'Happiness begins at the local farmers' market' – cookbook author, Samantha Seneviratne, on the joy of baking from the fall farmstand

Menu of the Moment is a monthly Homes & Gardens feature which taps into a seasonal cookery mindset or food trend, with a selection of recipes inspired by the calendar or zeitgeist, and an interview with the cook, chef or recipe book author about the story behind them, and what brings them joy about cooking seasonally and for the moment.

You may recognize Samantha Seneviratne from her television cookery show Everyday Cooking on Max, have one or more of her cookbooks on your shelf, or perhaps you're one of her nearly 100k Instagram followers. A former food editor and stylist for magazines including Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, Sam is an avid baker and author of three cookbooks, which capture her wonderfully relaxed and comforting approach to food. Here, she shares her secret to seeking out the best seasonal produce for fall baking at her local farmers' market along with some of her favorite recipes from her book Bake Smart(Harvest), for you to try at home.

In search of perfect produce

On an early fall morning in Brooklyn, cookbook author and baker Samantha Seneviratne heads out with her pup, Frances, and an armful of reusable market bags – not for an ordinary grocery run, but on a mission. She’s on the hunt for a fleeting treasure, and fall produce gem: the plump, dusky Concord grapes, which she’ll coax into a homemade jelly, destined to be spread on the still-warm scones and muffins that regularly emerge from her oven.

The search begins at the busy Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, where she scans tables full of tomatoes, squash, and even quince… but no Concord grapes. At the Park Slope Food Coop, she arrives just after the last bunch has been claimed. Undeterred, she boards the subway and makes her way downtown to the Union Square Greenmarket, where she finally spots them – clusters of jewel-toned Concord grapes, ripe and waiting. For Seneviratne, it’s the perfect way to spend a morning: a quest for the season’s most sought-after produce and a vision for how she’ll use it back home in her Brooklyn kitchen.

'It's more fun to shop at the farmers' market'

Beginning at the farmers' market is her preferred way to develop recipes, which she does for the New York Times and Food Network, as well as for her own cookbooks and Instagram baking series, Friends with Snacks. The promise of her latest book, Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours (Harvest), is that baking doesn’t have to be hard. 'Homemade desserts are supposed to make people happy,' she writes in her introduction. And for Seneviratne, happiness begins at her local farmers' market. 'It’s just more fun to shop at the farmers’ market, to be delighted by the colors and smells,' she says.

'Aroma never lets you down'

Seneviratne, who also works as a food stylist, admits she often shops with her eyes first. 'I make a beeline for the pretty things,' she says. That might mean a carton of late-season raspberries or a pile of velvety pears. But her first rule of shopping is less about the sight of it and more about the scent. 'I look for really good aromas, especially when I shop for stone fruits for my baking,' says Seneviratne. 'When you go by touch, a fruit may be soft and seem ripe, but then end up being mealy or flavorless. Aroma never lets you down; it’s the number one tell.'

Embracing the community of market days

For her, market days are as much about community as they are about ingredients. 'Don’t be shy – ask farmers questions, talk to other people, see what they’re baking,' she says. She likes to notice what other shoppers pile into their baskets. If someone is carrying home armfuls of a particular plum or apple, she’ll strike up a conversation, curious about what they plan to do with it. A recipe can begin as easily with a neighbor’s suggestion as with her own instincts. And then there’s the simple pleasure of the stroll: the walkabout before committing, the stop for a sample, the chance to let something unexpected catch her eye. 'Always do a lap before you commit!' she advises.

The welcome return of fall comforts

Seneviratne loves the in-between seasons most, when September markets are still bursting with fruit but the cooler air finally invites the oven back into rotation. 'When the weather turns and it begins to dip below 60 degrees, it’s finally fun to turn on your oven again.' Those first cool mornings signal the return of cobblers and cakes, of jam bubbling on the stove, of the satisfaction of slipping pears or sweet potatoes into a recipe and knowing the kitchen will be the coziest room in the house all season long.

Samantha Seneviratne's favorite fall bakes

These recipes are from Sam's book, Bake Smart, and highlight the best of the season's produce, from apples and pears to carrots and sweet potato by combining them with other naturally sweet ingredients such as honeycomb and comforting homemade doughs and batters.

Apple galette with buckwheat and honeycomb

Naturally gluten-free, this apple galette recipe calls for buckwheat flour (which you can make yourself), farmstand (or homegrown) apples, and whole chunks of sticky honeycomb for a delicious sweetness.

Caramel pear cobbler

So comforting, this nostalgic Caramel pear cobbler combines seasonal pears with silky sweet caramel for a warming harvest treat. It's perfect paired with a chilled crème anglaise to cut through the sticky, delicious juice.

Sweet potato crumb muffins

Crumbly, sweet and wholesome, these sweet potato crumb muffins combine warm, seasonal spices and nuts with this unexpected farmstand ingredient, which makes them perfect for breakfasts on the go or after-school snacking.

Carrot cake buns

We've all heard of carrot cake and cinnamon buns, but what about carrot buns? This recipe for carrot buns is a gooey treat for breakfast and tea time, and combines two of our favorite bakes in one.

Feeling inspired by Samantha's foodie story? Take a look at our new column with cookbook author, Lucinda Scala Quinn, who reflects on a family history of Italian-American recipes.