Judging by the articles and photos that the algorithm is serving up to me, the hottest summer on record is over. It’s time to chuck all the pretty cotton block-printed textiles, and go shopping for cozy dark velvets and comfortable corduroys. It’s almost fall, and shouldn’t I start thinking about Halloween decorations? It is almost time for all the wretched pumpkin-spice-flavored everything.
Holy smokes, influencers and Madison Avenue – I haven’t even had a chance to roast marshmallows this season – let alone scorch my fingers assembling molten s’mores. I haven’t sung around any campfires. My ice cream intake has not reached satisfactory levels of sugar highs and stickiness. Speaking of which – I have yet to get brain freeze from a single, solitary frozen Piña colada. I cannot possibly make the transition into the fall without enjoying at least another full month of summer favorites.
Next week Mr. Sanders and I are going to take drive to the mountains in western North Carolina, where we hope to have excellent views of the annual Persied meteor shower. Give me dozens of shooting stars, please. Maybe when we are on vacation we’ll be able to work our way through some of my extensive list of must-have summer diversions and treats. Not everything needs to be homemade. There is much to be said for a roadside A&W root beer float, accompanied by a greasy packet of scalding onion rings…
I’d hate to think I have missed the summer-of-2026-window for Key Lime pie. And potato salad. And shucking ears of corn on the back steps. I haven’t had my first proper summer tomato sandwich – although I have been working my way through an impressive number of BLTs, which are an important subgroup of tomato sandwiches. If you are interested in a little road trip, there are BLTs in Philadelphia calling out to you: BLTs
A back-of-the-box favorite: Old Bay Corn on the Cob
Heat the grill to 350° F.
Wrap each ear of corn in aluminum foil.
Generously butter the corn and sprinkle with Old Bay.
Roll the corn in the foil and twist the ends tight.
Grill for 5-8 minutes on each side.
Carefully unwrap the corn and place back on the grill for a quick 1-2 minute char on each side, if desired. This will be Instagram-able.
For added flavor, sprinkle with more Old Bay after serving.
There are still dozens of local summertime meals to try. Tomatoes aren’t going to be this fresh again for a long time – take advantage! You won’t make potato salad in November, so make one this weekend. While the grill is fired up, toss on some zucchini slices – you know you won’t want to in February. In February you will be dreaming about a nice, cool pasta Caprese salad, with pearls of fresh mozzarella and torn homegrown basil when the north wind is whistling down the chimney. (I am still wary of any store-bought lettuce, I have to say, so I’m very happy we have a bumper crop of basil and parsley growing in a galvanized tub on the back porch.) Cole slaw admittedly is very tasty with roasted pork when you are trying to warm up from gelid winter conditions, but it is also divine with grilled hot dogs. Have you had enough hot dogs this summer? I didn’t think so.
And we haven’t even touched on summer desserts! Let’s go for some summertime back-of-the-box deliciousness.
Strawberry shortcake isn’t just for the Fourth of July.
Key lime pie. This is the only recipe you need:
Ice box cake. Since Famous Wafers are no more, some brilliant recipe developer came up with this delicious variation – using Biscoff Cookies. I used to think that Biscoff Cookies were strictly for snacks on budget airlines – how nice to discover I was wrong!
Summer desserts are simple delights that you can enjoy year ‘round. But homemade ice cream is best consumed before it is ready, scraped off the paddles, while it is still soft, and the sugar granules haven’t quite dissolved. It is always sweetest when the youngsters are cranking the ice cream maker. We have an electric ice cream maker that we have used once. It seemed like a good idea at the time – but strawberries and peaches bought in February are never as sweet as they are right now, overflowing at the farmers’ markets, luscious and ripe fruits in brilliant oranges, golds and reds.
There is going to be plenty of time soon enough for sweaters, and falling leaves. Soon we’ll be making meatloaf, chili and winter stews. Go be summer grasshoppers for another month! Make memories.
“Hold summer in your hand, pour summer in a glass, a tiny glass of course, the smallest tingling sip for children; change the season in your veins by raising glass to lip and tilting summer in.”
― Ray Bradbury
