Of all the growing months, September holds the garden’s greatest bounty. I’ll harvest the widest variety of produce over the next few weeks, some of it from plants that are in their prime but much of it from those that are yielding their final offerings. In my garden, many plants will release preservable quantities this month, including nightshades, cucumbers, squash, and if a frost hits before the month’s end, apples. Plums and pears will be the only new arrivals, but they’ll all be ready at once.

Even though I spend plenty of hours in September putting up homegrown food, much of the garden will offer portions suitable for fresh meals. Broccoli and even asparagus are still putting out a handful or two of new shoots at a time. Corn and snap beans just passed their peak but will continue to give up enough for immediate use. Cherry tomato and basil plants will keep reminding me of summer even as the days shorten and cool. So I’m taking a break from sharing canning recipes this month to pass on some of my favorite ways to savor the flavors of fall.

Savoring Variety

The blog already contains many recipes that will help you prepare fresh feasts with your fall harvests. If you live anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, you will likely have as much variety (or more) in your garden as I do in mine. Here are just a few of the recipes I make from a September garden:

• Crepes with Wild Berries and Lemon Cheese
• Zucchini Sesame Bread
• Herbed-Tomato Dip
• Corn, Bean, and Pepper Salsa
• Basic Potato Frittata
• Asian Cabbage Salad
• Roasted Beet and Cheese Salad
• Shish Kebabs with Garlic–Soy Marinade
• Grilled Tomatillo Margaritas
• Apple Crumble Pie

Savoring Quantity

I spent all last month sharing classic canning recipes, and you’ll probably have enough volume to make those that use cucumbers and zucchini—and perhaps even berry and cherry jams—in September. My canning and fermenting season extends into October, so I’ll give you some new preserving recipes next month. But in September, you’ll find my water-bath canner and fermenting space full of not just canning classics but also these jars:

• Sweet Pepper Jelly
• Slow Cooker Apple Butter
• Fall Marmalade
• Apple–Red Onion Marmalade
• Fermented Dill Pickles
• Grilled Tomatillo Salsa
• Grilled Tomato Chipotle Salsa
• Grilled Tomato Bloody Mary Mix
• Apfel Sauerkraut
• Grandma Tiny’s Chunky Applesauce

Managing Your Time

If you’re harvesting for both your evening meal and whatever you can squirrel away for the off-season, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the volume of your harvest. Twice as Tasty techniques for managing your kitchen time can ease your load in the coming month. If you’re grilling for preserving, plan to turn some of that produce into your evening meal or leave enough coals for a fresh dish. If you’re cutting up veg for a recipe you plan to process, remember the one prep, two meals technique and set some aside for dinner. If even that seems like too much planning, don’t forget that meals from the garden may not need a recipe. Better yet, gather your friends for a Twice as Tasty workshop that will help you manage your time in the kitchen.

Twice as Tasty

This month, I’ll share some of my recipes that make the most of fall crops. Next week, learn to make two salads that are so filling they stand on their own as one-dish meals. We’ll be setting out for our annual fall coastal cruising later this month, so you’ll get in on some of my favorite fall travel recipes: sweet and savory muffins, and munchies for road trips and island hopping. Good luck with your fall garden haul!

Like what you’ve learned? To learn more in a Twice as Tasty workshop—in your own kitchen, among friends, and with my personal help—click here. If you’re not yet a Twice as Tasty subscriber, get newsletters delivered straight to your inbox by clicking here.