The end of summer delivers bushels of sweet peppers, corn and tomatoes to my kitchen. At the same time, the whisper of fall in the air brings a craving for warm soups layered with flavor and fragrant with smoke and char. This soup has a little bit of all that. I roast garden peppers and tomatoes in the oven, which slowly coaxes out their flavor and natural sweetness, then blitz them with aromatics. The roasted veggies create the stock for a healthy and comforting soup.

This soup is studded with juicy sweet corn kernels, which pop with every bite. I like to keep them al dente, so I don't roast them with the tomatoes and peppers, but if you prefer, you can also roast them. For a vegetarian soup, vegetable stock or water can be substituted for the chicken stock -- just be sure to taste the soup and adjust the seasonings accordingly.

While roasting in the oven is an easy method to prepare the vegetables, don't be shy about using the grill for slow roasting if you wish to keep the heat out of the kitchen. Simply grill the veggies in a grill pan over indirect high heat to achieve the same slow roasted results.

Slow Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup With Sweet Corn

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

6 ripe medium plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 large red bell peppers, seeded, quartered lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

2 to 3 cups chicken stock

Corn kernels from 1 ear of corn, 1/4 cup reserved as garnish

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the plum tomatoes and peppers, cut-sides down, in an oiled baking dish. Roast until the vegetables are softened and slightly charred, about 30 minutes. (If using canned tomatoes, only roast the peppers.) Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and cover. Let cool 15 minutes, then peel away the skin from both the tomatoes and peppers and coarsely chop.

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium. Add the onion and saute until translucent without coloring, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, peppers, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 cups stock. There should be enough to cover the vegetables. If not, add more as needed. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot and simmer the soup for 15 minutes.

Carefully transfer the soup to a food processor (or use an immersion blender). Puree the soup until smooth; return to the pot and taste for seasoning. Stir in the corn and simmer 5 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the reserved 1/4 cup corn and cilantro and serve warm.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

Upside-down baking is irresistible. Whether it's in the form of a cake or a tarte tatin (a rustic French fruit tart), the common denominator is a gorgeous, gooey caramelized bottom, which, once inverted, becomes the top of the cake or tart. Nestled in the sticky caramelized goodness are hunks of seasonal fruit, which release their juices to mingle with the butter and sugar topping and seep into the pastry while it bakes. When finished, the entire confection is flipped, bottom-side up, revealing its fruit-studded top like jewels in a crown.

The other winning quality of upside-down desserts is that they are generously flexible with the seasons. In the fall, pears and apples are the fruit of choice. In the summer, stone fruit and berries display their wonders. Mix and match to your taste. It's impossible to go wrong. I had fun with this cake, letting the contents of my fruit bowl dictate the topping. While figs and raspberries may sound like an unlikely combination, they are a perfect bridge between summer and autumn fruit, and nicely complement each other, with the tart and juicy berries jazzing up the sticky-sweet and sultry figs.

Full disclosure: I've made this cake with only raspberries, as well as only figs -- and it's all good. Like I said: Upside-down baking is flexible (and delicious).

Raspberry, Fig and Almond Upside-Down Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: makes 8 to 10 servings

1/2 cup plus 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

8 large figs, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) raspberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment. Tightly wrap the bottom of the pan with foil.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter and the light brown sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, whisking to combine. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and spread it evenly. Arrange the figs, cut-side down, in a circular pattern in the sugar-butter mixture and place the raspberries in the gaps.

Cream the 3/4 cup butter and the sugar in a mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk the sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extract in the batter. Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the batter, mixing just to combine.

Pour the batter over the fruit and smooth it with a spatula. Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack for 10 minutes, then release the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a plate. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

When summer yields more vegetables than you can shake a stick at, it's time to quick pickle. Quick pickling is one of the easiest ways to preserve a bounty of vegetables and a simple method to keep your veggies on hand for munching. The method differs from canning, in that the veggies simply brine in jars in the refrigerator for a day or up to a month before eating. This is pickling meant for instant gratification, which is what I am all about when it comes to pickles.

My family and I adore pickles, and if there are any in our house, there is no chance they will last more than a week before they're gobbled up. Quick pickling is the perfect way to give us our fix.

Luckily, when it comes to pickles, we are not dependent on the season and the need to preserve healthy produce into the winter. The entire year is a bounty. Summer's garden harvest gives way to autumn and winter vegetables, such as peppers, squash, cruciferous and root vegetables, providing a continual rotation of fresh veggies changing up in time before you tire of the season's current yield.

For the pickle brine, I use an equal part vinegar to water and prefer it not too sweet. I often use apple cider vinegar, which is mellow, slightly fruity, and seems to get along with every vegetable. White vinegar, rice vinegar, even balsamic vinegar (think strawberries -- yes you can pickle fruit, too!) are also worth experimenting with. Add herbs and aromatics to your taste, such as garlic, thyme, dill, oregano, rosemary, ginger and bay leaves.

For seasonings, use peppercorns, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, even allspice, and be sure to toast the seeds first to enhance their flavor. For a kick of heat, add jalapeno peppers to the vegetables or chili flakes to the brine. The sky is pretty much the limit, and with the speed and flexibility of quick pickling, you can tweak to your taste.

Quick Summer Pickles

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours

Yield: makes 2 quarts

Note: Don't be afraid to mix up your pickles with a variety of veggies in each jar. Not only are they diverse to eat, they also look very pretty when they fill the jar. Great candidates for pickling are cauliflower florets, peeled carrots, green beans, Kirby cucumbers, zucchini, okra ... the list goes on.

For this recipe, you will need 2 (1-quart) mason jars or 4 (1-pint) jars. Run the jars through the dishwasher or wash by hand with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly before use.

Veggies:

2 pounds (any) vegetables, washed and dried, cut into spears, wedges, thick slices or bite-size pieces

Brine:

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 cups water

2 cups apple cider vinegar, or other vinegar to your taste

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup sugar

4 garlic cloves, smashed but intact

2 bay leaves

Tightly pack the vegetables into the jars.

Toast the peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and fennel seeds in a large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the remaining brine ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and pour the brine over the vegetables.

Cover the jars and cool to room temperature. Transfer the jars to the refrigerator and chill for at least 24 hours (or store for up to 1 month) before using. The flavors will develop with time.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.