Chicken and Summer Veggie Skillet (Photo provided —Yvona Fast)

Labor Day is upon us, school’s about to start and summer is winding down.

Summer is the time for … peaches that came from a farm. Even though we can’t grow peaches in the North Country, farmers bring peaches from western New York or Pennsylvania that have been picked when ripe. Peaches sold at the supermarket are generally picked green for transport. They often rot before they are truly ripe.

Summer is the time for … tomatoes, fresh from the vine, in your garden or at your local farmstand. These come in a myriad varieties, colors and shapes. They have not been refrigerated, so have retained their full flavor.

Summer is the time for … fresh corn, picked the same day. Corn begins to turn sugar to starch as soon as it’s harvested. That’s why it’s important to eat it when it is truly fresh. We eat ours as soon as we bring it home from the market, and only buy corn on the cob from local farmers.

Summer is the time for … young, tiny potatoes in all sorts of varieties and colors from white and yellow to pink and blue. The flavor of potatoes changes as they grow large. When Mom used to grow potatoes, she planted so we could harvest the young potatoes every two weeks through the summer. We eat large, starchy potatoes in winter, but summer is time for the tender baby ones.

Summer is the time for … truly fresh, sweet, tender carrots.

Summer is the time for … variety. In winter, we buy frozen green beans — usually already cut. In summer, there are tender yellow wax beans and purple beans, as well as pole beans in all shapes and sizes. There are many varieties of kale, from Red Russian to frilly green and flat-leaved varieties. Summer squash comes in many colors and shapes, from green zucchini to yellow or tan patty-pan. Tomatoes, potatoes, also come in a myriad varieties, colors and shapes.

At the summer farmers market, I also love buying fresh-baked artisan breads and cheeses.

These were the things I missed when relying on institutional food, as well as salt shakers and sugar bowls. The tiny packets are hard to open with clumsy fingers. And Mom missed fresh-brewed tea — so different from teabags.

What will you miss most about summer? I can tell you, I won’t miss the mosquitos at all!

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Stir-Fried Chicken, Carrots and Summer Squash

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Ingredients:

1/2 lb. chicken breast

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 or 2 cloves garlic

2-inch piece of ginger

1-2 Tablespoons cooking oil

2 carrots

2 zucchini or other summer squash (1 yellow, 1 green)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3-4 scallions

Directions:

Cut chicken into strips. In shallow bowl, combine soy sauce and vinegar. Peel and mince (or crush) garlic and ginger and add. Place chicken pieces in the sauce to coat; marinade 30 minutes. (This can be done early in the day and left to marinade longer.)

Wash and slice carrot. Peel squash and cut into chunks. Set vegetables aside.

Heat oil in wok or skillet to medium high. Remove chicken from marinade (reserve marinade).

Add to skillet and cook, turning, 3-4 minutes. Add carrots and squash, and cook 2 minutes more. Add cornstarch to marinade, stir to combine, and add to skillet. Cut ends off scallions and slice; add. Cook until bubbly and thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice or other grain. Serves 2-4.

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Chicken and Summer Veggie Skillet

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Ingredients:

4 ounces pasta (about 1 and a half cups ziti, penne, rotini, etc.)

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, about 1/3 to 1/2 pound

A little oil for the pan

Salt, pepper

1/2 onion — about 1/2 cup diced

About 4 to 6 cups summer beans or summer squash (I used 2 cups yellow beans, 2 cups green beans, and 1 cup each yellow and green zucchini)

1 clove garlic

1 or 3 tomatoes depending on size (1 or 2 cups diced)

1/2 cup minced fresh dill

1 Tablespoon butter

2 Tablespoons flour

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta cooks, sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat a little oil in a large skillet. Brown chicken over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Next, prepare the vegetables. Peel and dice the onion; add to skillet the chicken cooked in, sprinkle with salt, cover and cook on low.

Prepare squash and beans — rinse, remove ends, cut or dice. Add to the skillet with the onion. Sprinkle with a little salt. Peel and mince garlic clove and add. Cover and cook on low until tender.

Dice the tomatoes, and add to the cooking vegetables. Dice the reserved chicken and add.

In a small skillet or saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown in color. Add a half-cup or a little more of liquid — this can be liquid from the cooking vegetables or water from the cooking pasta. Stir until blended, then stir into the skillet.

Chop the dill, and stir in.

Serve over pasta, or stir cooked, drained pasta into the skillet. Serves 2 – 3.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook “Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market,” Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: Writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: @yvonawrites.