What’s Cooking in September

Risotto with Corn and Tomatoes, originally uploaded by shannon_turlington.

It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is already upon us, school has started and summer is winding down. Now is the time to be using up everything in the garden and getting our fill of fresh veggies because they won’t be around much longer. Here are some things I plan to cook as well as what folks coming to my blog seem to be looking for most often as summer winds down.

• Risotto is one way to use up a multitude of fresh veggies; I made a very tasty batch with summer corn and fresh tomatoes (pictured above), adding the fresh veggies just before the rice finished cooking.
• It’s the time for harvesting basil, so I am making batch after batch of pesto and using it in everything I can think of, as well as freezing some for winter.
• Now is the best time to turn that last batch of tomatoes into sauce for freezing; my husband has plans for a long sauce-making session today.
• I have harvested a few chiles, so I might also save some tomatoes for one last bowl of salsa.
• While you’re at, you may be looking for ways to use up the last of the summer squash and zucchini.
• A great way to take advantage of late-summer fruits and still warm nights is by making sorbet; I have a watermelon that seems destined for the ice cream maker.

Here some other recipes for the season that are on my “must make” list:

• Another way to use up fresh herbs: Multi-Herb Pesto from An Herbal Bedfellow
• Pop-up Pancakes with Fresh Fruit from Make and Takes
• Mark Bittman’s recipe for Strawberries with Swedish Cream (I’m sure the cream will work with any fruit)
• And what could be better than Lemon Meringue Pie?
• I must be having a sweet tooth, because these Better-than-store-bought Cookies from Noble Pig look fantastic

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