September is an in-between month. While fall officially kicks off later in the month, the temperatures outside don’t always make you believe that fall is, indeed, in the air. It’s on its way but isn’t here yet. But September is always a busy, busy time of year. Back to school, the end of summer vacations, and it’s even time to start thinking about fall recipes and even the holidays!

It’s also a busy time in the garden–time to forage for the last of the year’s bounty to fruits and veggies. Tomatoes, squash, peppers, apples, and corn are all overflowing and in abundance in the fall garden. There’s no better time to put them to good use in the kitchen!

It is also a good time to start looking through recipes to see how to incorporate nature’s bounty into your daily meal prep and menu planning.

An easy way to use up some of the wonderful vegetables is always with a salad. I’m turning my Summer Vegetable Salad into my “End of Summer” Vegetable Salad. Taken from the pages of a lovely notebook my mother gave me when I was first married, I turned to recipe #18, handwritten with love to help get me started in the kitchen. The original recipe was called “Fresh Corn Salad” but, of course, I had to add a curious twist or two. It’s the perfect way to put those end-of-summer veggies to work–and it’s also delicious.

Chow Chow is one of my favorites. It is a condiment that dates back to the late 1770s in England and it has a depth of flavor as rich as its history. In some culinary circles, Chow Chow is often confused with relish, but it uses different vegetables than a typical relish. With a base of fresh, green tomatoes, red and green peppers, and a mixture of spices and sugar, it’s the perfect way to use the end of the summer’s bounty. My version is a Southern one, inspired by both my grandmother’s family recipe and Chef Mashama Bailey’s recipe.

My Grandmother always kept a jar on her kitchen table, right alongside her salt and pepper shakers, ready to be scooped up and into a bowl of her mouth-watering pinto beans. My favorite way to eat Chow Chow is on a grilled hotdog or bratwurst with our Bourbon Honey Mustard. My version adds in tomatillos, which are easy to find at your favorite farmers market. This secret ingredient gives the recipe a delicious tart flavor that adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the sugar and nutmeg.

There are a few other condiments that can utilize your leftovers from the garden or your big “finds” at the fall farmer's markets. My Peach and Pepper Jelly combines the flavors of summer with the freshest peaches and the peppers of fall. It’s easy to make and even more wonderful to use for an appetizer or even on a burger. Pecan Pesto uses tons and tons of fresh basil and after a long, hot summer, I typically have basil in abundance. Pesto is the perfect addition to pizza, pasta, or chicken. Pecans give this classic recipe a curious, Southern twist. Do yourself a favor and grab some Schermer Pecans. They are fresh, creamy, and a delicious pecan. My Fig Jam is absolutely one of my fall favorites. While doing research a while back about in season fall fruits and veggies, I was surprised to learn that figs are in peak season right now–late summer, early fall. This jam recipe is so easy to put together and is perfect on my Buttermilk Biscuits or as a wonderful addition to a beautiful fall cheese board.

Apple Kale Salad is one of my favorite fall salads. This time of the year I love nothing more than having my lunch on the front porch, enjoying the cooler temperatures, and catching up with my magazines. I love a good salad for my midday meal and this salad does not disappoint. Apples, kale, and pecans are the star of this salad—but everything else in this salad depends on what I have in my refrigerator. The recipe may vary slightly each time but it is always fresh and full of flavor. The dressing is a classic and can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for future use.

And while the temperatures haven’t cooled all that much, I cannot resist a good soup. One of my favorite and easiest soup recipes is my Vegetarian Veggie Soup. This is a comfort soup recipe for me. It reminds me of the vegetable soup recipe my mother would always make so many times during the fall of the year. It was the first soup of fall…with chili just a week or so away. This recipe calls for canned tomatoes and, of course, you can use them but why not take advantage of the abundance of fresh tomatoes this time of year and use those? It will be delicious regardless.

Cheers!

MK

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