WOW!!! Summer was over in a blink of an eye. Just when we started to get into a routine of relaxing by the pool after work and taking it slow and easy, the fall has started and changed the game.

At the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney, did you ever wonder… about seasonal food? Why is it some things just taste better at certain times of the year? For some foods, that is an easy jump. They are in season; watermelon and tomatoes in the summer, apples, squash and pumpkins in the fall, root vegetables and navel oranges in the winter and asparagus and fiddlehead ferns in the spring.

For others I think it is more contextual. Hot dogs ALWAYS taste better in the summer because they remind me of baseball, cookouts and camping. Strawberries always mean 4th of July for me. For hubby John, ribs mean summer. Turkey reminds me of holidays and waking early to tear bread to make stuffing for my Mom. When I am not feeling up to par in the winter I want chicken & rice soup. John wants oatmeal in the morning in the winter – the hot comforting cereal fits his bill. In the spring I want soft shelled crabs and egg salad. Part of this is FOOD MEMORY and the other part is that it makes me happy to eat what is in season.

Here in Vegas the end of summer is heralded by thunderstorms and rain and it happens almost overnight. Last week the temps hovered near 100 and as I write it is around 70 and it has been raining on and off all day. What do you make during the rainy season? Comfort food of course!

Macaroni & Cheese, Chicken Pot Pie, and Casseroles are comfort food of the best kind as far as I am concerned. Starch, fat and meat all combined to perfection. What more could a gal ask for? Chicken and Dumplings (both kinds – the noodle kind and the biscuit kind), King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Breakfast Casseroles and my favorite (don’t make any gasping or choking noises) the ever popular Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole – complete with Cheez Whiz™ (moment of truth – I can’t make this unless I have company or I am cooking for a crowd or I will eat the entire 9×13 pan full – yes, I know it is disgusting and crazy for a Yankee to enjoy it so much when it is a Southern thing). John’s fave for this time of year is Curried Butternut Squash Soup (with caramelized apples if I am in the mood to make them).

To make the most of YOUR seasons, find out where your local Farmers’ Market is. Check into local “pick your own” farms. You will find the freshest ingredients (clearly) and be inspired to try new things. Check into “Farm to Table” restaurants. These places focus on locally grown and sourced produce, herbs, dairy products and often meat too. For me the best part is that the menu changes frequently based on what is available, so even if it is someplace you eat frequently, the menu can still be surprising! We love Stone Brewing Company in Escondido, CA. for their efforts on this front. Arguably the fore runner of this movement is Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. Of course, home cooks had been doing this for ages, before Ms. Waters, but restaurants had gotten into the habit of procuring, at great expense and often little flavor, produce that is out of season. Strawberries in December? (Yes, I had them as filling in my wedding cake in December – only because raspberries would have been even more difficult!) They may be pretty, but they are tasteless. Navel oranges in June? Dried out and nasty. Acorn Squash in March? Seriously?

The winter is a challenge because so many things are out of season and cooking “seasonally” becomes difficult. Do what you can. Did you “put up” fruit, jam or tomatoes with the harvest? Use them! Potatoes and other root veggies are great in the winter. And of course meat and cheese never go out of style. I make a LOT of pasta dishes in the winter, roasts and stews take center stage and I bake bread….lots of bread.

Go stroll around your local markets – there is PLENTY of bounty to be had. Enjoy what is out there. Buy something you have never had before, a kabocha squash maybe, and search online for recipes. Get creative and have some fun.

This week’s pics are from Restaurant Week – part 2. For all of you who dined out to help out – thank you! Every meal counts and raised significant funds for hungry Nevadans. In case you were unaware, September is Hunger Action Month. Go to Feeding America or Three Square Food Bank to learn more about how YOU can help.

Chef Beni Velazquez cooking paella outside at Bar + Bistro @ the Arts Factory

Happy Birthday lunch for Lynn Moonen at The Palm at Caesar’s with the Partial Posse

At Fashion’s Night Out at Donald J Pliner. With me are friend Lynn Moonen, Staffers from Three Square, Melia and Diane and in the center, shoe designer Lisa Pliner.

This week’s Food Memories are: Birthday Lunch for Lynn Moonen at The Palm at Caesar’s, Paella cooked outdoors by Chef Beni Velazquez or Bar + Bistro (the smell took me right back to our neighborhood bodega in Madrid), a gorgeous zucchini salad with a feta dressing and kebobs on the grill.

Until next week – go out and make your own Food Memories.