When in Doubt, Wade In.
Simple ideas, gatherings, and recipes to savor the last days of summer.
G’day!
How do you feel saying goodbye to summer?
I always feel a little morose, because I’m such a warm-weather girl. But I’m learning to welcome what’s next: a new season, sweaters, coziness, slow cooking. I’ve been thinking a lot about what Katelyn Gray said about late summer being the fifth season, represented by the earth element. I’ll miss the blazing sun but on the other hand, it’s a time to settle, nurture, ground, establish routines, and gather in smaller ways.
I’m craving all those things.
As the season slows down, I want this newsletter to feel the same. I’ll be sending one abundant, delicious post a week. Same recipes, advice, ideas, and inspiration—but now you can settle in and enjoy it in one sitting. Fewer dings in your inbox, more savoring, one ritual to look forward to a week. I’m thinking Thursdays but what would you prefer?
Here are 4 things I’m trying this season to ground myself
Before the warm weather slips away, why not try something whimsical and in my case (slightly ridiculous). Like setting a table in the creek next to your house upstate. I did this with my friend Katie. It was hot, magical, and deeply joyful.
If hauling furniture and crockery across a field feels too ambitious. 🙄😅🤣, here are some simpler ideas:
- Meet a friend for a picnic dinner after work 
- Before the produce bids farewell, make bottles of homemade passata, or a sparkling fruit-studded jam with your aunt, mum, or bestie 
- Light candles every night of the week while cooking dinner 
- Pull over, pick those wildflowers on the side of the road, and put them in every room in the house 

Recipe coming soon: Apple Butter Galette (with Louis Thompson’s pleated edges)
Next week I’m shooting for my The Wall Street Journal column. Over the weekend I adapted a recipe from fellow Aussie, Louis Thompson, the pastry chef at Spring restaurant in London. It’s an Apple Butter Galette with a swipe of almond-vanilla frangipane (that I could eat by the spoonful and would be delightful on toast). Honestly, it might be the most elegant galette I’ve tasted. It’s the penultimate fall dessert. I can’t wait for you to try it.
I’ll share two options: the simple rustic fold-over version, or—if you’re up for a weekend project—Louis’s decorative pleated edges. He sent me a video tutorial: the trick is to use your finger as a guide while gently lifting and folding the pastry.
Next up: Classic Moules Marinières in 20 minutes
I’ll let you settle into back-to-school, back-to-sluggish-start-up-runs, back-to-biz. Hope you get to catch your breath. Take a nap. Regroup. Until then.
What’s your favorite way to mark the end of summer? I’d love it if you shared a photo, recipe, or story that best represents your summer. Pop any photos in the Chat!









love the vibe here. saying goodbye to summer with cozy slow moments feels just right. setting a table in a creek? that’s wild and magical, exactly the kind of ridiculous joy we need sometimes.
this rainy table is making me very happy!