As we near the end of summer and fall starts to tease that our temperatures may eventually dip out of the 90s, I begin to crave more substance in my meals. I rely more on cooked foods and less on raw foods and hardy herbs like sage and rosemary creep back onto my plate. Consider this hash a sort of transitional summer to fall dish. It takes advantage of beautiful sweet summer peppers but hints at fall with comforting potatoes and sage. Though this makes a great breakfast (or breakfast taco filling), you can enjoy it for any meal.

The first thing that always comes to mind when I get my hands on eggplant is baba ghanouj, a delicious Middle Eastern dip made of roasted eggplant, tahini, and spices. But, eggplant is a summer crop and one of the last things I want to do when it’s sweltering out is turn on my oven! Here you’ll find a smokier stove top version of one of my favorite dips.

Fall is my favorite of the seasons. The leaves begin to flirt with color changes and the wind smells different, crisper somehow. My favorite way to bring a little fall into whatever season I’m in is with spices. I’ve paired chai spices with sweet and earthy winter squash for a delicious and thick butter. You can use any winter squash here but my favorites are butternut and red kuri. Eat it like you would apple butter, smeared over toast, swirled into yogurt, or on top of your morning oatmeal.

I tend to be fiery by nature. I’m much more comfortable in snow than sun. Since Houston isn’t exactly my ideal climate, I have plenty of methods in place to keep cool. In order to stay hydrated and get a little cooling action at the same time, I use mint and lime a lot throughout the summer. They make the perfect addition to this delicious, fresh melon agua fresca. I typically don’t like to sweeten mine but I’ll leave that part of the recipe up to you.

It’s not just potatoes that are fit for mashing! Turnips make a delicious and beautifully-hued mash when paired with a few simple ingredients and topped with a sprinkle of crispy shallots. Though they have a somewhat humble appearance, turnips are a great source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. So grab some turnips and let’s get mashing!

I’ve reached the point in the summer when the will to turn on either the oven or stove is lost. I’m sure you can relate, especially with the temperatures in the triple digits these past several days. The saving grace of summer is almost always the produce! Cucumbers for instance are incredibly hydrating and cooling. While they don’t have chemical constituents that physically cool tissues in the body, their high water content means that cucumbers can be up to 20 degrees cooler than their surrounding environment! So find yourself some cucumbers, make this salad, and kick back and enjoy it in the shade.

When the weather begins to finally start backing away from the 100 degree mark, I ready my store of fall and winter recipes. Soups are pretty prevalent among my favorites for fall. This version relies heavily on the sweet and earthy flavors of roasted butternut squash. To make the soup extra comforting and filling, it’s topped off with homemade herb croutons.

The leaves of the tendergreen mustard have a mild, peppery flavor and as their name suggests, are perfect for eating raw in salads. They’re high in Vitamins A and C and are a great option to change up your typical salad situation. Try this holiday-inspired salad as a side or top it with your favorite protein for a more complete meal.

I’ve often found the most enjoyable way to eat sun-ripened summer tomatoes is raw. Whether in salads or thickly sliced and laid atop toast, their sweetness doesn’t need much adornment. This salad is my take on the quintessential tomato and onion salad. The quick-pickled shallots and green coriander seed add a tangy depth of flavor that pairs well with the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.

When raw, daikon radish can be a bit spicy or pungent. But, if you cook it in a flavorful broth until it is meltingly tender, it becomes earthy and a bit sweet. Flavored with miso, ginger, garlic, and star anise, the braising liquid not only tastes delicious, but is good for the digestive system. Serving the braised daikon over steamed rice or quinoa makes it both filling and comforting.

I’m all about soups once the weather cools down. It’s nice to be able to toss everything into one pot and end up with a comforting and nourishing bowl of goodness. In this version, greens are added at the very end and cooked until just wilted. Greens like chard and broccoli rabe not only taste delicious, but they help to neutralize acidic conditions in the body as well as filter out pollutants. For a bit of brightness, the soup is topped with a cilantro pistou.