This well-rounded iceberg-romaine salad combines sweet apples and salty blue cheese with both crunchy
and tender textures—ideal for fall and winter salad menus.
Apples & Pears
As the weather cools and appetites shift to fall flavors, apples and pears move to the forefront of seasonal fruit favorites. Using these dependable, delicious ingredients across autumn menus allows chefs to add natural sweetness, texture, and color to a variety of recipes.
Go a step beyond tossing raw apples and pears into leafy green salads by applying flavor- and texture-boosting techniques such as roasting, sous vide, and frying. Whether tender or crispy, these preparations burst with tangy sweetness, balancing both mild and bitter lettuce blends. Add in on-trend herbs and spices to really crank up the craveability. Cinnamon and star anise are seasonal favorites, while Middle Eastern (ras el hanout, za’atar, and baharat) and Asian (furikake, togarashi, and garam masala) combinations are simple ways to give salads global appeal.
Fall proteins like roasted game, pork, and poultry also pair well with apples and pears. Expect both classic and unique preparations to sell well. Traditional roasts with fresh herbs such as MFC Thyme or Rosemary will be sure hits, while genre-hopping dishes like char siu pork bao buns with apple-honey glaze and pear pickles, Korean fried chicken with apple chutney, and oysters with pear mignonette will also draw in more daring appetites.
Last but never least, fruit desserts will run the gamut this fall—from healthy and elegant wine-poached pears to decadent Instagram- and Tik Tok-worthy apple pie crazy shakes, don’t miss the opportunity to offer these seasonal favorites.
- Harvested in the premiere regions of Michigan and Washington by our dependable, long-time grower-partners–and always backed by Markon’s 5-Star Food Safety Program.
- Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious varieties.
- Packed in 88- to 138-count staple-free, recyclable cartons. Crop (MFC) Pears
- Our Washington pears exceed USDA standards for color and shape, offering consistent texture, sugar levels, and delicious flavor.
- Bartlett and D’Anjou varieties.
- Packed in 110- to 135-count staple-free, recyclable cartons.
SWEET & HEALTHY FALL FRUITS
Showcase seasonal fruits across all menu day parts.
- Toss Ready-Set-Serve® (RSS) Iceberg-Romaine Blend with chopped MFC Red Delicious Apples, candied pecans, and crumbled blue cheese for a quick and easy autumn salad. (see page one top photo).
- MFC Pears go from crunchy to silky smooth when baked in pies and cakes like this upside down gingerbread version dripping with gooey caramel (see page one middle photo).
- Two trends combined in one gorgeous dessert: fill a gluten-free, nut-based crust with creamy custard a la Pasteis de Nata; center thinly sliced MFC Gala Apples to form a sweet, rose-like bite (see right/middle photo).
- Halved and roasted, MFC Pears can be filled with a dollop of subtly sweet mascarpone cheese, then garnished with candied nuts and pleasantly sour cranberries (see upper right photo).
- Shredded MFC Granny Smith Apples make a tangy-sweet slaw to serve with burgers and sandwiches; mix them with RSS Shredded Cabbage, RSS Shredded Kale, or RSS Shredded Carrots, then toss with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette or creamy blue cheese dressing.
- Add shaved MFC Pears to hot sandwiches like grilled cheese, Italian panini, Cuban pressed, and reubens; their sweetness balances the saltiness of cheeses and meats.
- Shred MFC Norkotah Potatoes and MFC Fuji Apples to add a hint of sweetness to fried latkes; drizzle with creamy tahini and Aleppo chili oil.
- Add MFC Pear chunks and purees to pumpkin/winter squash soups; accent with flavor-forward Middle Eastern or Indian spices such as garam masala, baharat, or za’atar.
- Evoke the feelings of autumn with bone-in chicken or pork chops roasted with MFC Golden Delicious Apples, MFC Yellow Onions, and MFC Idaho Norkotah Potatoes.
- Top flatbreads, bruschetti, and house-made pizzas with thick slices of MFC Pears, RSS Lemony Arugula, chopped chicken or crumbled sausage, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts.
- Fill puff pastry squares with sliced MFC Granny Smith Apples and English Cheddar for simple to make, yet elegant side dishes.
- Poach peeled MFC Pears in red wine, MFC Rosemary, star anise, cinnamon, and a hint of sugar; serve these ruby red, gem-like fruits as an accompaniment to steak and game or as stand-alone desserts.
- Treat your guests, young and old, to old-fashioned fall favorites like caramel apples dipped in colorful hibiscus sugar crystals, dried cranberries, and pomegranate arils.
- Pears make flavorful fall cocktails. Mix fresh ginger and shaved MFC Pears with bourbon, add stem-in sliced of pear to vodka martinis, or puree pears with rum and cinnamon.
- Alcohol-free drinks continue to trend, especially with the Gen Z customer base. Warm apple ciders, teas, and mocktails like martinis and mojitos are big seasonal hits to beverage menus.
Full of fall harvest fruit, this cranberry-mascarpone pear dessert balances sweet and sour flavors sophisticated enough for any menu.
Craveable Partners for Apples & Pears
Butter, sugar, vanilla, and poultry are classic pairings for fall tree fruits, but offering delicious, yet more innovative combinations can draw in new customers.
- Root vegetables like parsnips, beets, celery root, radishes, and multi-colored carrots.
- Flavor boosters such as fennel, leeks, horseradish, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and celery.
- Vibrant berries, persimmons, kumquats, winter squashes, collard greens, and radicchio.
- Bold, global sauces and dressings like gochujang, spicy mustard, XO, Thai peanut, tzatziki, mojo, and chermoula.
