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Photos by Nora Edinger Come fall, apples and sharp cheddar can give avocado toast a run for its money.

WHEELING — Food seasonality is a matter of perspective. It’s one thing if you are trying to buy of-the-moment produce at an Ohio Valley market. It’s quite another if your backyard fruit trees are appearing in your dreams — pleading, “Harvest me, harvest me!” in a beat-the-freeze kind of way.

Whatever your case, here are some recipes from the test kitchen at Wheeling newspapers that will both take advantage and use up at least some of the best fruit of the season.

Varieties of these classic fall fruits will continue to peak until early November. Apple pies and sauces may be traditional, but the fruit can also be a starring ingredient in a dark, spicy cake that would be wonderful for a fall birthday, in a robust salad or as a seasonal topping alternative to avocado toast.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter (or grease in a non-dairy kind of way) a bundt pan. Flour the pan, tapping any excess flour into the sink for easy cleanup. Set the pan aside.

In a large bowl, combine 1 ¼ cup white flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ cup white sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon molasses, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 eggs.

Fold in 2 cups peeled and coarsely chopped apples, ½ cup black or golden raisins (the golden is prettier in this recipe and has a brighter taste) and 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.

Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan, evening out the top with the back of a spoon. Bake 50-65 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle of the ring comes out clean. Cool upright in the pan. Turn out onto a serving plate and cool to room temperature.

Mix together ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla and 2-3 Tablespoons milk (or dairy-free substitute). Spoon the glaze over the cake top and let it drip down the sides and into the middle of the ring. (Serves 8-10)

Cabbage, Apple and Raisin Salad

Setting one-quarter of a green/white cabbage head on its side — with all thick outer leaves and the core removed — finely slice two cups worth of cabbage ribbons. Coarsely chop 2 colorfully-skinned apples such as Gala or Fuji (leaving peels on). Combine both with 3/4 cup loosely packed black raisins and toss until well combined.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise (vegan or otherwise), 1 Tablespoon apple-cider vinegar and 1 Tablespoon white sugar. Mix until smooth.

Add the dressing to the cabbage and fruit mixture and toss until lightly coated. Serve immediately, topping each portion with some walnut pieces. (Serves 4-5)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On an untreated baking sheet, arrange a single layer of bread slices. (Any bread will do, but black rye is delightful. Two slices per person is a good accompaniment to a bowl of soup.)

Top each bread slice with ½ Tablespoon butter, a layer of thinly sliced apples (a sweet variety such as Golden Delicious or Gala), a sprinkle of raisins, a sprinkle of cashew or peanut halves and thinly sliced sharp cheddar cheese (New York sharp is best).

Bake for 15 minutes or until bread is nicely toasted and cheese is melted.

These jewels of the fruit world may begin to ripen by mid-summer, but they’re still at peak flavor through the end of October. A tip: Pears are at their best as soon as the flesh around the stem yields to gentle pressure.

A wonderful partner to dairy, pears are wonderful out of hand with a piece of cheese on the side or in a salad that includes a soft cheese such as feta. This streusel recipe takes that combo to the oven — baking up a surprising mix of sour cream and fresh fruit.

Place a pre-made pie crust into a nine-inch pan or make your own super-easy, press-in tart shell. For the latter, combine 1 cup flour. 1 ½ teaspoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cut in 6 Tablespoons chilled butter with a pastry blender until the mix is about as coarse as small peas. Add 1 egg yolk and 2 Tablespoons of water and mix until the dough is smooth enough to form a ball.

Wrap the dough ball in plastic and chill for about a half hour. Press it into a nine-inch pie pan with your fingers. Make sure the bottom is evenly thick. Cover with a clean dish cloth and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dice four cups worth of fresh pears, tossing chunks lightly with fresh lemon juice as you work to avoid browning. Set aside.

Mix together 1 cup full-fat sour cream, 3 Tablespoons instant (or minute) tapioca and 2/3 cup white sugar. Add to pears and lightly toss to coat.

Spoon the pear mix into the prepared tart/pie shell. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 3 Tablespoons butter, ½ cup flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts and ¼ teaspoon salt. Use a pastry blender to turn it into a crumbly mix.

Top the fruit with this mix and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until crumbs are golden. Cool to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar before serving. (Serves 6-8)

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