11 Couscous Side Dishes for the Ultimate Fall Meal

Couscous is one of the fastest and easiest ways to make a meal complete. A North African staple, couscous is actually made from semolina, a type of wheat, and comes in a variety of forms. You can choose from instant (pour boiling water in and let sit for five minutes – voila!) and the more traditional non-instant that requires more cooking time. Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous, is a toasted pearl-shaped nutty tasting gem also made from semolina. No matter what type you choose, if you make any of these 11 types of couscous side dishes for fall, you won’t be disappointed.

1. Israeli Couscous with Saffron, Pine Nuts, and Currants

Fine Cooking

This is a great make-ahead recipe that has crunch from the pine nuts and a hint of sweetness from the currants (or substitute raisins, if you can’t find them at the store). Saffron adds both flavor and a terrific red hue. Get the recipe here.

2. Israeli Couscous with Apples, Feta, and Mint

Dinner with Jonny

Fresh mint, lemon juice, and creamy feta make for a fresh side dish that you can serve for lunch or dinner. Substitute pears instead of apples depending on the season and make extra to serve the next day; this recipe makes for great leftovers. Get the recipe here.

3. Sweet and Savory Moroccan Couscous

May I Have that Recipe

Moroccan couscous with prunes, raisins, almonds, chickpeas, and seasoned with turmeric, black pepper, cumin, sweet paprika, and salt is a delicious combination that pairs well with grilled meat.
Get the recipe here.

4. Browned Butternut Squash Couscous

Our recipe for butternut squash couscous is a great way to get some vegetables into your meal and add a little color. Almonds, scallions, and cumin add flavor to the whole-wheat couscous, but you can use any type of couscous you have on hand. Get our Browned Butternut Squash Couscous recipe.

5. Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms

The Blonde Chef

If you’re looking for a wholesome vegetarian side dish, look no further. Use Portobello mushrooms and stuff them with a mixture of couscous (any kind you have on hand), raisins, cinnamon, onion, pine nuts, parsley, and some salt and pepper. Get the recipe here.

6. Israeli Couscous with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan, and Lemon Vinaigrette

Chowhound

Chowhound’s recipe for Israeli couscous is packed with fresh parmesan, roasted cherry tomatoes, and a lemon vinaigrette made with olive oil and any combination of fresh herbs that you have. Get our Israeli Couscous with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan, and Lemon Vinaigrette recipe.

7. Roasted Winter Vegetable Couscous

This is a dish that takes very little effort for a nutritious and filling side dish that has endless variations. Roast some winter vegetables (squash, turnips, sweet potatoes, etc) and flavor with dried herbs. Use whole-wheat couscous to keep it as healthy and protein-packed as possible. Get the recipe here.

8. Cilantro Almond Couscous

Chowhound

A wonderfully simple combination, this couscous pairs beautifully with grilled lamb, fish, or any type of meat. The Middle Eastern flavors are subtle but add some pizzazz to plain old couscous. Get our Cilantro Almond Couscous recipe.

9. Couscous with Kalamata Olives

For the Love of Cooking

This Greek take on couscous is a great pairing for roasted lamb or served with a salad. Grape tomatoes, red onions, parsley, feta, garlic, and whole wheat couscous make for a healthy and filling side dish.

Get the recipe here.

10. Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Chowhound

A hummus dressing made from olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and hummus mades for an interesitng addition to this couscous salad. Mix in roasted, salted pistachios, scallions, feta, and red bell pepper for a complete Mediterranean inspired feast. Get our Mediterranean Couscous Salad recipe.

11. Couscous Cakes

Marin Mama Cooks

These are an easy way to make a side dish that’s a little more interesting than just a pile of grains. Make a couscous cake (similar to a veggie burger) and change up the flavorings, spices, and add-ins. Get the recipe here.

