Botanically it still seems like summer, which is to say that the stands at the New York farmers’ market are still full of tomatoes, eggplant, corn, and basil. But they can’t fool me—astronomically it’s already fall. The Autumnal Equinox was already a week ago. The days are noticeably shorter and the sun is lower in the sky. So, since we’re in for a week of beautiful warm weather I’m going to replay Summer’s Greatest Hits one last time. Two favorites:
Gazpacho: A big mess of summer at its best. Take the last, best tomatoes, some still-fresh salad onions, an array of multicolored bell peppers, some cucumbers (hmmm, maybe the bright, thin-skinned Armenian cukes from Stokes Farms), a few cloves of garlic, and some bread soaked in water. You can add a blisteringly hot pepper like the ones sold at Eckerton Hill Farm if you want more kick. Peel what needs peeling and remove any seeds you don’t like, cut it all into pieces, then pulse it in the Cuisinart with Sherry vinegar and good olive oil until it’s a coarse purée. Season to taste, and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. Pour it into a beer glass and toast the summer gone by.
“Love Potion Pasta:” My friend and fellow tomato hound Jennifer made this for me when we both lived in Seattle (where peak tomato season is about fifteen minutes long.) Take a large number of absolutely perfect tomatoes. If you’re using heirloom varieties, you can even pick a range of colors. Chop them not-too-coarsely and leave them to wait patiently in a bowl with pepper and generous amounts of the best salt you have. Pick the leaves off too many basil plants. Boil a pound of excellent fresh pasta, then toss the pasta with the tomatoes and basil. If you can get your hands on fresh mozzarella (by which I mean mozzarella that’s been made the same day and not refrigerated) you can add some, cut into cubes. Top each plate with even more basil (shredded, perhaps). Be happy to be alive.
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