Ease Into Fall Cooking

The temps may not be as hot as they once were. The days are starting to get shorter. Autumn is coming and it's time to ease into cooler weather cooking. What does that mean? Adding different ingredients and thinking about more complex cooking.

One thing to do is take advantage of the harvests out now. Tomatoes plants are still yielding an amazing amount.It's a great time to make sauce and freeze it. You can also use herbs from the garden, such as oregano and rosemary as well. Tomatoes can also be turned into salsas and chili too and these can be frozen for later.If you want to be more adventurous try making ketchup. Many are put off by the idea of making  a condiment in their kitchens but it's pretty easy. It can be done in a slow cooker and you could easily have a bowl of ketchup for dinner that same day. Also take advantage of other harvests such as eggplants and onions. Again late summer and early fall is the perfect time for ratatouille, the mix of those veggies plus tomatoes. It has a fresh summery taste yet warming on nippy nights when the temps drop. Have it with warmed, sliced French bread and olive oil. Eggplant is also good sliced , breaded and air fried . You could slice it into sticks for a different and fun lunch or dinner.

Cooler days mean more elaborate yet still fun meals. Think tacos with different fillings. You can still have barbecued beef but shred it and use it as the main filling. The same with barbecued chicken. You can also grill salmon or tilapia for a different variation.A vegetarian option would be mashed kidney beans topped with  shredded cabbage instead of lettuce or even broken cauliflower or broccoli florets. This is nice way of using up the first of the fall harvests.Hamburgers can still be made but why not turn them into Salisbury steaks with gravy? They can be served on toast or with a side of homemade mashed potatoes.Ground beef or even vegan beef crumbles can also be turned into the Szechuan classic Ants Climbing A Tree. This is an exciting combo of cellophane noodles cooked with beef and soy sauce, zinged up with scallions. Kids will love this variation of hamburger and a fresh take on takeout food. It's also a time to start those sheet pan dinners. You can follow recipes or make up some combo of meat and veggies or just veggies for dinner. Try chicken with potatoes and sliced Brussels sprouts or  salmon with bok choy and green beans.

Ease into fall cooking with fun dishes that are warming and delicious. You can use the last of the summer harvest for ingredient as well as the first of the autumn ones. It's time for some serious cooking!