6 Trending Fall Ingredients Top Chefs Are Loving—And Why You Should Try Them
While cucamelons and crosnes may not be everyday fall staples, these unique greenmarket gems—along with other under-the-radar finds—are captivating chefs across the U.S. Drawing on their expertise, we've highlighted six seasonal stars, complete with insights from leading culinary pros and the best spots to taste them.
Chrysanthemum Greens
Renowned for their nutrient-dense leaves, chrysanthemum greens offer a sturdy texture and grassy, mildly bitter flavor akin to mustard greens and dandelions. Ideal for soups, stews, and sautés, they've long been a staple in Asian cuisine and are now trending stateside. At Chicago's Mott Street, Chef Edward Kim features them in a family-inspired hot pot with mussels, anchovies, tofu, and vegetables. In New York City, Chef Fortunato Nicotra of Felidia sautés them with garlic oil and pistachios, finishing with aged Rupert cheese alongside grilled wagyu tartare. "The texture surpasses spinach, with a unique mustard-dandelion taste," notes Nicotra. At Don Angie, Chefs Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli showcase their lacy texture in a Caesar salad twist with garlic, Parmesan, and sesame seeds.
Crosnes
Also known as Chinese artichokes, crosnes (pronounced "crones") resemble quirky tubers with a nutty, earthy taste and water chestnut-like crunch. Versatile raw, pickled, roasted, or butter-sautéed, they add texture to dishes. Chef Franklin Becker at Claudio’s Waterfront in Greenport, NY, sears them with Peconic Bay scallops, mushrooms, and leeks in brown butter—or pairs them with snails, scallions, and black garlic. San Francisco's Quince Chef Michael Tusk appreciates their contrast to soft seafood, serving them with spiny lobster, pumpkin, and lemon verbena; razor clams, cardoons, and potatoes; or Nantucket Bay scallops with yuzu.
Cucamelon
This petite cucumber-melon hybrid, aka Mexican sour gherkin, delivers bold tart, citrusy flavor despite its dollhouse-watermelon appearance. Perfect raw in salads and relishes, Chef Rhys Lewis at The Woodstock Inn in Vermont harvests them for a salsa with shishito peppers and teardrop tomatoes over swordfish, nodding to their Mexican roots. In NYC, Atla's Chef de Cuisine Marisol Corona includes them in a vibrant crudité with rainbow carrots, lemon cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, cauliflower, kohlrabi, chayote, and little gem lettuce—ideal for guacamole dipping.
Marigold Petals
These vibrant petals impart saffron-like color and a subtle bitter, herbal, peppery note. At Chicago's Elske, Chefs Anna and David Posey craft marigold petal crackers with Danish-style seeded rye, mushroom duxelles, roasted shiitakes, black vinegar, and citrus marigolds, adding floral lift to savory bites. In Raleigh, NC, Jolie's Chef de Cuisine Madison Tessener infuses rooftop-grown petals into a butter sauce, enhancing escargots with delicacy and vivid hue.
Meat Necks
Fall's braising season shines with neck cuts from chicken, turkey, pork, and lamb, yielding tender, richly flavored results via low-and-slow cooking. LA's Broken Spanish Chef Ray Garcia transforms chicken necks into tacos with chile de arbol and lime salt. San Diego's Juniper and Ivy Chef Anthony Wells encases za'atar lamb neck in puff pastry for a Middle Eastern Wellington. At Chicago's The Purple Pig, Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr. elevates pork neck "gravy"—stewed meat with ricotta and San Marzano tomatoes—into a hearty standalone dish.
Sweet Potato Leaves and Vines
Beyond the iconic root, sweet potato leaves and vines bring sharp flavor and durability for braising, sautéing, broiling, baking, or soups. Atlanta's St. Cecilia Chef Brandon Chavannes values their crunch and versatility: vines wrap poached fish, leaves cook like kale or bed quail stuffed with paella. Scottsdale's FnB Chef Charleen Badman uses tender young leaves in salads and mature ones in broths with local fall corn.
