Delicious ideas for using up the last of your summer harvest yield

Summer is over, no question, yet a summer-like bounty of fruits and vegetables still surrounds us. It may even literally surround you, if you've been visiting farmers' markets weekly, or your garden remains flush with the yield of all the beautiful things you planted earlier this year. 

Lucky as that might be, if your countertops have been filled with that produce for months now, you may feel a little bored or uninspired by those ingredients at this point. However, as you make the transition into the cooler season, there is still so much to make with your bumper crop. I like to think of this time of the year as the slow season; and so the recipes I share with you below — to inspire you to do even more with that later-harvest produce — reflect that.

Read on for ideas that I hope you'll find tempting, and that you might not be trying already. I promise there's not a zucchini bread suggestion in sight!

Tomato salad with sumac vinaigrette

Though the seasons have turned, I'm not ready to start roasting just yet; I want to eat my late-summer tomatoes raw because they are still sweet and reminiscent of warmer days. I have just the vinaigrette and herbs to share with you. 

Start with fresh dill, washed and patted dry, and finely chop the fronds until you have 3 tablespoons. Set this aside. Take 2 pounds of assorted tomatoes (which could include cherry, beefsteak, or heirloom varieties), slice the smaller ones in half down the middle and cut the larger tomatoes into wedges, measuring at least a half inch. Then make a simple vinaigrette by whisking together 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (or you can use whichever vinegar you prefer), ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of one of my favourite spices, sumac. The sweet and sour component of sumac pairs really well with tomatoes. Arrange your tomatoes in a single layer on a large platter (they will overlap) and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Scatter herbs on top and enjoy this with toasted sourdough or alongside a main dish. 

Cumin-scented zucchini bhujia

If you have a glut of zucchini and you don't want to bake, I have an idea for a savoury zucchini dish — and it's one you can have with pasta the next day or fold into an omelette. You may even want to enjoy it with a flatbread like naan. It's my cumin-scented Pakistani-style zucchini and it comes together in about 20 minutes. Warm 3 tablespoons of neutral oil (like grapeseed or sunflower) in a 9- or 10-inch skillet, with a tight fitting lid, on medium-high heat. Add ½ a small onion, sliced thinly into half moon shapes, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or till the edges start to turn golden. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic cloves, and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Then add ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric and 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne (or ½ teaspoon, if you prefer less heat). To this, add 2 cups of diced zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Stir to coat the zucchini with the spices and oil. Then add ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid for 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally, making sure that the zucchini isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan. Before serving, scatter with 2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped mint leaves (perhaps from your garden!). Enjoy this with naan, or with crackers, and a soft cheese like ricotta.

Sabz (green) chutney

I am a huge fan of repurposing whatever you may have in your fridge, even when it's come to look a bit sad. With the abundance of herbs this season, you are sure to have some which are wilted and you're probably wondering what to do with them. Please, don't discard them! Make a sabz (green) chutney. You'll need 2 cups of fresh herbs, which can be a combination of cilantro, mint, basil, dill, chives and more. Wash them well, and don't worry about patting them perfectly dry. Coarsely chop and place them in a food processor, and add ¼ cup of lemon or lime juice, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 1 Thai bird chili (or a smaller amount for less heat) and 1 tablespoon of ice water. Start to whizz the mixture up in your processor and keep a glass of ice water on hand. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon if you need to thin the chutney out — it should appear runny while retaining some texture. This is a sauce you can dunk your fritters into, pour over grilled meat or tofu, drizzle onto a cold lentil salad, or serve alongside soft cheese like Le Cendrillon with bread on the side. 

Garlicky, stewed red peppers

Red bell peppers at the end of summer are so sweet, and there's something about the scarlet colour of these peppers, and the resultant velvety texture when these are cooked, that make them perfect to enjoy as we step into fall. Take 4 red bell peppers, core and seed them, then slice them into ¼-inch strips. Finely dice 2 plum tomatoes. Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, and add 1 shallot, finely minced, and 2 garlic cloves, also finely minced. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until slightly golden, then add the peppers and tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Turn the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until peppers are soft, stirring occasionally. Season with sea sat, add lots of chopped fresh herbs on top and serve on top of toasted sourdough.

Cardamom blueberry compote

Those little blueberries can still be scooped up in this transition to fall — use every last one while you can. In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of blueberries, ½ cup of water, ½ cup of light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a strip of lemon zest, ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom and a pinch of sea salt. Bring it all to a boil and stir as the blueberries break down, about 5 minutes. I like the blueberries to retain a bit of their structure, so I take them off the heat when they start to soften, but if you want a smoother texture, continue to cook for another 5 minutes. When cool, spoon this compote over vanilla ice cream. This is also delicious served with Brie and crackers.

Rose peaches and mascarpone

This stone fruit looks and tastes like sunshine to me. You can simply slice your peaches into quarters or halves and enjoy them with ice cream and nuts with a drizzle of maple syrup. But for an extra-special treat, here's a little twist. Take 2 peaches (preferably freestone) and quarter them. Add the juice of ½ a lemon and 1 teaspoon of rosewater. Toss gently. Then sprinkle them with crushed, unsalted pistachios and serve with a dollop of mascarpone cheese.

Stewed cardamom-scented plums

I love plums sautéed in a little bit of butter. Take a pound of plums and pit them, cutting them in half. Place a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. When butter starts to foam, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of sea salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom. Stir to combine, then add the plums and cook until slightly syrupy. Let them cool, and enjoy them with cold yogurt or over ice cream. They're also lovely alongside a hard cheese like Pecorino Romano or Parmiggiano-Reggiano. 

 Shayma Owaise Saadat is a food writer and chef. She lives in Toronto with her husband and son. You can follow her culinary journey at www.shaymasaadat.com or on Instagram at @SpiceSpoon.