September is a sweet spot for easy weeknight cooking: a little bit summer, a little bit fall, it’s raw produce’s time to shine. Tomatoes, peppers, and basil are coming in strong, and there’s so much zucchini, farmers are practically giving it away. At the same time, the first signs of fall (apples! turning leaves! your coffee shop’s seasonal menu!) are popping up left, right, and center.
All the while, schedules are filling up. Between back-to-school, soccer practice, the end of summer Fridays, and the post-Labor Day blues, your nightly meal plan should be a beacon. That means make-ahead recipes you can prep before the evening rush, one-pot dinners that save you from a sink full of dishes, and 30-minute meals for nights when hunger overcometh you. There are dinners that rely on summer’s last tomatoes, a marinated lentil salad that’s even better by lunchtime the next day, and a couple of cozy soups because blustery days are right around the corner.
