I know it is a wee bit early to be posting pumpkin recipes. In fact, the winter squash and sugar pie pumpkins are not quite ready for harvesting yet in our garden; but these cool crisp mornings are beginning to remind me of spicy pumpkin treats!

Roasting beets softens their earthy flavor and brings out a wonderful sweetness. This way of preparing beets is so simple that you'll probably never go back to steaming, pressure cooking, or roasting in foil. All you need is a baking dish with a lid.

This time of year, fruit is falling off the trees, and many people wonder how to preserve it before it goes to waste. A lot of fresh fruit ends up rotting—maybe that’s part of nature’s grand design to enrich the soil around the roots? I’m not sure. But one thing is certain, late summer is a busy time for anyone with fruit trees or berry bushes. There are a few simple methods you can use to quickly preserve the harvest. We freeze most of our fruit in an extra freezer in the garage. While this may not be the most energy-efficient method, it’s quick and easy—especially if you have extra freezer space. If you’d like to dive deeper, I wrote an entire chapter on preserving the harvest in my new cookbook, Nourishing Meals.

When summer's produce is in abundance we like to create meals that revolve around it, like this one. If you are vegan or vegetarian you can substitute cooked blacked beans or sautéed tempeh for the chicken. I think you'll find the Spicy Avocado Dressing rather addicting!

This is another guest post by my 10-year old daughter, Lily (I helped her format the recipe). For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while you might remember the first guest post she did on Homemade Seaweed Snacks.

The other week I was picking my daughter up from art camp and another mother came up to me to let me know the changes in her health that came about after following our Elimination Diet years ago. She said that she looks and feels so different now and is not the person she used to be....in a good way. She was beautiful and her skin was glowing!

Summer's bounty is here and needs to be preserved or used right away! What do you do to preserve the summer harvest of fruits and vegetables? For fruit, we freeze it, dehydrate it into fruit roll-ups or small pieces, make jam, make fun cakes or crisps, and just enjoy it fresh.

This fresh, summery smoothie will quench your thirst and rejuvenate your cells! My ingredients veer a little from the smoothie ingredients we typically use. This one makes use of all of the produce (except ginger) you can find at your your local Farmer's Market or food co-op right now!

I love summertime's bounty of fresh produce! I created this recipe while visiting family in the Midwest, where you can actually find a variety of tomatoes this time of year. In the Pacific Northwest the tomatoes are not in abundance until August.

Catching a flight can be hectic enough—add in trying to pack all of your own food for the day, and it might sound like a daunting task. But I promise you: with a little forethought, it can be simple, nourishing, and completely worth it.