Header image: Browned Butternut Squash Couscous from Chowhound

Related video: How to Ensure Perfectly Cooked Couscous

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Fall Herbs and Spices That Double as Décor

15 Summer Produce Ingredients We Miss Already

We’re already feeling wistful about those golden-hued days of lolling in the summer sun with our bright watermelon wedges, grinning over our cobs of fresh corn, and getting our faces sticky as we dig into our juicy peaches. Silhouetted by the setting sun, we recall those juicy, sweet days gone by. Sigh.

Well, it’s not too late to embody the cliché: “Today is a gift. Enjoy the present.” Get going and do something with the bounty around you as the season ends. It’s your duty to love what you got. Do your duty.

1. Corn

Chowhound

Combine your love of munching on summer’s sweet corn on the cob left-to-right like an old-fashioned typewriter with the coming chill of fall by making a batch of this soup. It takes those golden (or sugar-white) kernels and incorporates them into a chowder that’s creamy like the New England clam chowder variety. But this one has bacon. Get our Summer Corn Chowder recipe.

2. Peaches

Chowhound

Some of us are eating a peach a day while the local late-summer bounty lasts because you can’t compare the juiciness and sweetness with what you get shipped in year-round. The heavenly nectar just squirts right out when you take a bite! So hurry and make this crazy-good and super-easy dish that you can pass off as an appetizer, hors d’oeuvres, or dessert. Get our Peach and Hazelnut Mascarpone Bruschetta recipe.

3. Watermelon

Nutrition Secrets

When it’s hot outside, food with a high water content quenches your thirst as well as hunger. Watermelon delivers on its name. And it’s such a summer fruit. This drink is such a summer drink, too, with the rum, lemon juice, and raspberry liqueur. Try it. Get our Watermelon Lemonade Cocktail recipe.

4. Summer Squash

Cheat Sheet

Zucchini bread gets all the love, but you can make a savory quick bread with any summer squash, from pattypan and crookneck to the more familiar yellow squash and zucchini. The squash is cheap and easy, two qualities that may be controversial in some senses, but here, it’s right on the mark. This bread also has feta in it, which is a surprising, salty twist. Get our Savory Summer Squash Quick Bread recipe.

5. Tomatoes

Chowhound

Oh, tomatoes. The greenhouse-raised or shipped-from-afar varieties just, well, suck. They’re often watery and tasteless. Grow your own indoors during winter if you can. Otherwise, make all the Caprese, salsa, and other raw tomato recipes you can now. This tomato salad keeps it real, letting your tastebuds focus on the fresh tomato flavor at hand, without getting distracted from too much else, besides some fresh herbs. Get our Herbed Heirloom Tomato Salad recipe.

6. Mint

Text33

Maybe you can grow this lovely wakening herb indoors, so not all hope is lost during the winter doldrums. You don’t have to settle for gum, toothpaste and that artificially green mint chocolate chip ice cream. But the fresh mint you grow outside or buy from a farmers market is simply wonderful. And in this not-your-typical salad we suggest, you can enjoy a few other types of summer produce. Get our Fennel, Mint, and Avocado Salad recipe.

7. Cucumbers

Chowhound

Cucumbers are like the watermelon of the vegetable world. They’re so fluid, it’s almost like you can drink them. Sure, you can pickle them for winter snacking and sandwiches, but get in some more while they’re fresh. This salad idea combines the creamy tang of sour cream and fresh herbs for a simple side that still sings with flavor. Get our Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe.

8. Beets

Chowhound

Five or six beets, the more multicolored the better, mixed with lemon juice and capers and walnuts, muted with some crème fraîche, makes a tantalizing salad of varying textures and tastes. Give beets more of a showing before the show’s over. Get our Beet Salad recipe.

9. Lima Beans

CD Kitchen

These summer beans are buttery, smooth and filling as beans should be. But they’re almost like vegetables. Except not. They make great succotash, a Southern bacon-infused salad with corn, black-eyed peas, and onion. Get our Halibut with Orange-Parsley Butter and Succotash recipe.

10. Strawberries

Serving Joy

The difference between a fresh, locally grown strawberry and a standard supermarket strawberry grown out of season is quite real. Biting into its paler doppelganger makes us miss that naturally sweet, so-strawberry flavor that comes only from summer. But seriously, it’s not too late for ice cream with whatever strawberries you can find. Get our Fresh Strawberry Ice  Cream recipe.

