Tomatoes are at the end of the season here in Chicago, and I’m getting anxious about going without through the winter. Tomato sauce seems like the perfect way for me to preserve what’s left and insure that my craving will be satisfied at least a few months into the winter.

I have an addiction, one that can only be indulged for a few weeks every year. Heirloom tomatoes rule my kitchen late in the summertime. I could wax poetic all day about the heirloom tomato, but instead I will give you a “hardly recipe” for a lovely simple salad.

This recipe was inspired by the lovely haricot verts, or French green beans, that showed up at the market a few weeks ago. Haricot verts are more tender than regular green beans and are perfectly suited for summer salads. I love the smokiness imparted by the Black Forest bacon, which also has less fat than regular bacon, and there’s just enough here to satisfy a craving for something a little sinful.

At the farmers market I usually end up buying too much of something, and the frittata is a cooking trick I use to get it all eaten up before it goes bad. It’s stupid easy to prepare, and you can make it fancy or keep it simple.

The basic recipe for compote is simple enough: chopped rhubarb, water, sugar. I wanted to make it a little more special so added an herb that has been finding its way into many of my dishes lately: tarragon. Mixed with some greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey, this rhubarb compote makes an elegant and refreshing dessert perfect for completing a summertime meal.

I’m busy, I’m packing, blah, blah, blah. You get it by now. In spite of everything going on in my life, I must take time to feed myself nourishing meals. Maybe I’m high maintenance or a bit snobby. I’m OK with that, because I get to eat lovely dishes like this hearty concoction of winter veggies.

I keep reminding myself that packing then moving across the country in a U-Haul through the midwest in the dead of winter would cause anyone anxiety. This is mainly the reason that I haven’t had much time to cook lately, and I miss it. So, in the midst of all of this chaos, I chose to make my own pizza dough and create this lovely flatbread. Procrastination is a skill, folks, you have to work hard to get it right.

In my attempt to eat more seasonally, I am encountering produce that I don’t normally prepare. Leeks fall into that category. This recipe combines leeks with another veggie that often confounds me, the radish. I know what you’re thinking: since when is butter healthy? Fear not the sat fat, the recipe only calls for a tablespoon for 4 servings.

I saw this recipe for a butternut squash pizza on Real Simple and knew I could make it real simpler. Instead of using the refrigerated dough the recipe calls for, I turn to my quickie standby for mini pizzas: the pita.

I love Brussels sprouts steamed with a little salt and butter, but I can see how they are an acquired taste for many. This recipe is like a subdued yet tangy sauerkraut flecked with pungent little caraway seeds. The scent that wafts from the oven reminds me of a Jewish deli.