QUINCE

I KNOW FALL has truly arrived when I walk through the front door of Gramercy Tavern and am greeted by the heady aroma of crates and crates of flowery quinces. While the fruit smells lovely and looks like a pear, quince is much too bitter to eat raw. This is great news for a cook, because you must use your tricks to render it edible. Quince retains its signature aroma and texture, even after long slow cooking, which makes it a wonderful companion to autumn salads and desserts, and for the mostarda that follows. Do not be put off by the fruit’s exterior fuzz; it’s easily rinsed off. A quince should feel very firm when you buy it.