Squeezing the juice out of summer
The warm days are growing cooler. The kids are going back to school. Labor Day, the unofficial “end of summer,” is just around the corner. I love fall like everyone else, but before it gets here, I find myself savoring all the tastes of summer. As the season winds down, I don’t want to let anything go to waste, don’t want to miss any fresh food that I may not see again till next spring.
The last of the tomatoes are coming in, and I’m determined to make a batch of salsa and relish at least one more BLT. The wild blackberries behind our backyard fence are almost gone, but I’ll probe the farmers markets to find one more basketful for a blackberry cobbler. Our summer squash is gone, but for the first time, I think we’ll plant some for the fall and see if we can eat it fresh for a couple more months. I’m trying my best to squeeze the juice out of summer.
In this week’s Newsweek, food columnist Julia Reed writes about the stress of keeping up with the overabundance of late summer vegetables: “The pressure to keep up with it all is just too much—and so is the guilt.” But, as Reed writes, we do our best to keep up with it and savor those last bites of summer. It’s like it’s our duty.
I admit that the frequent piles of produce on my kitchen counters sometimes overwhelm me with their need to be chopped, cooked, or put up right away. And in some ways, I’m ready for them to disappear for awhile. But I’ll also miss the summer ritual of picking vegetables in the late afternoon and cooking them up for supper, fresh and tasty. Maybe if I eat slowly, enjoying every bite, the tastes of summer will stick with me till next year rolls around.
Are you trying to squeeze the juice out of summer too? What summer foods, rituals, or activities will you miss the most?
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I miss being near gardens and farmers markets and having fresh picked produce. Reading this really reminds me of all that is wonderful about late summer and makes me nostalgic for the US. Enjoy as much as possible!
We have a farm share with a local CSA and every week we get a big box of fresh veggies. Yes, there’s a bit of pressure to eat it all before it goes bad, but that’s kind of fun. I get to be very creative in the kitchen, trying new tastes and recipes.
I’m savoring every last bite right now because soon it will be gone. I had 3 ears of organic corn on the cob tonight–delicious! I keep meaning to freeze some, but it’s just too good.