Even on August’s hottest days the angle of the sun in the sky foretold the change of the seasons. There is sadness in saying goodbye to our short summers, knowing it’s time to think about putting the boat on land for the winter and get ready for all that fall brings, but we’re going to squeeze out the last drops of summer anyway we can.

Labor Day becomes the last true summer weekend before noses go back to the grindstone. And it deserves to be celebrated. With Margaritas.

Holiday weekends are interesting once you’ve retired. They become the times you avoid going sailing because of crowded mooring fields and marinas, and you skip the mall and grocery store because everyone else is there, too. But when all of your friends are not retired, and many are teachers, Labor Day becomes the last true summer weekend before noses go back to the grindstone. And it deserves to be celebrated. With Margaritas. So with a beautiful Labor Day forecast we threw together an impromptu end of summer party complete with margaritas, fennel grilled chicken, pasta with fresh tomato sauce and pesto, grilled French bread and the sweetest sweet corn you can imagine.

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I was craving pasta, and my wildest dreams came true; not only my pasta-tomato-pesto dish landed on our table but a lovely pasta salad with feta cheese and olives brought by our friend Lisa did as well.

My basil plants provided me with enough to make a large bowl of pesto, which I love because you can’t really screw it up. Throw basil, garlic, pignoli, Parmesan and olive oil in a food processor and turn it on. Adjust the seasonings and you’re done. My tomato plants were not quite as cooperative, but the local farm stand was. There is no better time to make fresh tomato sauce than with the tomatoes available right now.

Easy Late Summer Pasta

1 lb. Dry Pasta (cut of your choosing, I used penne)

Several Large Ripe Tomatoes, chopped

½ Cup of Pesto

1 Cup Water from Boiled Pasta

Salt and Pepper

Shaved Parmesan

Boil pasta according to directions. While pasta cooks chop tomatoes and place in pasta serving bowl along with their juice. Drain pasta, reserving about 1 cup of water. Put pasta into the bowl with the tomatoes, add pesto and toss. If the sauce is too thick or sticky you can thin it with a bit of pasta water. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with Parmesan on the side.

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Will I miss summer? Yes, I love the hot weather. But fall is pretty amazing, too. Hmm… Salted apple cider caramels, butternut squash lasagna, Macoun apples, orange and yellow leaves on the trees… It’s all good.

Enjoy!

Deborah