When summer fades and the season tilts to autumn, my senses heighten. The lower light casts a gauzy glow, stretching the shadows lazy and long. The air turns cool and sharp, tinged with wood-burning smoke and the essence of dew on fallen leaves. Wind gusts grow blustery, and fog bears beads of mist and drizzle. No longer stultified by heat and humidity, my appetite grows and shifts to warmth and comfort, craving steaming bowls of chowder and stews, warm drinks and fortifying libations. This steamy bowl of buttery clams hits the spot.

I experienced a meal like this one day last fall, when I was in Washington researching a travel story on the northern coast of the Olympic peninsula. In true Pacific Northwest form, the weather was gray, foggy and misty with intermittent (i.e. frequent) rain showers. Yes, it was seasonally wet. It was also magical, mystical and magnificent. The horizon loomed with teetering mountains, shrouded in swirls of clouds and fog and bedecked with garlands of waterfalls cascading into serpentine lakes. It was desolate, due in part to the weather and also the season.

I had the roads to myself, snaking through canyons, interrupted occasionally by logging trucks barreling past, shocking me out of my reverie. I hiked to a ridge, rain be damned, with distant views to British Columbia, through a mist-laden rain forest lush with moss. I traced a river to a roaring crescendo of water tumbling from a precipitous ledge, and I saw salmon spawn.

By the end of the day, I was cold, soggy and famished. I returned to sea level, to a small fishing town anchoring the mountains to the sea. There were no restaurants open at 4 p.m. but for one lone storefront fish market that provided counter service, and I ordered a simple bowl of garlicky clams steamed in wine and swimming in their buttery juices, with slabs of garlic bread for soaking up the sweet broth. The singular accompaniment was an icy glass of snappy local riesling. It was perfect. Since then, I've re-created this dish at home a number of times. It’s simple and consistently rewarding. The only thing missing is the weather.

Butter and Garlic Clams

Littleneck clams are my preferred type of clam for this recipe. They are the smallest quahog clam, with sweet and tender meat. Depending on their size, 1 pound yields 8 to 12 clams. When cleaning clams, discard any opened clams or those with broken shells before washing. Rinse the clams under cold water, gently scrubbing them clean. Once cooked, discard any unopened clams before serving.

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups un-oaked white wine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds littleneck clams, about 24, rinsed and scrubbed clean

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

Lemon wedges for serving

In a large, deep skillet with a lid, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and add the clams. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and steam the clams until the shells have opened, shaking the pan from time to time, 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the clams.

Remove the lid and discard any unopened clams. Taste the broth and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Divide the clams and cooking liquid among serving bowls and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and garlic bread or crusty bread.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

I call these fajitas, but are they actually tacos? Perhaps they’re a little of both. What’s the difference, you may ask.

Very generally speaking, fajitas are traditionally made with grilled meat, often skirt steak, or chicken and sauteed peppers and onions. The ingredients are presented deconstructed, ready for assembly in soft flour tortillas. Tacos traditionally include ground meat, lettuce, tomato and cheese assembled in a fried corn tortilla. As for similarities, both fajitas and tacos include salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheese as optional accompaniments.

Now, depending on the region of origin, the cook and everyone’s (naturally correct) opinion, all sorts of variations abound. So, with that caveat, I suggest that this recipe with grilled skirt steak and flour tortillas leans more to a fajita ... with a spin. In this version, the grilled onions and peppers are missing. In place, a fresh and chunky black bean and corn salsa is added. And don’t worry -- all the usual accompaniments, such as guacamole, tomato salsa, sour cream and cheese are included as well.

Skirt Steak Fajitas

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus marinating time

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Marinade:

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 5- or 6-inch pieces

Black Bean and Corn Salsa:

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

Corn kernels from one ear of fresh corn (or 1 cup defrosted frozen corn)

2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Juice of one lime

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soft flour tortillas, warmed

Optional garnishes: tomato salsa or pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, grated cheese, fresh cilantro, lime wedges

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place the skirt steak in a baking dish. Pour the marinade over the steak and turn to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning once or twice. Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a bowl. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Refrigerate until serving.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat. Remove the skirt steak from the marinade and grill over direct heat 6 to 8 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the steaks against the grain in thin strips.

Serve the steak with warm tortillas, the black bean and corn salsa, and other toppings, such as guacamole, tomato salsa, cilantro sprigs, sour cream and lime wedges.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Late summer reaps a kaleidoscope of peppers. It’s impossible not to scoop up armfuls of chile peppers with myriad shapes and a rainbow of colors. Some are sweet, some are fiery, and all are rich sources of vitamins A and C, folic acid, potassium and fiber, with the added benefit of beta-carotene in the red and orange varieties. Many recipes specify a certain type of pepper, often the ubiquitous bell pepper, but when it’s the height of pepper season, I opt for combining a variety in one dish, bringing a balance of heat, sweetness, flavor and color.

