I lost an entire month this summer to a new hip that kept me close to home and away from the beach. My first visit to the beach was a bit of a disaster, but I’m now ready for 2020 with a new beach chair that allows me to get upright without having to crab-walk first.

I also have done quite a bit of walking, and I feel great, except for the fact that I will probably have to get the other hip done this winter. I also went to two of the Connecticut Sun games, thanks to tickets from Sue and Karen, and to three boules (petanque) games. I didn’t play, but next year I am on a team again, so that second hip better be as good as the first.

And I am cooking like a fiend — baking, braising, frying and roasting (thank God for central air). At the last boules I made panzanella for 30.

For the salad itself, choose whatever vegetables you want, but make sure the ingredients are as local and delicious as possible. For the bread, I found a boule (the French name for a round loaf of bread) made by the chef at the Oyster Club in Mystic. You may also find a lovely loaf of bread at White Gate Farm in East Lyme. I tripled the vinaigrette recipe, guessing at the amount.

Fortunately, brilliant Priscilla Martel fixed the dressing. Unless you are Priscilla, pay attention to the vinaigrette recipe. I made the garlicky bread, the sweet corn and the vinaigrette the day before.

My Own Panzanella

Serves 1 to 2 as dinner, 2 to 4 as a side

2 to 3 teaspoons sherry vinegar

2 to 3 medium-sized cloves of garlic, minced

Half of a small onion (or two shallots), minced

1 teaspoon honey

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

4 or 5 juicy, summer tomatoes, chopped

Half of one small red onion or 2 shallots, chopped

One cucumber cut into halves, then quartered

Kernels from 4 ears of lightly parboiled sweet corn

1 small baguette

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

A few dribbles of extra-virgin olive oil

4 or 5 big leaves of basil

salt and pepper, taste often

Into a large salad bowl, pour sherry vinegar, garlic, onion and honey and whisk together. While still whisking, slowly dribble in olive oil. Taste a few times and add more of anything, if necessary. Add salt and vinegar, to taste. Put aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place slices of baguette into the rack of oven and toast on each side, about 4 minutes on each side. Using the cloves of garlic, grate onto the slices of bread. Drizzle with oil.

Into a large bowl, add tomatoes and onion or shallots, cucumber, and sweet corn, and mix. Tear or cut slices of bread into a small amount, about bite sized, and toss again. Let stand for at least half an hour or a more. When almost ready to serve, add vinaigrette and mix into the salad. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Chop the basil into little pieces and add to the salad bowl. Serve at room temperature.

On the Side: Roasting tomatoes

I wrote about roasting tomatoes three years ago, but maybe you forgot. Just in case, we have less than a month before delicious tomatoes are merely a memory. The best tomatoes for roasting are the plum, or sauce, tomatoes. And they might be less expensive by mid-September. Here is what to do:

Cut tomatoes in half (vertically if plum, horizontally if regular) and core. In a large baking sheet lined with foil, place tomatoes cut side up. Lightly salt and then drizzle with just a little oil. Place sheets in preheated 275 degree oven and roast for around 3 to 4 hours. When cool, place about half a pound of tomatoes into plastic bags for sthe freezer.

Next winter, when you decide to make stews, pasta sauce, meat loaves or side dishes, add some of those summer tomatoes to other recipes and pretend it is still summer.

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.