In the San Francisco Bay Area September is the hottest month of the year. For those of us brought up in the mid-Atlantic states and New England, we are expecting a cool break in the weather. Even though I have lived out here for almost thirty years I am still shocked by the really hot September weather. I keep planning these welcome to Fall menus and then I have to backtrack to dishes which will not heat up the kitchen. In other words I planned a menu for this week and have not followed it at all for most of the week thus far.

On Tuesday we ended up eating a cold plate of leftover flank steak, a microwaved leftover baked potato, and some leftover lentils and rice. On Wednesday I took some cold rotisserie chicken and combined it with chickpeas, light mayonnaise, and pepperoncini. This combo was pretty tasty with Roma tomatoes and slices of toasted challah.

What I am saying, I guess, is that you have to be flexible. Whatever you make at home will end up being healthier than getting pizza delivered or Door Dash. I already know that we will not be eating off our planned menu on a hot Thursday and I am thinking ahead to cool gazpacho and a salad with blueberries and strawberries. Maybe over the weekend I will turn my clam chowder into a cool vichyssoise. I am looking forward to it already!