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

Get your waders on, metaphorical or not, and wade in. Katie and I were crazy enough to set a table in the creek, where we craved spritzes with salty marinated olives, and a steamy bowl of pasta the moment we sat down.

Learning pastry chef Louis Thompson’s decorative ways.

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!