Caprese Burgers with Sweet Corn-Potato Salad or the Last Rose of Summer

        After this post, More Time will be on vacation for a brief period.  See you later!

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 The last two days, when Dave and I have gone out to walk the dogs, it's been all of 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  Now, of course, we live in Minnesota; the rest of the country might not have those lows.  We have freeze warnings coming up, so I was out collecting the last of the tomatoes and also enjoying the last blooms in our yard...

Backdoor Italian parsley

Backdoor herb pot--Sage (top), Chives (left), Thyme (right), Rosemary (bottom), Mint (left)

Almost the last of the cherry tomatoes

Ina Fridays -- Sides, Salads, and Soups --Arugula, Watermelon, and Feta Salad

I'm so ready for fall. There I said it.  Ach.  While the tomatoes are coming on (a good thing), the heat, too, doesn't want to go away. I long for nights with the windows open and no air-conditioning white-noise drowning out the morning birds and joggers.  (Ok, the late night drunks, too; I live in the city.)

 Because heat IS NOT MY FAVORITE THING, I'm always glad when cool weather appears.  Suddenly I'm cleaning house, working in the yard, roasting chickens, making chili, and generally appearing like I have a bit more energy than the dirty dish rag in the sink.  But I do think that because I'm an avid home cook, and a person who loves change, that I only get about half-way through a season before I'm longing for the ingredients and cooking styles of the next.  And that's about where I'm at.  The h--- with salads and grilled salmon and definitely the h--- with white wine. Give me some red meat to cook, for God's sake.  A couple of bottles of Pinot Noir.  Let me want a rip-roaring fire.  I long to wear a sweatshirt and jeans.  I've destroyed my summer sandals and shoes cooking in them; it's time for real leather, isn't it???  (Isn't it?)

Tomorrow I'm cooking dinner for the cover artist for my book, the talented Daniel Craig and his lovely wife, the accomplished and beautiful pianist (St. Paul Conservatory) Kim Craig.

Available Fall, 2013-- amazon.com