This is the last hurrah for the squash in my garden. Adding a spoonful of bright green pistou–like pesto, but without the cheese–brightens the dish and adds a garlicky kick. You can add a small, thin-skinned potato during cooking (add it when you add the squash) for a thick, velvety texture without the cream.

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Vidalia or other sweet onion, or yellow onion
2 pounds yellow squash, zucchini or a combination of the two, chopped
3 to 4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup shelled pistachios (unsalted)
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Heat oil in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and cook onion for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Add squash and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
2. Add 3 cups of the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, until squash is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. While soup is cooking, make Pistachio Pistou: combine pistachios, basil and garlic in a small food processor and process into a thick paste. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil until incorporated, scraping down sides of food processor as needed. Transfer to a small bowl, season to taste with sea salt, and set aside.
4. When soup is done, remove from heat and puree in batches until very smooth and creamy, adding remaining stock as needed to reach desired consistency. Season to taste with sea salt and white pepper.
5. To serve, divide soup between 4 to 6 bowls, top each with a spoonful of Pistachio Pistou, and serve immediately.

This is a great way to use the last of the tomatoes in the garden. To make the tomato puree for this recipe, plunge whole tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon, and drop into an ice bath to cool. Skins will slip right off; then just seed tomatoes and puree the flesh in a food processor. A hint of chipotle adds smoky depth to this soup, without overwhelming the dish with spice. For a different flavor profile, omit the chipotle, add shaved fennel and minced basil, and garnish with a mound of finely green and black olives.

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 cups tomato puree
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, or to taste
1 1/2 cup milk (preferably from pastured cows)
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed in a garlic press
4 slices pumpernickle bread
2 ounces shredded Gruyere or other Swiss cheese
Minced fresh basil leaves for garnish

1. In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat; cook onion for 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Add tomato puree, tomato paste and chipotle powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, partly covered, for 20 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture to a food processor and puree until very smooth. Return to pot, stir in milk, and warm through on low heat. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. While soup is warming, preheat broiler to high. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil with garlic. Spread mixture over each bread slice, sprinkle with cheese, and broil until bubbly. Remove from oven and halve each piece on the diagonal.
4. To serve, divide soup between individual bowls, garnish with minced basil, and serve with toast alongside.

This is a super-simple and basic salad: Romaine lettuce is sturdy enough to stand up to grilling, a technique that turns a summery green into a more autumn-like offering. A spicy-garlicky-creamy dressing and a light shaving of extra-sharp cheese is really all this salad needs, but fresh tomatoes and cool avocado add a nice contrast to the warm lettuce.

Serves 4

2 hearts of Romaine lettuce
olive oil for brushing
2 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons homemade or high-quality mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste
1 cup small cherry tomatoes, or 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced lengthwise
Crumbled ricotta salata or feta cheese

1. Lightly oil grill racks and preheat grill to medium high.
2. Cut Romaine heads in half lengthwise, brush all surfaces of each half with olive oil, and grill for 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. While lettuce is grilling, make dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together garlic, vinegar, mayonnaise and Sriracha. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Remove lettuce from the grill and arrange one lettuce half on each of four plates. Arrange tomatoes and avocado slices around, drizzle with dressing, and crumble cheese over top. Serve immediately.

This vegan ice cream is a natural alternative to commercial ice creams. Substitute light coconut milk if that’s more to your liking; you can also use coconut sugar instead of evaporated cane juice. Yacon syrup, from a South American tuber, adds a caramel-butterscotch flavor; you can find it in the sweeteners section in many natural products stores. Finely chopping the coconut and macadamia garnish make a pretty presentation when it’s dusted on top of the yacon syrup, and toasting adds volumes of flavor.

Serves 4

2 cups coconut milk
1/3 cup goji berries
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
6 tablespoons yacon syrup

1. Combine coconut milk, goji berries, evaporated cane juice, vanilla and lemon juice in a blender. Process until well blended, and small flecks of goji berries remain visible. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to directions.
2. While ice cream is freezing, finely chop the macadamia nuts. Heat a small pan over medium-low heat and dry-toast the macadamias and shredded coconut, shaking pan constantly to prevent burning, and toasting for 1 minute or so, until golden. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to cool.
3. When ice cream is finished processing, place scoops in each of four individual dishes. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons yacon syrup, shower with macadamia-coconut dust, and serve immediately.

It’s the end (some say thankfully) of zucchini season. If you don’t think you can stand the sight of one more of them, try this fresh, simple recipe. It’s best with smaller zucchini–save the last of those giant ones for quick pickles or zucchini muffins. Use a very sharp vegetable peeler for the prettiest appearance. You can also toss in some small red grape or halved cherry tomatoes.

Serves 4

1 pound zucchini
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced thyme or lemon-thyme leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 avocado
Pecorino-Romano or other hard, sharp cheese (optional)

1. Trim and discard stems from zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler, and holding zucchini as if you were going to peel it, slice thin ribbons from the zucchini into a large bowl, including skin and white flesh. When you get to the center seed portion of zucchini, stop peeling. Discard center and seeds.
2. Whisk oil, lemon juice and thyme together in a small bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour over zucchini and toss to mix. Set aside.
3. Heat a small skillet over low heat, and toast pine nuts for 2 minutes, tossing frequently, until fragrant and just starting to turn golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Stack basil leaves and thinly slice crosswise into very thin strips. Add to bowl with zucchini. Halve avocado, remove pit and then halve each half lengthwise, so avocado is quartered. Carefully peel off skin, and cut flesh lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Add to zucchini, and carefully toss to mix.
5. To serve, use tongs to lift zucchini and avocado mixture onto individual plates. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts over. Shave thin slices of Pecorino-Romano over salad, if desired, and serve immediately.

Ginger and roasted shiitake mushrooms add warming autumn influences and an Asian slant to a simple zucchini soup. Use only the caps of the shiitake mushrooms–the stems are too fibrous; reserve them for stocks. To gently melt the coconut oil without a microwave, put 2 tablespoons into a small jar and immerse in a bowl of hot water.

Serves 4 to 6

1 to 2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped small
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups homemade or high-quality vegetable or chicken stock
2 pounds zucchini, chopped small
1 cup fresh, blanced green peas or frozen green peas, thawed
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Sea salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
Fresh minced chives for garnish

1. Heat sesame oil in a 3-quart pot over medium-low heat. Saute onion for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened and golden. Add ginger, garlic and spices, and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
2. Add stock and zucchini; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes, until zucchini is soft and liquid is slightly reduced. Add peas and cook for 5 minutes longer, until peas are warmed through.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange mushrooms in a small pile on a baking sheet and pour oil over. Toss with your hands to mix, then spread in a single layer (use a big enough pan to avoid overlapping mushrooms; if they’re crowded, they’ll steam instead of getting crispy). Sprinkle sea salt evenly over mushrooms, then roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until crispy.
4. When soup is done cooking, transfer to a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding cayenne pepper to taste.
5. Divide soup between four individual bowls. Sprinkle tops of each bowl with roasted shiitakes, garnish with chives, and serve hot.