By the time you read this, Labor Day will be over. School may be in session. We may be back to work. We will still be using a mask. (I carry mine in my pocketbook and in my car. Twice I have forgotten to mask and went outside and masked. In a recent trip to the farmers’ market, I forgot mine, noticed someone touching her own mask, and I immediately put mine on.)

I do feel like autumn is here, even though it is still pretty hot. My cat is beginning to shed (is my cat the only one that sheds in the fall and spring?). My geraniums are dying, although my neighbor’s, both of which I bought at the same time, look better. My rose of Sharon is blooming for the first time in 2020. Time to get some mums for both of us.

My air conditioning has been on since June, but I am thinking of turning it off and opening windows. I truly dislike humidity and I know weather in September can be sticky, so I probably will not. I love cooking and baking all the time, so the air conditioning will probably stay on for another few weeks.

Recently I wanted pasta with vodka sauce and Italian sausage so the stove was on high for a few hours. At the same time I boiled another pot of water for peaches, then dumped them in cold water and skinned them. Friends and I ate pasta for dinner and those amazing peaches were silky and juicy.

Soon local tomatoes and sweet corn will be a memory. So peaches will, too. But Whittle’s in Mystic still has sweet corn and tomatoes and this corn soup is delicious. I bought miso for the first time. Real Simple says it is fermented, which is good for gut health and aids digestion. They say it is a flavor bomb.

Summery Corn Soup

From Real Simple magazine, August 2020

Serves 4

8 ears fresh sweet corn

2 tablespoons oil, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped (1¼ cups)

3 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped (about ½ cup), dark green parts sliced and reserved for serving

1¼ teaspoons kosher or sea salt, divided

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup dry white wine

3 sprigs thyme

1 dried bay leaf

¼ cup white or yellow miso

Sliced radishes for serving (optional)

Cut corn kernels from cobs. Reserve cobs and set kernels aside; you should have about 4 cups.

Heat oil and butter in a large pot on medium. Add leeks, finely chopped scallions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook stirring often, until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook for 1 minute. Add cobs, thyme, bay leaf and 6 cups water; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium; simmer for 20 minutes to let flavors melt.

Remove cobs, thyme and bay leaf from pot and discard. Add corn kernels and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until corn turns bright yellow and is just tender; 5 to 6 minutes.

Ladle 2 cups corn mixture into a blender and add miso. Secure lid on blender and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Return mixture to pot and stir to combine.

Serve soup in bowls topped with sliced scallions and radishes. Drizzle with oil.

On the Side

Recently, my iPad, which I use for most e-mails, was acting up. It seemed as if some e-mails from the Groton Public Schools system were not getting to me. I talked to the tech people and made an appointment for Monday morning.

I always bring something sweet to the administrative offices, and this time I brought half a loaf of the triple-ginger pound cake for the receptionist and the other half for tech genius Adam Fridinger. Turns out he loves ginger anything and carries these tiny, spicy ginger candies he buys by the hundreds from Amazon. He gave me two, and I was hooked. As soon as I got home I ordered Gin-Gin from Amazon.

Not everyone likes ginger, but I love it and it is supposed to be good for you. Packaged individually, it was $10.98 for a pound, with free shipping, and it will probably be enough for a year. In addition, Adam figured out what was wrong with my iPad.

Gin-Gin

Amazon.com

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