Labor Day Has Passed, But I’m Still Eating Corn, Thank You Very Much.

It may seem like a high-summer food, a batting-mosquitoes-backyard-barbeque kind of thing, but I’m still getting sweet corn in my weekly CSA box, and probably will for a week or two more. So corn stays on my menu this week, regardless of the cooler days and the smattering of leaves I’ve started to see on the ground.

Mid-season update: My CSA box hasn’t seen too many new additions in recent weeks. I’ve reliably gotten the same vegetable and fruit rundown in the last few boxes — summer squash, eggplant, corn, tomatoes, etc — all staples of summer eating. A few vegetables have fallen off, most notably cucumbers, zucchini, and green beans, and I expect this week’s haul is one of the last boxes I’ll get that still feels ‘summery.’ Root vegetables are likely around the corner.

Arugula: Man, I love pesto, and I’m not just talking about the basil variety. Pesto is so adaptable. I’ve made it out of kale, Swiss chard, garlic scapes, and arugula, which is what I plan to do this week. Arugula pesto is a great thing.

Kale and Potatoes: Keep it coming, kale! You have been my constant companion all summer long, so why stop now? The temperature low in Boston today is a cool 47 degrees, which means that I’m ready to make my first warm soup of the season. Emily’s Kale and Potato Soup is a delicious vegetarian dish that will make good use of both this week’s kale and potato share.

Lettuce: It’s hard to get fancy with lettuce. It’s just so easy to chop it up for a side salad — although, while I love it, sometimes I do get a little tired of my standard dressing (olive oil, sherry vinegar, garlic Dijon mustard, a splash of Nama Shoyu, salt, pepper). This week I’m going to branch out to one of these five other essential salad dressings.

Eggplant: Ratatouille is a great way to clear out weeks’ worth of summer produce in one big go. If you have green peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes kicking around your kitchen, this is the dish for you this week. And you can freeze it to enjoy months from now when summer is but a distant memory. Our One Pot French Ratatouille is pretty easy, but a little time-consuming, so save it for a free weekend afternoon.

Green pepper: Use it for Ratatouille, as written above, or throw it into a frittata.

Summer Squash: Tired of pickling cucumbers? Try Pickled Yellow Squash instead!

Peaches: I’m still very much on a grilled peaches kick, but while I still have the time, I feel a strong need to make Peach Soda, Peach Sorbet, and this Peach Tart with Ginger and Coconut.

Paula Red Apples: These apples are tart and juicy, and great for snacking. They’re also apparently quite good for applesauce, so I may give that a try.

Tomatoes: This Tomato Salsa Salad really is the perfect end-of-summer meal.

Corn: Corn on the cob forever, but these Corn Empanadas will also do the trick. If you still have leftover corn, try one of these 5 excellent ways to use it up.

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What did you get in your CSA box this week, and what will you be making? Share your recipes — links encouraged!

(Image: Cambria Bold)