What a lovely Sukkot it’s been so far. Warm days over 60 degrees, not a drop of rain, and a much slower pace after whirlwind High Holidays.

Instead of feeling rushed and stressed, I’ve been feeling great—probably because I’m taking it easy. We didn’t even build our own Sukkah this year, using the community one instead and also visiting a friend’s. This has given me a chance to experiment in the kitchen, focusing on Fall-style recipes.

I’ve tried lots of squash (Butternut soup and acorn rings), apple desserts and the like. Everyone’s favorite hit—surprisingly so—has been Pumpkin Salsa.

Originally, I thought the combination of foods sounded weird, maybe even a little gross. Believe me, it’s really, really good. The author who created it isn’t Jewish. She even advises putting it on pork tacos! While I don’t recommend that, the salsa itself is Kosher and pairs beautifully with crackers, pita chips or raw veggies.

To make Pumpkin Salsa, you will need:

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 small can crushed tomatoes
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can of pumpkin puree
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 TBS cilantro, can be chopped chunky or fine
  

In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, onions, jalapeno and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Then add pumpkin puree and remaining ingredients except the cilantro. Cook approximately 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro right before serving. (Can be omitted if you hate cilantro, but I love it.)

Stored in an airtight container, the salsa is supposed to keep for up to 2 weeks. We ate all of it as an appetizer that served 6 adults and 4 kids. It’s hard to describe the flavor without actually tasting it. Try it, you’ll like it!

Correct me if I’m wrong: pumpkin spice is supposed to be a Fall favorite. Or, it used to be, back when we actually stuck to the seasons. Now, it seems like they’re pushing everything much earlier than needed. Even though it’s still August, and most of us are experiencing 90-degree heat, restaurants are in a competition to put out the pumpkin.

• Starbucks is releasing the PSL on August 27th
• Dunkin Donuts is releasing their Pumpkin menu on August 21th
• Dairy Queen will have Pumpkin Pie Blizzards on August 26th

7-Eleven, however, has beaten them all; their Pumpkin coffee is already in stores today. (FYI: If you want one, it’s only a dollar.)

And it’s not just the big guys. A local coffee shop that I like has pumpkin cookies and pumpkin drinks on the menu, starting September 1st, along with apple cider and apple muffins.

While I truly love pumpkin flavor, I enjoy it more when it’s a specialty flavor, with a limited time offer, rather than daily fare.

Oh, and while we’re on this topic, my local Walmart already has Fall decorations and Halloween signs in the aisles! Too much, too soon, I say. Let me enjoy Summer when it’s actually still Summer.

Since Rosh Hashanah is next month, I’m on the lookout for new apple recipes. On Facebook, I asked for suggestions, and discovered a super fun “dupe” dessert.

My Food and Family calls them Apple Donuts, but I think it makes more sense to say an apple that looks like a donut. Creating them couldn’t be simpler:

• Slice apple into rounds
• Spread with strawberry cream cheese
• Toss on some sprinkles

And they do indeed resemble a donut—with a lot less calories and gluten free for anyone that’s sensitive.

There are so many ways to customize this recipe. Peanut butter and jelly, Nutella, chocolate chips, raisins, mini marshmallow, caramel drizzle, etc.

I bet kids would love to decorate, and similar to a cookie party, why not decorate a bunch of apples for High Holidays? No extra cooking required and it will definitely occupy the little ones.

Vegan, gluten-free, bursting with fresh ingredients, low-carb AND no oven is required? Summer Rolls sound like the perfect warm weather recipe.

Yes, there are many versions of spring/summer rolls out there; I like this particular one because the author offers tips for working with rice papers—which are notoriously fickle—and has a step-by-step picture tutorial (fantastic for anyone who’s never made them before).

The filling consists of cucumbers, carrots, mango, spinach, herbs and purple cabbage. It can be customized to individual tastes as well. I’m not a huge fan of mango, so I’d use pineapple instead.

Almond-miso dipping sauce isn’t something I’ve tried, but it looks good. The ingredient list is a bit obscure, nothing too crazy, just uncommon items I don’t keep on hand like rice vinegar and white miso.

Veggies and sauce can be prepped in advance. The rolls do not keep well and should be eaten within one hour of being made.

Full recipe with tutorial is courtesy of Chabad and available on their website.