And just like that, September is here. Long before I’m ready for summer to be over, the month that signals the start of fall rolls in. But even though a few of August’s garden-fresh favorites are finished for the season, September’s list of harvestable fruits and vegetables is the longest of year, with the last of the summer beans, berries, and corn bumping up against the first of the fall greens, plums, and winter squash.
If August is the month for enjoying fresh fruit and veg, September is the month for adding a bit of charred, caramelized, and smoky flavor to the produce on the table. We’ll be grilling, roasting, and smoking all month at Twice as Tasty—mostly thanks to some incredible response from recent Twice as Tasty workshops.
Although my September schedule is quickly filling up, it’s not too late to get in on the current lineup or featured workshops locally. And Twice as Tasty will be on the road again in late October! For more details, click here.
Grill It
Hands down, grilling is my favorite technique for creating intensely flavored food. Even in September, I’d far rather fire up the grill outdoors than crank up the stove in the house. If “barbecue” is synonymous with “meat” in your house, now’s the time to experiment with some of the grilled fruit and vegetable recipes already on the blog:
- Baba Ghanouj
- Corn, Bean, and Pepper Salsa
- Grilled Corn
- Grilled Onion Dip
- Grilled Tomatillo Salsa and Margaritas
- Grilled Tomato Chipotle Salsa and Bloody Mary Mix
- Marinated and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
- Shish Kebabs with Garlic–Soy Marinade
Although each of these posts explains the best way to grill the featured item, the blog also has pages describing tools and techniques that will make your grilling efforts a success. You can find my advice on grilling in preparation for long-term storage here. And if you really want to take your grilling to the next level, let’s schedule one of these workshops:
Roast It
“Roast” is another word generally associated with meats; the vegetables are often an afterthought and roasted within the same pan to absorb the meat juices. But the indirect, uniform heat provided by an enclosed oven benefits many vegetables and a surprising number of fruits. When the nights begin to cool, consider some of these recipes that feature or used roasted ingredients:
- Asian White Bean Dip
- Harvest Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin–Chocolate Cookies
- Roasted-Fruit Syrup
- Roasted Garlic
- Roasted-Garlic Hummus
- Roasted Pumpkin Puree and Seeds
- Vegan Roasted Raspberry Vinaigrette
Smoke It
We first started smoking vegetables to create chipotles from our own pepper harvest for Grilled Tomato Chipotle Salsa and later Smoky Sour Cherry–Tequila Salsa. But we’ve had great success with pairing the smoking technique and our battered old charcoal grill for a range of other items, from cheese to nuts to beets. It’s one of the newest techniques in our cooking arsenal, so I’m just beginning to share the recipes—starting this month.
Twice as Tasty
As I mentioned earlier, workshop participants have been excited about learning the techniques and using the recipes that are the focus of this month’s posts. The Grilled Sourdough Pizza workshop has been a blazing success partially because toppings include my pizza sauce based on grilled tomatoes. My next Pick a Pickle workshop will include the delicious flavor of roasted beets. And a Feeling Saucy workshop session had the participants begging for the recipe for home-smoked chili paste. I’ll be sharing these recipes, as well as dishes that pair with or use them, starting next week. See you then!
Want to play with more variations? Twice as Tasty is teaching grilling techniques in workshops held in your own backyard, among friends—and with my personal help, and all of the techniques described in this post are available in custom workshops. Click here to learn more.
Twice as Tasty 