The finished San Francisco Cioppino. Photo: CC--karen_neoh

Dungeness crab season in San Francisco means great crab recipes and great crab cooking in restaurants and at home. Cioppino is our own hometown dish. This time of year, nearly every restaurant has a crab dish on special, and numerous folks at home follow suit with wonderful crab recipes of their own.

The finished salad.

Another great recipe from Amie Valpone!

The finished cashew sweet potato soup. Photo-CC- Back to the Cutting Board.jpg

A fun soup to enjoy when the weather starts gettin' a bit cool. Topped with a bit of cilantro, this soup will have your taste buds yearnin' for more in no time! Bon Appetit.

The finished roasted cauliflower soup. Photo: CC--kittyireland

Mark it in your calendars: Fall is officially soup weather. I love to stock my freezer with fresh soups and enjoy them as the temperatures continue to drop. I recently tried a cauliflower soup made with sweet potatoes, yielding a lovely autumn-orange color, but any potatoes you have on hand will do.

The finished spiced pumpkin soup. Photo: CC--Stu_Spivak

This earthy spin on pumpkin soup is a real treat. Keep and toast the pumpkin seeds for garnish or snack. In a pinch, canned pumpkin also works well, but with the season upon us, there are too many uses for fresh pumpkin to pass them up. I like to roast up a separate one to use for serving. Just remove the top, cutting wide enough to fit a ladle and hollow out the seeds.

The finished butternut squash soup with apples. Photo: CC-fritish

The fall harvest means the markets are packed with lots of juicy and delicious squash varieties. One of my favorite ways to enjoy the rich, earthy flavor of squash is in a rich, creamy squash soup. For that, I like to use the fabulous butternut squash. This soup is easy to make, hearty, nourishing, and delicious. It is wonderful fresh off the stove, or you can make it ahead of time and freeze it for later.

The finished pomegranate, beet salad. Photo: CC-ulterior_epicure

Recently, I've learned to love the lowly beet. The beet is a rich, earthy wonder. Served chilled in a salad, beets make the perfect summertime delight. This intense beet salad is accented with blood oranges, mint and feta cheese, makes a truly bold statement. Served over mixed greens, it is sure to delight your guests.

The finished cold zucchini soup. Photo: CC-seelensturm

I remember zucchini and squash growing in the neighbor's garden when I was a kid. Though I didn't much care for it then, I've come to love zucchini. Good zucchini soup is a delight to taste. This summer favorite goes nicely warm, but I prefer it chilled and garnished with dill for cool, delicious, savory soup at its best.

The finished heirloom tomato salad. Photo: CC-xmatt

Heirloom tomatoes are one reason we should all cherish August. They are as bright and flavorful, and juicy as they are bountiful this time of year. Enjoy this fresh salad on the side or on its own and save any extra zesty dressing for another day.

The finished cold cherry soup. Photo: CC-Scaredy Cat

Like the peach and the tomato, the cherry is another fruit that is nearly synonymous with summer. I can remember the summer joys of buying fresh-picked cherries from a roadside stand, and also going to visit my grandmother, where we picked cherries from the very generous tree in her back yard.

The finished cold roasted tomato soup. Photo: CC-timlewisnm

This soup uses roasted tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar and a few other fresh ingredients to deliver a delightful soup that is as tasty as it is refreshing.

The finished chilled tomato and corn soup. Photo: CC-wmacphail

The great bluegrass crooner Lester Flatt sang of the joys of homegrown tomatoes. Add sweet, homegrown corn to that and you've got the makings of a culinary match made in summer-time heaven. This chilled soup turns ripe, summer tomatoes and delicious sweet corn into a simple, yet exotic and refreshing soup that is sure to leave your family or guests wanting more.

The finished chilled avocado and tomato soup. Photo: CC-marinkvillatoro

For the purposes of this recipe, it is important to remember that the avocado and the tomato are both fruits. A curious fact to some, simple knowledge for many.

The finished chilled peach soup. Photo: CC-archangeli

Fruit soups offer a perfect way to beat the summer heat, make use of delicious, abundant summer fruit, and turn a few corners in the kitchen, all at the same time. This recipe turns peaches, wine, cinnamon, nutmeg, yogurt, and cream into a delightful, aromatic soup that is sure to turn a few heads along with those corners.

The finished tomato and cucumber salad. Photo: CC-HarlanH

This fast and delightfully fresh salad is a staple in my kitchen throughout the year, but particularly during the summer months I know affectionately as "tomato-heaven."

The finished quinoa salad. Photo: CC--FotosVanRobin

Quinoa is one of those great foods that taste great warm or cold and holds up well against the other unique flavors in this salad. This great summertime salad offers a fresh and tangy alternative to more traditional pasta salads, with just a hint of sophistication.

The finished fruit salad

Summertime is fruit time, and fruit means delicious fruit salads. Few fresh dishes are easier to make or more pleasing to the eye than fruit salads.

The finished quick peach and red chili marinade. Photo: CC--rando111us

Sweet and spicy join hands and dance in this no-fuss marinade that goes great on a variety of meat. Typically, the longer you marinate, the deeper the flavor, but even 30 minutes is enough for this sauce develop a unique tang.

The finished black bean stew. Photo: CC-FotoosVanRobin

A good stew will come together slowly—the savory aromatics building patiently, one upon another. This recipe falls in the 'rainy day' category, as the prep will likely keep you in the kitchen for a while.

Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette. Photo: CC-Laurel Fan

Slowly roasted beets are the star in this hearty winter salad. The fresh fruit segments compliment the splash of citrus in the dressing.