11. Cherries

Chowhound

These bite-sized stone fruits have such a short time in the sun and in our local markets. We already feel the ache of nostalgia. If you can still get your hands on some fresh cherries, make a cherry dessert classic that must be served a la mode, like cherry pie … or even easier, get our Fresh Cherry Cobbler recipe.

12. Cilantro

Simply Scratch

If you aren’t one of those people biologically wired to abhor cilantro because it tastes like soap to you, then you probably love it. Most people aren’t ho-hum about this herb that makes its way in many Mexican-inspired dishes. So many recipes call for a handful of this fresh, pungent herb. Try this one: Get our Vietnamese-Style Summer rolls with Peanut Sauce recipe.

13. Lavender

ASPCA

How often do you cook with lavender? If you’re like us, not often. Now’s the time, though. Put some lavender in the spice or coffee grinder and then mix it up with some sugar and put it in your iced green tea, sugar cookies, vanilla cake, whatever sounds good to you. With only two ingredients and no cooking involved, this lavender-infused gin recipe sounds good to us. It’s a sophisticated, yet easy thing to do. Get our Lavender-Infused Gin recipe.

14. Dill

Chowhound

Fresh dill jumps out at your from the meat, vegetables, potatoes it accompanies. It’s an underrated herb that’s so much more than a pickle companion. But we’re down with dill in all of its ways. Get our Herbed Potato Salad recipe.

15. Blueberries

Chowhound

Last — but might as well be first for how loved they are — are blueberries, the jewels of summer dessert. Make your muffins, pies, cobblers, crumbles, pancakes, scones, and other baked goodness, but then there’s lighter way to highlight the smoothest of berries. Get our blueberry-topped Açaí Bowl recipe.

Related Video: How to Make Caprese Mac and Cheese

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Real Bouillabaisse (Bouillabaisse Marseillaise)

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Our 12 Favorite Cookie Recipes to Make in the Fall

Are you ready for baking season? It's starting soon. We've got a dozen cookie recipes to get you all ready. Time to soften the butter and bring those eggs to room temperature!

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How to Pull off the Perfect Early Fall Picnic

The leaves haven’t turned, and it feels like summer still. There’s a whiff now and then of some cool relief, and when that happens, dive into your closet and uncover your picnic blanket. You know, the one you might’ve used for the beach. Or lake. Or park. We can still go to those places, you know. Some of us can lounge outside on blankets all year long (We’re looking at you, Southern California and Florida).

And while we’re all lolling about on the grass reveling in nature, it would be nice if someone fed us grapes like those privileged Greeks back in the day, no? Well, a lot of things would be nice. Here’s something you can make nice yourself: a lovely, well-thought-out picnic feast.

The formula for an idyllic early fall picnic starts with the first factor, the people. Then food and supplies. It’s OK to pack light on this occasion, especially while it’s still hot outside. Just bring enough little nibbly components that people can graze on all afternoon — and dessert. Oh, don’t forget the cups. Or a cutting knife. Someone’s always forgetting one essential thing. We have a checklist at the end of this article to prevent that mishap.

And the ideal location? Well, you’re on your own for that. But we’re here to help with all those other parts that can lead to picnicking perfection. Your shopping, cooking, and packing strategy depends on how many people will be eating outdoors with you.

For 2 people:

Bring half of each recipe you make. You don’t want to run out, but you don’t want too much left over either. So if you make a cold pasta salad, bring half of that if you don’t have a lot of other substantial food. If you do, just bring two or three servings. Two sandwiches, tops. If you’re going the cheese and charcuterie route, buy one cheese and one cured meat, and bring half of each. One bottle of wine, a six-pack of good craft beer, or a couple thermoses of homemade Arnold Palmers should do it. If you’re just bringing wine or beer, be sure to bring water too.

