Depending on where you live, September arguably shoulders the best two seasons for cooking: high summer produce and the first abundance of fall. While we spend all of our working hours thinking about what to eat, in this weekly digest we're sharing the recipes we make for fun-and want to make again as soon as possible. Check back every Friday for more September favorites.
First, my husband brought home a watermelon from a weekend trip. Then, our CSA sent a watermelon. Then, our CSA sent another watermelon. And suddenly we had a problem. This vibrant, practically glowing juice from Molly Baz saved the day. It is so refreshing, I wish I could swim in it. -Emma Laperruque, senior cooking editor
Again and again, this salsa has been so good to me. A family recipe from Andrea Aliseda, it was first published on Epicurious, then dubbed "genius" on Food52. It is fiery, savory, creamy, and glorious on just about anything, especially crispy mushroom tacos. -E.L.
I have a friend who loves to use his Big Green Egg to smoke meat. I'm usually tasked with bringing a salad or two to accompany the main course. With some red cabbage from my friend Laurie's garden, I turned to this Creamy Miso Slaw. I use the recipe as a base but also throw in whatever is hanging around the fridge to broaden the appeal. Last week, I fried up some leeks to add to the mix. With its luscious dressing (a creamy mix of mayo, red miso, and soy), it's an ideal foil to smoked or grilled food. -Dawn Davis, editor in chief
After a tough week, there are a few comfort dishes I turn to out of habit, dal being at the very top of the list. This Chitra Agrawal recipe for dal palak is remarkably close to how my mom cooks it, and spooned over rice and served with a heaping scoop of plain yogurt, it's a complete, wholesome, satiating meal that does the trick. I use blocks of frozen spinach instead of fresh when my crisper drawer is looking spare, and it's just as delicious. -Antara Sinha, associate cooking editor
I know for folks who are tired of the heat, September signifies the start of autumn, but fall actually begins on Sept. 22-it's a fact. Until then, I'm still squeezing every bit of sunshine I can out of these couple weeks: making use of gorgeous late-summer produce and baking Samantha Seneviratne's Blueberry and Peach Graham Galette. The addition of graham cracker crumbs to the crust adds a little toasty oomph, but of course, the peaches are the true star. -A.S.
I'm going away for Labor Day weekend so I didn't buy my usual haul of summer fruit this week. Tragedy stuck when I had an intense dessert craving and nothing in the house to satiate it. Enter this chocolate mug cake from our friends at Epicurious. It takes 3 minutes to make from start to finish and requires just a handful of standard pantry ingredients. I poured a little milk on top right after it came out of the microwave, thinking it'd give it a little saucy moment-instead it was absorbed immediately and basically turned my cake into a pudding. Still: It absolutely hit the spot. -Joe Sevier, cooking and SEO editor