With the official arrival of autumn at 2:19 this afternoon and the valley harvest swinging into full gear, wine country cooks are turning their sights on meals to ward off the chill of impending fall nights — even as the valley endures a late summer heat wave.

Nothing feeds the body and warms the soul like a bowl of steaming soup.

Undeniably the most versatile of dishes, soup is served throughout the year, even in summer when cold gazpacho and vichyssoise are ideal starters to any meal.

But it’s the hot creamy vegetable purees, thick chowders and steamy broths that take the edge off cold weather and nourish us through winter nights.

With the arrival of autumn, we thought it was fitting to leaf through some new cookbooks that have arrived in the mail, in order to provide readers with new ideas for lipsmacking, hearty potage — soups that incorporate the best of the autumn harvest, soups that are relatively easy to prepare for a simple family supper to a casual dinner party for friends.

Today’s recipes for fall soup come from several outstanding new cookbooks available online as well as in area bookstores.

Mark Bittman is the popular New York Times columnist known as “The Minimalist,” a four-time recipient of the prestigious James Beard Award, and a perennially best-selling author. His runaway bestseller, “Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More than 75 Recipes,” took the food world by storm, issuing a culinary manifesto that encouraged people to improve not only their own health but also the health of the planet by eating fewer animal products, processed carbohydrates and junk food, and far more fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

In his latest cookbook, “Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express: 404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less” (Simon & Schuster, $26 hardcover), Bittman shows cooks how to create fast and easy dishes not only for every season but also for every palate. With his precisely imprecise instructions, Bittman revolutionizes the art of quick-and-easy cooking. The paragraph-long recipes may be simple, but the results are always spectacular.

We’ve included his recipe for Chile Sweet Potato Soup, which will serve four a generous portion, or could be stretched to six if served in a small cup.

A long-time vegan and animal activist, Oakland’s Colleen Patrick-Goudreau founded Compassionate Cooks to empower people to make informed food choices, to debunk the myths about veganism and to raise awareness about animal suffering.

An inspiring public speaker on the spiritual, social and practical aspects of a vegan lifestyle, she hosts the podcast, “Vegetarian Food for Thought,” and is a contributor to KQED Radio.

“The Vegan Table” (Fair Winds Press, $19.99 paperback) is her latest cookbook, a one-stop source for creating the perfect meal for friends and family. From romantic meals for two to holiday feasts, the book offers a variety of recipes and seasonal menus sure to satisfy all palates. Cooking tips and ideas for entertaining are sprinkled throughout the book.

Her recipe for Butternut Squash Soup is included in today’s recipe collection.

On the western edge of New York City’s Central Park, where the bustle of West 67th Street yields to 843 tranquil acres of open space, perches a majestic building unlike any other. It is a destination, a showplace, a visual treasure. For more than 70 years, Tavern on the Green has dazzled New York City.

Now, “Tavern on the Green” (Artisan Books, $35) brings together the restaurant’s distinctive style, delicious food and special setting with recipes, decorating tips and entertaining advice for making memorable meals of our own at home.

This new cookbook is the definitive work on New York’s best-known restaurant. No other restaurant in the world is host to such a cross-section of performing artists and writers, politicians and professional athletes, moguls and mob bosses, stage and screen actors, ingenues and iconoclasts, as well as first-time visitors to the city. More than 700,000 guests dine at the restaurant every year, with more than 10,000 of those visitors coming through the doors from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day.

Co-author Jennifer Oz LeRoy started working in the kitchen when she was 19. Her writing partner is her mother, Kay LeRoy, who’s been involved with Tavern on the Green for more than 30 years.

Filled with signature dishes — all adapted for the home cook — sample menus, outstanding photos, rich history and anecdotes that tell the story of Tavern on the Green, this new cookbook invites readers to share in the magic and glamour of the landmark eatery.

In keeping with the autumn theme, we offer a recipe for the restaurant’s French-Style Root Vegetable Soup with Sage.

“Soup’s On!” (Chronicle Books, $19.95), a resourceful cookbook by Leslie Jonath and Frankie Frankeny published in 2007, includes tempting and delicious recipes from some of the world’s most respected chefs, cookbook authors and cooking teachers, including Marion Cunningham, Judy Rodgers, Carol Field, Jacques Pepin, Charlie Trotter, Madhur Jaffrey and Alice Waters.

In this inspirational cookbook, home cooks will find creamy vegetable soups; rib-sticking bean, meat, chicken and seafood soups; as well as hearty stews for every occasion. From Diane Morgan’s summer favorite, salmon and corn chowder, and Roland Passot’s classic coq au vin to Bruce Aidell’s chicken and andouille gumbo and Suzanne Goin’s flavorful chilled red pepper soup, one can find a soup for any season, any meal.

We’ve included Diane Morgan’s Winter Vegetable and Roast Turkey Chowder in today’s paper.

International expert on Greek cuisine and renowned chef Aglaia Kremezi has always loved food with flavor as bright, intense and exciting as the Mediterranean Coast that she calls home.

Her first collection of recipes, “The Foods of Greece,” earned her the Julia Child Award for the best first cookbook from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Now, in her latest cookbook, “Mediterranean Hot and Spicy” (Broadway Books, $19.95), Kremezi brings her signature style for cooking and passion for fresh dishes packed with color, aroma and flavor to the American kitchen with a collection of recipes from her travels in and around the Mediterranean Sea. These authentic, easy-to-prepare dishes are enjoyed throughout the region — in Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France and Lebanon.

With each, Kremezi incorporates the local spices and peppers that give each dish an appealing dose of heat. But these aren’t the same five-alarm chiles we’re used to in the cookery of Mexico, India and Thailand. Instead, the chiles she uses pack a punch that is both pleasingly hot and completely comfortable for the average epicurean.

Included in today’s recipe group is Kremezi’s Cranberry Bean and Potato Stew with Peppers and Spicy Sausage.