As for smaller nibbles, don’t cart in the whole heavy glass jar of pickles or olives. Just put a few in a re-sealable, leak-proof container. Fruit is a must. Those previously mentioned grapes taste delicious with cheese, and they’re so portable. Figs are just the best ever. Do that. And apples are the obvious — if not too obvious — choice. But slice them ahead of time and dip the slices in water with a bit of lemon in it to keep the apples from browning.

For 6 to 8 people:

When the picnicking with a small crowd, you’ll think in more technical terms. For cheese and charcuterie, buy two kinds of cheese, semi-hard or semi-soft, and two salumi of varying textures. Plan to have 2 ounces of each selection per person. So that would be 12 to 16 ounces of each meat and cheese you choose. If you’re serving fruit and other sides, there’s no need for more. Crackers are easier than bread, but if you crave a crusty, hearty loaf or stick of French bread (because you’re human!), by all means bring that and feel free to rip off hunks instead of slicing.

Three bottles of wine and two beers per person should work. Have others bring more if they want this to be more party than picnic. That stuff is heavy. You’ll need a jar’s worth of pickles and olives. One bunch of grapes and four sliced peaches, if they’re still in season. Bring one batch of each salad recipe. The more options you have, the less you need of each one. A dozen cookies, minimum. That’s non-negotiable.

Check out these fine supplies you can pick up for your picnic:

Govino Wine Glasses (Buy it here)

Dean & DeLuca

Drink your wine (or whatever) in an elegant yet practical shatter-proof, food-safe, BPA-free polymer which reflects a wine’s color and projects its aromatics much like crystal. Govino can be used and recycled. They’re light and easy for picnics. These “glasses” were the winner of the bronze IDEA award in 2012 for international design excellence, and winner of the Good Design award in 2010 by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. $13. Buy it.

Uplands Cheese Company Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Extra Aged (Buy it here)

Dean & DeLuca

Nibble on the 2010 American Cheese Society Winner: Best in Show and a 2011 American Cheese Society Winner. A maturation process that lasts 12 to 18 months intensifies the flavors of this cheese, especially the sweetness. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is produced between spring and fall with the milk from pasture-fed cows. Made in Wisconsin, it is an Alpine-style cheese, similar to a Gruyere. It has a savory, round, nutty flavor that picnickers will go for. One order is 6 ounces. $30. Buy it.

Iberico Jamon (Buy it here)

Dean & DeLuca

Floral, nutty, sweet, and earthy: The finest ham on the globe doesn’t come cheap or easily. The Pata Negra pigs of Spain forage solely on acorns that fall from oak and cork trees, which results in the most flavorful pork marbled with fat so tender it melts in your mouth. See what the fuss is about with two ounces of Fermin’s best Iberico Jamon at your picnic for two. $20. Buy it.

Rosemary Crackers (Buy it here)

Dean & DeLuca

These crisp crackers flavored with rosemary go beautifully with soft and semi-soft cheeses, spreads, and salumi. They’re perfect for a picnic. $7.50. Buy it.

Hickory Smoked Almonds (Buy it here)

Dean & DeLuca

Raw almonds are nice and all, but smoked almonds taste even better. Hickory smoked? Now we’re really talking. Plus, they’re super convenient and portable. $7.25. Buy it.

Nocellara Mini Olives (Buy it here)

Dean & DeLuca

Crunchy and almost sweet, these Nocellara Italian olives are great for munching on the go with this single serving that includes a little fork. Their lightly briny taste and firm texture are a delightful accompaniment to any picnic spread, especially a cheese and charcuterie one. $5. Buy it.

Dean & Deluca Signature Cutting and Serving Board (Buy it here)

Dean & DeLuca

This 20-inch paddle-shaped cutting board was designed to be the ideal vehicle for both cutting and serving cheeses and meats on your picnic blanket. It’s crafted from solid, kiln-dried maple from the northeastern United States and treated with a food-safe stain. It’s $48. Buy it.

Meyer Lemon Shortbread (Buy it here)

Dean & DeLuca

Don’t forget the cookies on your picnic! Sweet and tangy Meyer lemons make this buttery shortbread a wonderful early fall treat. $6.75. Buy it.

