Letting go of summer is always hard for me. Actually, letting go of anything is hard for me. I can be very nostalgic. I have been known to sit and stare off into space for hours thinking of “those good old college days” or “that one moment at 24 when I felt completely free and easy.” I am a sappy soul. So when I looked at the calendar and realized that it was indeed turning into autumn this week I felt like it might be nice to take a trip down memory lane. Bear with me?

Above: I remember this as the first bottle of summer rosé in late June. I think I have told you before that I was introduced to rosé by some dear french friends back when I was nearly 21. I only drink it in the summer. I like having little rules like that. It makes each season have its own special sparkle. I will miss you rosé … until we meet again next summer … xo!

Above: I remember this as the first swim of the season. I loved sitting in the backseat, windows open, driving through the tall trees on the way to our favorite pond. There is such anticipation for that first dip … for that first moment when you dive under … for the first time you come up from being under and see the sun glistening on the water. I will miss you swimming hole … until next summer when we meet again … xo!

Above: I remember this as one of the first times we really hung out on our porch. Long evenings with friends and family, painted toes and chalk everywhere (and I do mean everywhere). Now the chalk marks are washed away and we will soon be putting away our porch furniture to prepare for winter. I will miss you dear little porch … until next summer when we meet again … xo!

Above: I remember this as the first ripe Maine peach. Oh goodness did I overdo it on fruit this summer. Come on! Just look at this gorgeousness. How could I not just keep eating fruit all day long?! I love you, I love you, I love you. I will miss you dear Maine ripe fruit … until next summer when we meet again … xo!

Above: I remember this as a mid-August dinner outdoors. The bugs were biting but we used our deet spray (sometimes you just have to do it) and enjoyed a bottle of real champagne. Then there were two more bottles of wine and fruit with farm fresh cream for dessert. Beyond all of the food and great company I loved how the evening light came in so calmly and slowly and by the end we were sitting outside in the dark among the twinkling lights and torches with the sounds of summer buzzing in our ears. I will miss you dear, dear summer … until next year when we meet again … xo!

To see more of my summer please visit This Summer, a joint blog project curated by our summer assistant, Chloe. This Summer came to an end on Labor Day.

I love fresh cooked meals, and I love to improvise with ingredients I have on hand, but I don’t always have time for chopping and fussing. Or rather, most nights I am feeling too lazy for much chopping or fussing. I’d rather throw a bunch of stuff in a pan and go sit down with a glass of wine. Enter frozen mirepoix.

Mirepoix is the holy trinity of French cooking—celery, carrot and onion—used to flavor stocks, sauces or soups. I wanted to share a mirepoix short cut with you. I cook it up in large batches and freeze it in ice cube trays. Just plop a few cubes in a pan to defrost and you have a head start on your meal.

Making mirepoix is simple. It is one part carrots, one part celery and two parts onions or leeks (or a combination of the two). If you are going to freeze mirepoix, it makes sense to make a big batch. A bunch of carrots, a head of celery, and a few fat leeks went into the batch I made.

Rinse or scrub your vegetables clean, trim, and dice small. If you have a food processor, use it. You want the veggies to be relatively small and uniform in size. Place the vegetables in a large pan with some olive oil (traditionally mirepoix is made with butter). Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.

Once cooled, press mixture into ice cube trays and place in the freezer. Once frozen, pop out of the trays and place mirepoix cubes in a glass jar or freezer bag. Store in freezer. To use, defrost in cooking pan, adding broth or wine to speed the process.

Quick-meal uses for mirepoix:

Risotto: saute rice in the mirepoix before you begin to add the broth.

Soups: throw mirepoix cubes in with broth, seasoning and split peas or lentils. Or simmer mirepoix and broth with potatoes, celeriac, or parsnip, then puree with cream.

Frittata: warm mirepoix in a cast iron skillet, add greens or leftover roast vegetables, cover vegetables with eggs, allow to begin to set on the stove, sprinkle with cheese and finish off under the broiler.

Grains: heat grains and mirepoix together and then simmer in broth for pilafs.

Pasta: Heat canned or frozen white beans and fresh greens with the mirepoix, toss with pasta and a squeeze of lemon.

Hash: Toss defrosted mirepoix with diced potatoes and other root vegetables, adding a touch more olive oil if necessary. Roast in the oven until browned and serve topped with an egg.