Easy Late-Summer Dishes to Enjoy as Autumn Arrives

I don't know about you, but I don't feel quite ready to wrap with warm layers and embrace the chill of the impending winter - summer this year felt too short and sharp!

If you're of a similar mindset, here are some tasty foodie treats to ease into autumn without letting go of the summer season:

Turn up the heat.

Summer screams salads. Just because summer is almost over, doesn't mean the salad bowls need to stop!

Rather than going for a cooling, refreshing platter of greens, get some good hearty warmth in the mix by whipping up roast vegetable salads - my favourite is the classic combo of roasted beets, carrots, potatoes and cauli combined with couscous and topped with halloumi.

Use those toms.

Summer doesn't get better than fresh tomatoes - keep cooking with those babies while they last!

Keep yourself and your family warm on these autumnal evenings with tomato-based pasta dishes (mmmm, lasagne…), curries (nothing beats a tomato, chickpea, kumara, carrot, broccoli and spinach curry - don't forget the coriander!) and casseroles.

Get grilling.

Sure, the BBQ season is drawing to a rapid end… but that shouldn't stop your grilling game!

The grill function on most ovens does a decent job, and an air fryer cuts electricity costs while still achieving a great result! 

Sure, neither of these kitchen implements inspire one to sit and watch the food cook while sipping on a cool bevvy… but we can't win them all! Our favourite veggies to pop on (in) the grill are corn, capsicum and eggplant (slathered in butter or olive oil, of course!!).

Vegetable soup for the autumn soul.

It's too early to go full winter mode in the soup department… and yet what's better than a warming broth on a cool evening?!

Keep a hint of summer in your soup pot by whipping up a summer-inspired minestrone: by its very nature, minestrone is a throw-together event. 

Whatever veggies you have in the fridge can be tossed in: courgette, tomatoes, beans, celery, capsicum, onion and fresh herbs all work delightfully well!

Plus, it freezes fantastically, meaning you can make a big batch and save some for the inevitable evening when you simply cannot be bothered cooking!