Fall is a time of letting go. Pungent spices support the body to move unwanted debris outward. Here is one of my all time favorites.

When I lived in New Mexico, fall was a special time of the year. The chilies were harvested and the red ristras cloaked all the adobe houses. Narrow streets in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico were lined with rows of ristras. They were everywhere you looked. There was an earthy pungent aroma in the air as they dried, and the homes were literally covered with this beautiful harvest of cultural bounty. We shifted from cooking everything with green chilies to adding the dried red chilies to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The colder it got, the more red chili we ate. Combine these red chilies with our luscious, beloved friend, chocolate, and you’ve got a reason to celebrate life on earth. Instead of the usual turkey with dressing, or the vegetarian equivalent, try this authentic mole sauce to woo your holiday guests with. It can be served with your roasted turkey, chicken, tofu loaf, or simmered with cubed pumpkin. Because it is an elaborate ritual to make this sacred sauce I usually make a big batch and freeze small portions so I can pull it out and have it throughout the fall and winter. Enjoy!!

Mole

For the Ancho Chili Paste:

• 8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 8 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Generous pinch cumin
• Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• About 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

To finish the dish:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 ounces whole almonds
• 1 small onion, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 5 ounces ripe tomatoes
• Scant 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped organic dark bittersweet chocolate
• About 2-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

Ancho Paste: Roast the unpeeled garlic in a heavy skillet over medium heat until soft and blackened in spots, about 15 minutes; cool and peel. Toast the chiles by opening them and pressing them flat in the same pan for a few seconds on each side. Soak the chiles in hot water for 30 minutes until they are very soft. Drain. (Save the chili water to thin out sauce if needed.) Process the garlic, chiles and remaining ingredients with 2/3 cup broth in a food processor or blender until smooth. Press through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl.

To Finish: In a medium heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Remove the almonds with a slotted spoon to a blender or food processor. Add the onion to the pan and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove to the blender with the almonds. Add the raisins and stir for a minute as they puff. Put them in with the onions and almonds.

Next, roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on two sides. Cool, peel and add to the blender with the cinnamon, and chocolate. Add 1 cup of broth and blend to a smooth paste.

Reheat the heavy pot. When hot, add the ancho mixture and cook, stirring almost constantly until darker and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the puréed almond mixture and cook another few minutes until thickened again. Stir in the remaining 4-1/2 cups broth, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat for 45 minutes. Taste and season with salt and sugar (it should be slightly sweet).

Serve the mole with roasted, grilled or poached poultry (chicken or turkey), either coarsely shredded or in whole pieces, or tofu. This makes about 6 cups of sauce and will serve 6 to 9 people. The recipe can be doubled.

Figs are happening right now. One of the most luscious fruits available for our sensual pleasures.  They are hard to improve upon, so I keep my preparations simple. Following are two simple ways I prepare fresh figs when I am blessed enough to have them.

1. Cut your fresh figs in half lengthwise. Top them with a small dollop of chevre goat cheese and put them on the grill skin side down for just a couple minutes.They cook fast ad the cheese softens quickly if you put the lid on the grill. A little fresh thyme mixed in with the goat cheese is a nice addition. Serve immediately.

1. Place about 1 1/2 cups sweet Marsala wine in a pan with a sweetener of your choice. I don’t like foods real sweet, so I go light. Simmer for about 5 minutes uncovered. Turn off heat and place about 10 fresh figs cut in half into the sweetened wine, stir and turn off heat. Let them sit in the wine for about an hour or more, stirring gently occasionally to make sure they are all getting coated. Remove figs with a slotted spoon and reduce liquid to a syrup. You can serve the figs alone drizzled with the syrup or over something like vanilla ice cream drizzled with syrup. Very simply, very delicious.