Apples have the greatest variety of any fruit, but it’s hard for even a committed glutton like me to get excited every autumn about the handful of varieties that are in the supermarket all year anyway.

In many ways, apples are a victim of their popularity, so familiar that we rarely appreciate their astonishing range – the way some are too crunchy to eat comfortably in public (or is that just me?), the almost spicy notes of others, the acidic bite of a bramley, the intense sweetness of a pink lady … and that’s to say nothing of the thousands of others (knobby russets! beauty of bath! laxton’s superb!) that are sold in markets and farm shops.

Similarly, apples are more than just a portable snack – delicious as they are munched on an autumnal walk or grated into muesli (Yotam Ottolenghi has a typically inventive take on the classic bircher recipe), they’re also a useful ingredient in the kitchen. At their simplest, their crunchy texture makes them an ideal addition to an autumnal salad – such as Meera Sodha’s apple and fennel chaat with caramelised almonds (or, indeed, Angela Hartnett’s kohlrabi, apple and celery salad with capers and tarragon on the same page). They also pair rather well with oily fish, as in Nigel Slater’s rollmop herrings with beetroot and apple: three underrated ingredients on one colourful plate. (This week’s Kitchen Aide column asks a panel of experts the helpful question: what is the best variety to cook with?)

But maybe the weather where you live isn’t suggesting salads – possibly it’s pushing you into the arms of roast pork, whose savoury fattiness would be perfectly balanced by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s parsnip and apple cakes, though they would also be great midweek with sausages (I like to bake my sausages until they develop a satisfyingly chewy crust, but on this occasion I’d fry them in the same pan, so the cakes take on their flavour). Another excellent, and potentially even quicker supper, is Nigel’s hearty fry-up of cabbage, apple and ham. And, though they’re a time-honoured companion to the pig, apples work brilliantly in meat-free dishes, too, such as Anna Jones’s celeriac and apple stew, or Clare Scrine’s walnut, apple and sage “sausage” rolls. (A trial run for the festive season, perhaps?)

Of course, apples are obvious dessert material, from the classic baked apples of childhood to Marco Pierre White’s somewhat fancier (although surprisingly straightforward) tarte demoiselles tatin, both of which I’d recommend serving with double cream cold from the fridge. They also make delightfully moist cakes, as in Irina Georgescu’s Romanian apple and caraway loaf. And, with Halloween looming, Ruby Tandoh’s American-style toffee apple fritters (“more akin to doughnuts”, she explains), are guaranteed crowd-pleasers.

Last, should you, like me, still find yourself stepping over crab apples strewn across pavement, or be lucky enough to have your own tree, you might be interested in Hugh’s crab apple and rowan jelly, which, now that I think about it, would make a rather nice Christmas present. Sorry, too soon?

TV dinners |I can’t be the only one who’s enjoying the small-screen sequel to the quite stressful film Boiling Point, as much for the cooking as the drama. I’m under no illusions that I could cut it in a pro kitchen, but I love to watch chefs at work – and I can’t help but wonder, is there really time for that much chat during service?

Growing up| Having been struck by the infectious energy of Glasgow-based food and horticulture writer Helen Cross at last month’s Stranraer oyster festival, I finally had a chance to get stuck into her lovely book, Grow, Cook, Inspire. It’s bursting with easy ideas for getting kids involved in the garden and kitchen, so I’ll be buying it for a fair few friends who are parents this Christmas.

Root issues | As an out-and-proud turnip fan, I was not impressed by the mirth that greeted Thérèse Coffey’s uncharacteristically sensible championing of these underappreciated roots, so when I saw Helen Rosner’s recipe for swede cacio e pepe in the New Yorker, I knew I had to try it. Thérèse, if you’re reading, trust me, babe – you’ll love it.

Going nuts | Suffering withdrawal symptoms after a weekend in Vienna, I sought solace in a generous wodge of squidgy, spicy Jewish apple cake at Kipferl in Islington, London, and came away with a bottle of nutty, vivid green Styrian pumpkin seed oil. I enjoyed it so much in everything from salads to ice-cream. Truly, this must be one of Europe’s great underrated cuisines.