What's good in October

Apples, squash, the first braise of the year and something warm in a mug.

• Six weeknight dinners for October: It gets dark early and you want something warm on the table by seven. Here's a week of it, with one shopping trip and a soup you can make on Sunday.
• How to host eight without losing the evening: A dinner party menu where nearly everything is done before the doorbell rings. You get to sit down, and the food is better for the wait.

• Rustic Apple Galette: A free-form apple tart with a buttery, pleated crust. No pie dish, no fuss about the edges.
• Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter Sage: Roasted squash blended smooth, with brown butter and crisp sage spooned over the top.
• Mulled Apple Cider: Fresh cider warmed with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and orange. Keep it on the stove all afternoon.
• Red Wine Braised Short Ribs: Short ribs braised in red wine until a fork slides through. Better the next day.
• Zuppa Toscana: Sausage, potatoes and kale in a creamy broth. Monday night in one pot.