End of summer eating

The last few weeks of summer are my favorite time of year — the mornings and evenings are getting chilly, it’s still warm out but you know fall and the holiday season are around the corner, and you’re savoring every bite of summer produce you still can.

It’s the time of year when I feel the most amount of change and transition. The freshness of the chill in the air makes me feel excited for my favorite holidays to come, and a it’s a welcome break from the heat of summer.

During these weeks I tend to think about food and savor it a lot more than usual – I make the most of fresh produce while it’s still at it’s peak, berries before they lose their sweetness, and of course lots of ice cream.

I enjoy the final cold pasta salads, lunches made of fresh mozzarella with melon and ham, and an annual tiramisu I make once every summer. Which for the record, I did in fact make this year but have no visual record of, because frankly it’s ugly to photograph. If you make it correctly, it won’t turn out picture perfect and that’s the beauty of it.

It’s also the time to start getting excited about fall foods – every September I make carrot loaf cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s a gentle welcoming of autumn I guess because it’s orange and has some cinnamon in it, but it’s become a tradition of mine. It’s best eaten at room temperature or even cold, so it’s still a perfectly acceptable summer food with just a hint of what’s to come.

I also make the most of outdoor dining and street food. I went to Taqueria Ramirez in Brooklyn with a group of friends and it lived up to the hype – the pastor was so good I still think about it and salivate. Worth taking the subway in the heat of July for.

Summer food is such a gift, and I savor it each year. It’s bright, colorful, deeply satisfying, and fresh. It’s my favorite time of year, and while I’m excited for soup season, pumpkin foods, and holiday cooking, I’m still holding on to what’s left of my favorite food season.