You’ll also want to make a couple dishes that hold up well in transport and still-warm weather:

Cold Pasta Salad with Baby Artichokes

Chowhound

Teardrop or cherry tomatoes, garlic, A cold pasta salad makes a simple side to serve at barbecues or picnics, and this one has a punch of extra flavor from salty ricotta salata cheese. Preparing the artichokes takes a few extra minutes, but you can substitute frozen artichoke hearts to save time or if you can’t find baby artichokes. Once you boil the pasta, just toss everything together and as the salad sits, the flavors will meld. Get our Cold Pasta Salad with Baby Artichokes recipe.

Chinese-y Chicken Salad

Chowhound

If you want something like chicken or tuna salad, but you don’t want mayonnaise sitting outside for hours (you don’t), then go for this chicken salad. The dressing has vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, ginger, honey, hoisin sauce, and scallions. And just what does this dressing dress? Well, there’s shredded cold rotisserie chicken, slivered almonds, thinly sliced medium red bell pepper, English cucumber strips, red cabbage, green cabbage, and iceberg lettuce. Get our Chinese-y Chicken Salad recipe.

Prosciutto Palmiers

Chowhound

Store-bought frozen puff pastry is so convenient for easy, last-minute picnic snacks like this savory version of palmiers, a classic French pastry. Brush some tomato paste over the thawed pastry, layer on prosciutto and Gruyère cheese, and bake until golden and flaky. Get our Prosciutto Palmiers recipe.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

Chowhound

Make this while the tomatoes and corn are still fresh and local. This simple salad of in-season tomatoes and sweet corn will breathe new life into your early fall picnic. You can make it up to eight hours ahead, though you may want to mix the basil in at the last minute so it doesn’t wilt or discolor. Get our Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad recipe.

Pickled Radish and Sweet Butter Tea Sandwiches

Chowhound

Anything pickled goes so well with something rich and meaty like picnic charcuterie. The contrast works. So try pickling radishes to give them a sweet and tangy bite for these elegant little sandwiches. Slather soft white bread with butter, and use watercress for a peppery crunch. The pickled radishes need to be made at least one day in advance, so plan on that. Get our Pickled Radish and Sweet Butter Tea Sandwiches recipe.

Shortbread Lemon Bars

Chowhound

If you’re not buying lemon shortbread cookies, make the bar version yourself. The appeal of lemon bars is stems from the buttery shortbread crust and the intensely tart lemon-curd filling. It’s irresistible. Get our Shortbread Lemon Bars recipe.

Picnic Packing Checklist:

• Drinks
• Food (no mayonnaise!)
• Ice packs for keeping food cool, or freeze water bottles, which you can drink as they defrost
• Resealable, leak-proof containers
• Corkscrew or bottle opener
• Eco-friendly plates
• Eco-friendly cups
• Reuseable utensils
• Serving utensils like a serving spoon or tongs
• Cutting knife with a cover or kitchen towel wrapped around the blade
• Mini cutting board
• Cloth napkins
• Moist towlettes/paper towels
• Trash bags
• Big blanket that’s not precious to you
• Picnic basket, backpack, or bag
• Friends/lover (but only if pronounced “luuuvah”)/family/dog

See how to plan a perfect winter picnic too.

Related Video: What You Must Know When Packing a Picnic

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The History of Foie Gras (and Why It’s Controversial)

Foie gras, which literally translates to “fatty liver” in French, is the rich, buttery, and silky product of a fattened goose or duck liver. While it can be prepared many ways and has grown in popularity both as an ingredient and delicacy around the world, it is generally synonymous with French cuisine—and with controversy surrounding how it is made. In fact, depending on where you live, the sale or production of foie gras may be outlawed, which has only increased interest and curiosity in its origins.

So, what’s the history of foie gras anyway?

“Foie gras, or the technique of gavage, is something that dates back to the ancient Egyptians,” says Franck Ete, the preferred private chef of Chateau de Courtomer, a distinguished French chateau open to guests that is located in the Orne region of Normandy.

