Saying Goodbye To Summer: Which Foods Will You Miss Most?

For the love of God, slow down people. I understand Labor Day weekend is coming and summer is close to ending, but jumping forward into State Fair musings, fried foods and other fall fare seems a little premature, no? Winter’s just on the heels of cooler weather, and we’ll likely all be missing summer’s bounty, if not its hellish conditions, soon enough.

I for one am not looking forward to a lack of sweet local peaches and cheap fresh berries. I’ll miss summer figs and ripe tomatoes. Those firm, blond, cottony orbs that populate winter produce sections are no fun at all. Grill season never dies, but squash painted with the black lines of a hot grate seem out of place with football on the TV.

The New York Times is taking one last look backward before launching into fall. Last Call for Summer asks six food writers what they’ll miss most next month. They list essential warm-weather dishes like corn fritters, blackberry cobbler and grilled summer peaches. The photos make you almost wish summer could stay a little longer, till you walk outside and a blast of hot air sears your face.

Summer tomatoes I’ll surely miss. But days hot enough to cook bacon on the dash of your car, I’m ready to let go of.