During the summer we all relish al fresco dining. The moment we can bring our meals outside is always a happy one, and we schedule the summer months with picnics, barbecues and rooftop cocktails as much as possible.

Then the autumn arrives, and we box up our plasticware and move indoors. But Sukkot offers us such a beautiful moment to extend our time outside and enjoy the tastes of early fall. 

Give me a salad with some roasted beets and I am a happy lady. The chopped kale salad recipe with apples and beets is satisfying and sweet with crunch from some walnuts and a hint of tartness from dried cranberries. The kale is hearty and will hold up well if you need to transport it to someone’s sukkah for lunch or dinner. 

Apple cider beef stew uses one of my favorite fall treats, apple cider, to make a rich stew that is perfect to serve on a chilly fall day over some egg noodles or rice. It’s also a great alternative to cholent for a hearty Shabbat lunch in the sukkah. 

Sweet potato cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting (see recipe online at stljewishlight.com/sukkot-cupcakes) will have your guests asking incredulously, “are you sure these are nondairy?” And yes, they are.

The sweet potato ensures a super moist cake even without milk or butter, and the slight spice sings of fall flavors. The marshmallow frosting is super easy to make and even more fun to toast using the oven broiler or a small hand torch if you have one.

Shannon Sarna is editor of The Nosher blog on MyJewishLearning.com, where these recipes originally appeared.