Today is the first full day of autumn and the first day of classes at the esteemed institution where I'm lucky enough to work. I usually welcome this back-to-school season and leap right into jacket weather, a box of new pencils in my pocket. But some years I feel autumn for what it really is; a wrackful effing siege. Goodbye sun, farewell beach, hello darkness my old friend.
But this is a blog about food, not death, and now is a spectacular time of year for food, I'll give you that. I'll give you this too: a recipe perfectly suited for saying goodbye to summer, whether it was the best one of your life or the hardest one of your life, or a particularly exquisite combination of the two.
Summer's End Succotash
Serves 8
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, minced very finely
1 clove garlic, minced
1 or more jalapeño (or other) pepper, minced
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 cup okra, chopped
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound summer squash, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced
4 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs
Heat oil and cook onion with a tiny pinch of salt over medium-low heat for at least ten minutes.
Add all the rest of the ingredients except corn, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer covered for ten minutes.
Add corn, stir well, cook ten minutes more, covered and undisturbed.
Serve immediately. Garnish with more sage if you want. Maybe the fall will be okay after all.
