Everyone has certain foods they can’t resist and quince is one of mine. When this fall fruit appears, usually in October, I immediately stock up. I’ve heard (but find it hard to believe) that quince is not very popular in this country. Although they're related to apples and pears, I’ve got to admit, quince is definitely not as user-friendly. Raw, they’re virtually inedible: They’re high in lignins (which make them undigestible), tannins (which make them unpleasantly astringent) and phenols (which cause them to brown quickly when exposed to air). OK, maybe I'm beginning to understand their outsider status.

So, what do I do with this obstinate fruit? First, I leave them on a counter for several days which perfumes the air with a clean, fruity scent. Quinces smell amazing — they have been used around the world for centuries as room fresheners. I then cook them, which takes a minimum of 1 1/2 hours. Quince improves dramatically with a long, slow cooking process. An intense fruity flavor emerges, it becomes tender, and most remarkably, it changes color from yellowish white to a distinctly rosy gold. I usually use some variation of the following recipe:

Honey-Baked Quince Slices
Adapted from Elizabeth Schneider’s Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables

4 medium quinces, about 2 pounds
4 tablespoons fragrant, light honey
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Quarter and peel quinces and remove seeds*. Cut each quarter into quarters, toss with honey, lime juice and water and put in a baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in center of oven for one hour, until slices are soft and translucent.

Remove the foil, raise heat to 425 degrees F and bake until slices are a rosy gold and syrup is slightly thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.

Before going in the oven

After 1 1/2 hours of cooking

* Quince syrup, made from the seeds and peels, is used as a home remedy for sore throats and upset stomachs. Toss peels and seeds into a heavy saucepan, cover with water and simmer for one hour. Strain, mix with honey to taste, and refrigerate. The peels are high in pectin and the seeds contain mucilage, giving the syrup a jelly-like consistency. The syrup will last for weeks tightly covered in the fridge. Simply sip, or mix with hot water for a soothing tea.

So, besides a home remedy, what do you get for your troubles? Today, I made an open-faced sandwich on a whole wheat walnut toast from Amy’s Bread, melted a little Cabrales cheese over it and topped it with the honey-baked quince slices — it was outrageously delicious. During fall and winter, I keep cooked quince in my fridge (a batch will last for a couple of weeks) and add them to pancakes, apple pies, fruit syrups and cheese platters. I’ve also heard it’s great in lamb stews.

What do you like to do with quince?

I love fall and anticipate its arrival more than any other season. Unfortunately, we've had a very long, drawn out summer here in NY, but that's not keeping me from cooking and eating my favorite fall foods. I recently had dinner at A Voce, and even though it was over 80 degrees outside, I devoured my plate of butternut squash tortellini in a butter sage sauce. And for a dinner party last week, I made my favorite fall dessert: tarte tatin.

The name alone makes many people think it's a fancy schmancy sweet, but it's really one of the most simple ones around (if you do it my way, at least). You'll get to use up the abundance of apples that sneak into your kitchen the minute fall rolls around (or tries to, at least). Plus, tarte tatin really is so much more satisfying than apple pie. It has a nice buttery crust, isn't overly doughy and its open-faced look is just so pretty!

Many people would probably like a fat scoop of ice cream on top of their tarte tatin, but I find that the apples are sweet enough. I dress mine up with that deliciously thick and creamy Greek yogurt instead. It helps cut the sweetness quite a bit and also adds a nice, tangy touch. And even better? When you go the yougurt route, you should and will feel completely obliged to have a couple of slices.

Tarte Tatin

For the crust:
1 cup flour
1 stick of cold butter, cut up
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup ice water

For the apple filling:
6 fuji apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup of sugar (sometimes I use even less)

To make the crust, place the first three ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add in the ice water slowly, and continue pulsing until the dough forms a ball. Remove dough and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for an hour or so before rolling it out.

To make the apple filling, put the sugar in a pan (preferably a cast iron one), over low heat and stir continuously. Within a few minutes, the sugar will begin to turn brown. Continue stirring until it becomes liquidy and then add in the sliced apples. Cook the apples in the sugar until they're tender.

Remove the apples from the heat and cover the pan with your rolled out ball of dough. Place the pan in a 350 degree oven and bake until the crust turns brown and golden. Remove the pan from the oven (here's the tricky part), and using pot holders, flip the tart onto a big plate so the apples are facing up and the crust is on the bottom (I usually have my husband do this part). Slice immediately and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt.