September Letter

The Last Party of Summer

The days are getting shorter, but early September is the full bloom of summer here. It doesn't seem possible that we will ever wear coats again, or even sweaters - these ideas are baked right out of our brains by afternoon heat.

But the evenings are caressing, and the mountains turn magenta and purple as the sun sets. You can sit outside for a long, long time, eating and drinking with friends, talking about nothing or reporting on summer travels just past. This is the real vacation, the lull between summer and the great burst of energy that follows it. It's time for the last great, easy party of the summer.

I just got back from a trip with my sons. It was a wonderful trip, but I always feel a little deprived in hotel rooms. It's good to get back to a farmer's market where I can shop, not just look, and to a kitchen where I can cook.

I made a menu, the way I make every menu - I just think about what I'm in the mood for, and assume my friends will be in the mood for it too.

After a few weeks in Scotland, I was in the mood for the juicy, ripe, hot-weather produce I hadn't seen there. I wanted to sit on the terrace, drink a delicious, cold wine, and have tomatoes cooked two or three ways, and some raw tomatoes for good measure. In September, tomatoes must be eaten in quantity and variety. The usual redundancy rules do not apply..

I wanted food rich in flavor, but not heavy. And I wanted food that could - and should - be served at room temperature. The advantages of this are obvious; you can serve earlier or later, as you wish, and dinner can stretch out over hours with no harm done. Everything is ready beforehand, and you can sit with your friends, relaxing. But another great aspect of this food is the way flavors shine at moderate temperatures.

I started with crisp-roasted fingerling potatoes, served with a roasted tomato and garlic sauce for dipping (see New Recipes). These remind me of Patatas Bravas, a favorite Spanish tapa but not quite as oily. With them I served the easiest things, and some of the best: good, salty Greek olives, thin slices of a sharp, dried Jack cheese, a crusty bread, and a glass of icy rosé from Tavel...and a few yellow and red cherry tomatoes, the tiny, very sweet ones.

That could make a meal by itself on a warm evening, when all you want is a light supper. It could be expanded with a salad, or with a soup. On the other hand, it could be the casual first course leading to a seasonal risotto of squash blossoms, or a big corn and zucchini soup, or a mound of charcoal grilled vegetables with crisp polenta cakes.

But my idea was to start casual and stay that way. I added a few more of my favorite summer foods, things to be served buffet or family style. A big ratatouille seemed essential; I made one with a little twist - the vegetables were roasted first to develop a deeper flavor, then simmered with tomatoes and garlic. I served a pasta with fresh herbs, walnuts and parmesan cheese, a sort of "dry" sauce. I made my favorite Tuscan white beans, and added shreds of arugula at the last minute. A tortilla Española spiked with sweet peppers completed the menu.

This is the kind of menu where foods work together in any combination. I never took away the appetizers - I just added fork food to the finger food when we sat down at the table.

Ease was the theme. I could have added a green salad, but I didn't. I thought about a great summery dessert - a plum cobbler or a summer pudding - but in the end I served big platters of sliced fresh fruit - white peaches, plums, nectarines and melons, along with Italian amaretti. We kept drinking our wine and were perfectly happy.

Here is the menu for my perfect late summer party. It can be large or small, and it could even be a picnic, since all this food is sturdy enough to travel.

September 2000 recipe