Proper seasoning

If April is the cruelest month, September is the most fickle one. On any given day, we might awaken to a brilliant blue sky, a refreshing breeze and low humidity, but, suddenly, an early-evening thunderstorm erases the beauty of the day. The following day can bring temperatures in the 90s.

Although autumn officially arrives Sept. 22, I don’t think "fall" until mid- to late October, when there is crispness in the air, the trees are ablaze with color and I am in the mood for pumpkins, apples, pears, squash, Brussels sprouts and other autumn produce.

Planning meals for mid-September can be tricky.

I have become a bit lazy about cooking ever since Trader Joe’s opened at 22nd and Market last September. The store offers free two-hour parking with ticket validation. Although I make forays to the Italian Market — I especially like a specific brand of imported Italian anchovies packed in olive oil I buy from Claudio’s — Trader Joe’s has become a real standby.

Trader Joe’s calls itself a unique grocery store. Since the store carries its own brand on a majority of items, no middleman is involved. This keeps quality up and prices down. The foodstuffs come from around the world. Italy is well represented. So is Greece. Just before the Olympic Games, Trader Joe’s began to stock grape leaves stuffed with rice for just $2.39 for a 13-ounce can. The store also stocks fresh, not jarred, Kalamata olives from Greece. There are Chinese, Thai and Mexican items, too.

I used to roast my own red bell peppers all the time. Ever since I discovered Trader Joe’s big, juicy roasted red and green bell pepper halves with whole garlic cloves, I said goodbye to the hour it took me to roast the peppers in a hot oven, cool them in a brown paper bag, rinse, peel and slice.

A loaf of bread and a simple green salad goes well with this dinner. As for the wine, I would serve a Sauvignon Blanc or a Dolcetto, one of my favorite Italian reds.

Here are recipes for an almost-autumn dinner.

Roasted Red Pepper Spread

Ingredients:

1 (19-ounce) jar roasted peppers with garlic from Trader Joe’s or 3 (7-ounce) jars roasted red peppers
9 large pitted black olives, such as Kalamata or Gaeta
12 flat anchovies, preferably imported from Italy
Several sprigs Italian parsley leaves
6 teaspoons olive oil
Juice of 1 small lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place the peppers, olives, anchovies and parsley leaves in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse on and off until the mixture is finely minced. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and pulse to incorporate.

Place the mixture in a bowl. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups.

Note from Phyllis: This spread is delicious on crackers and slices of toasted French or Italian bread, and enhances any cooked vegetable. It is also good on chicken or fish.

Baked Red Snapper

Ingredients:

4 (6-ounce) slices fillet of red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lemons, cut in wedges
Several handfuls of baby spinach leaves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Wipe the snapper fillets with paper towels. Place them in a shallow baking pan. Add the salt and pepper. Place your oven rack in the center of the oven. Roast the fish for 15 minutes. You might have to roast the fish a few minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Equally divide the baby spinach leaves among four heated plates. Place the fillets on top of the spinach and serve with lemon.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: Pass the roasted red pepper spread to top the fish. You can substitute halibut or grouper for the red snapper. Tuna is another good choice, but you must roast the tuna longer since it is a thick-cut fillet of fish.

Saut�ed Vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2 pound haricots verts, trimmed
2 medium carrots, scraped and cut into thin rounds
4 scallions, sliced with some green
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 fat cloves of garlic, sliced

Directions:

Place the vegetables in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet. Add the garlic and saut� until the garlic is translucent. Add the vegetables and saut� for about five minutes.

Serves four.

Spiced Cider Applesauce Grunt
From Ready, Set, Dough! by Melanie Barnard

Ingredients:

1 cup chunky applesauce
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 apples such as McIntosh, peeled, cored and cut into rough 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 (7.3-ounce) tube refrigerated cinnamon-bun dough
1/2 cup heavy cream or light cream, warmed, optional

Directions:

In a deep 10-inch skillet, stir together the applesauce, apple cider or juice, apples, raisins and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, stirring over medium heat.

Meanwhile, separate the cinnamon buns into five rolls and cut each into quarters. Reserve the icing for another use. Drop the dough pieces onto the simmering applesauce mixture.

Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the rolls are puffed, cooked through and no longer doughy in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the grunt rest for about 10 minutes.

Serve warm with a pitcher of cream for pouring, if desired.

Serves six.