Food historian Cathy Kaufman adds that cave paintings show what looks like workers cramming food down the gullets of geese during this period. “Jews in medieval Europe were known to force feed geese—probably to get fat in addition to the rich livers, as they couldn’t eat pork fat—although Jewish religious leaders of the 12th century thought the practice cruel, and therefore not kosher,” she adds.

Chef Mariana Alegría, who serves a scrumptious version of foie gras at Le Basilic, a fine dining French institution located in Cancun’s Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun, says foie gras spread further through the Roman Empire. “The Romans were all about excess, so it fit perfectly for them,” she says. “It was also known that many Popes loved foie gras and asked for it in luxurious dinners too. The noble class in Germany then started demanding it and producing it near Alsace, France, which is how it was introduced in that country.”

Chef Franck Ete preparing foie gras, Chateau de Courtomer

When it comes to la France, the country that would eventually popularize foie gras for the world, Ete tells us it was enjoyed there during the Renaissance by many of the lavish kings of the court. “When their tastes trickled down to the middle-class population, the rich food culture that we know today became an intricate part of [French] society,” he says. Kaufman adds: “Recipes with ‘fat liver’ start to show up in important mid-17th century French cookbooks which probably explains why it is important in France.”

Today, foie gras is very much considered a delicacy in French cuisine and is protected and controlled in a similar way as its wine and cheese-making processes. Ete notes, “It’s so much so that French law states that ‘foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomic heritage of France,’” which is France’s really cute way of saying: We’ve perfected it and probably make it best.

Related Video: How to Store Foie Gras

Why is foie gras so controversial?

Simply put, foie gras is produced by gavage, or force-feeding geese or ducks so that their livers become fattened up. “Gavage became mechanized in the 20th century, leading to complaints by animal rights activists both in the U.S. and Europe,” says Kaufman. “In the 1990s, a convention was reached that changed rearing environments to be more animal-friendly.” But even still, the process continues to be condemned by animal welfare advocates. According to PETA:

“To produce foie gras, workers ram pipes down the throats of male ducks or geese two or three times a day and pump as much as 4 pounds of grain and fat into their stomachs, causing their livers to swell to up to 10 times their normal size. They feel extremely ill, and many have difficulty standing or even breathing because of their engorged livers.”

“Either you love or you hate foie gras, but the one thing you need to remember is to respect the product, to respect the animal, honor the goose or duck in the dish you are preparing,” says Alegría. “I think it would be an awful thing if you waste a product that had suffered in the making.”

Should you choose to eat it, how is foie gras prepared?

“I almost always serve foie gras for guests at the Château as I feel it’s representative of classic French Gastronomy, and this region,” Ete tells us. Below, he shares a few preparation ideas.

Foie Gras Torchon, ChefSteps

Cold preparations: Cold preparations are more time consuming since they require low-heat cooking methods. Generally, they end up as foie terrines, pâtés, parfaits, foams, and mousses, often flavored with truffle, mushrooms, or brandy. These are then chilled and served at or below room temperature. Raw foie gras can also simply be cured in salt (cru au sel), served slightly chilled.

Hot preparations: Raw foie gras can additionally be roasted, sautéed, pan-seared (poêlé), or even grilled. Since there is such a high fat content, contact with heat needs to be hot and fast so it doesn’t melt in your pan! I personally prefer to de-vein the foie gras, but some chefs prefer not to de-vein the foie gras, as the veins can help preserve the integrity of the fatty liver. I then cut it into one-half- to one-inch pieces and sear over very high heat, keeping the middle medium-rare. Hot foie gras requires minimal spices; typically black pepper and salt. I use fleur de sel as a gourmet seasoning for hot foie gras to add a small textural aspect with its crunch. I particularly love cooking foie gras with apples and calvados, giving it a real Normandy twist!

Duck, Duck, Dinner

Seared Duck Breasts with Raspberry-Honey Glaze

Foie Gras with Toasted Hazelnuts

Slow Cooker Duck Confit

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