Homemade pizza is a great way to show off a fresh and feisty chile pepper combination. On this white (no tomato sauce) pizza, I’ve combined four distinctive peppers that are in season. Highly decorative Jimmy Nardello chile peppers are long, slender and gnarly with a mild fruity flavor. Hatch chile peppers are a seasonal specialty, prolific from August through September. They are earthy and buttery in flavor and slightly smoky when roasted. If Hatch chiles are unavailable, mild Anaheim peppers are a good substitute.

Poblano chile peppers are the fresh version of dried ancho peppers. When fresh, they are relatively mild and earthy with a bite, and are great for roasting. Calabrian chiles are small, bright red peppers, round or conical in shape, with a moderately high heat level. They are available fresh and are also sold jarred in the Italian or condiment section of your grocery store. They make an excellent garnish with a kick of heat.

Feel free to mix and match your own combination of peppers, depending on taste and availability, but try to include a colorful range of sweet to hot for the most flavorful result.

When possible, I make my pizza on the grill. Not only does it keep the heat outdoors in the warm weather, but it yields a wonderful charred and smoky flavor to the crust. Bear in mind a few tips when preparing your pizza:

1. Store-bought dough is OK! I confess that while I make my dough from scratch from time to time, I often purchase fresh pizza dough at the store to use immediately or freeze for later use. Prepared doughs are usually sold in 1-pound packages and yield one large rectangular pizza or two small round pizzas.

2. Don’t overload your pizza. If the pizza has too many toppings, it will be heavy and the crust can be soggy. The amounts below are for one large rectangular pizza, using 1 pound of fresh dough, thinly rolled or stretched. Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready, so that once you roll out the pizza, all you need to do is assemble. Use your judgment when layering the ingredients, and don’t feel compelled to use every last piece. When stretching the dough, it’s fine if it’s irregular in shape. The key is to make it uniform in thickness to ensure even cooking.

3. Parchment paper is your friend. I find it easiest to assemble the pizza on parchment paper, which is easy to slide on and off of the pizza stone. You can trim any excess paper around the edge of the pizza to prevent charring on the grill. If you don’t have a pizza paddle, you can use a rimless cookie sheet to slide under the paper.

4. A pizza stone is ideal. Whether you make a pizza in the oven or on the grill, a pizza stone is a terrific way to transmit the heat evenly to the bottom of the pizza. If you don’t have a pizza stone, then a perforated pizza pan or a baking sheet will also work, but the cooking times may vary.

Pizza With Roasted Cauliflower, Chile Peppers and Green Olives

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Yield: Makes one rectangular thin-crust pizza, approximately 10 by 15 inches

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt

1/2 head small cauliflower, florets broken into bite-size pieces, about 1 1/2 cups

3 assorted chile peppers, such as Jimmy Nardello, Hatch and Poblano, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound fresh pizza dough

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, or more to taste

1/4 cup plus 1/2 cup loosely packed finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

8 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella (1 ovalini or 8 ciliegine balls), thinly sliced or shredded

2 Calabrian chiles, thinly sliced (or 2 tablespoons chopped jarred Calabrian chiles)

1/2 cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano or Picholine, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees or prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat. Preheat a pizza stone on the lowest oven rack or on the grill grates for at least 10 minutes.

Whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.

Toss the cauliflower and sliced peppers with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl. Lightly season with salt and black pepper and toss again.

Roll out or stretch the pizza dough to your desired shape and thickness on parchment paper. I prefer to stretch my dough thin in a large rectangular shape.

Lightly brush the dough with the garlic oil, leaving a 3/4-inch border clear around the edges. Sprinkle the red chili flakes and 1/4 cup pecorino cheese over the dough. Spread the cauliflower and peppers over the crust, keeping the border clear.

Arrange the mozzarella over the pizza, gently nestling around and over the vegetables. Scatter the Calabrian chilies and green olives over the top and sprinkle the remaining pecorino cheese over the pizza.

Slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake until the cauliflower is tinged, the crust is golden brown and crisp, and the cheese is melted, 13 to 15 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the crust.

Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and immediately brush the crust with some of the garlic oil. Drizzle any remaining oil over the pizza. Sprinkle the lemon zest and black pepper over the pizza. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS