, the latter as a side salad with dinner.

We didn’t have cranberry vinegar, so used pear balsamic vinegar—another fall touch (so is fig balsamic vinegar).
 
Ingredients

FLAVORED BALSAMIC VINEGAR

If you like balsamic vinegar, try flavored balsamics. They add sweetness without significant calories.

Here’s a sampler of organic balsamic vinegars in fig, pear, pomegranate and raspberry; and another sampler of apple cinnamon, blood orange, mango and pomegranate balsamics (not organic).
 

Turn your salad course into a cheese course with the addition of…cheese. In France, a salad with cheese is a popular follow-up to the main dish.

This one, from the Oyster Club in Mystic, Connecticut, is perfect for fall, with a delicious balance of flavors. Bloomy-rinded cheeses can have a subtle mushroomy undertone: perfect for fall.

Just roast the vegetables, toast the nuts, make the vinaigrette (olive oil and lime juice), and assemble the plate (see photo #3).

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
If you’re not a fan of bloomy rind cheeses, any hearty cheese is fall-appropriate: aged cheddar, blue cheeses, Comte, real Swiss cheeses, washed rind cheeses.

Much as we love them, leave the fresh goat cheeses for spring.

Check out the different types of cheeses in our Cheese Glossary.
 
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*Bloomy rind cheeses have soft, often fuzzy, edible rinds that are a result of the introduction of molds like Penicillium candidum. They are known for the white color and mushroomy flavor of the rind. The two best-known examples are Brie, Camembert, and triple-crèmes. Bloomy rind cheeses are generally aged for two weeks, which produces a mild flavor and subtle aroma.

With a triple crème, the cream is added to the milk to create the richest, most buttery group of cheeses. Triple crèmes are a type of bloomy rind cheese and also are aged for about two weeks. In order to qualify as a triple-créme, the cheeses must have more than 72% butterfat content, which provides a smooth texture. As with other cheeses that have short aging periods, the flavors are mild and the aromas are subtle. Examples include Brillat-Savarin, Explorateur, and St. André. This group of cheeses pairs well with Champagne and other sparkling wines.
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RECIPE #3: LIME SEA SALT

It’s easy to make flavored sea salt at home. This recipe is from TheThingsILove.com.

While you can buy lime sea salt, it lacks the fresh lime zest which adds a punch of flavor and color.

If it seems like too much work for just a sprinkle: Lime sea salt is a terrific Margarita glass rimmer, a real step up!
 
Ingredients

[3] A fall cheese plate (photo © Oyster Club).

[4] Bloomy-rind cheeses (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

[5] Lime sea salt (photo © These Things I Love).

1. PREHEAT the oven to 200°F. Combine the sea salt, lime juice, and zest in a small bowl. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

2. BAKE for 15-20 minutes, until the salt looks dry but not brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

3. BREAK up any clumps that may have formed. Store in an airtight container.

4. SPRINKLE a bit on the plate as a colorful element.