Summer’s last hurrah

Many holidays are filled with food traditions – Memorial Day is the first big grilling day of the summer season while the Fourth of July features the first local corn and tomatoes. Thanksgiving has turkey, pies and cranberry sauce, Valentine’s Day has chocolate and Easter has ham and lamb.
An exception is Labor Day, which was designated to pay tribute to America’s workers, but for many is celebrated as the last hurrah of summer.
Since it isn’t fraught with food traditions, Labor Day is a great time to try something new. The peach season is waning, so you could try a new peach recipe such as a pie, cobbler or crisp, or you could stay cool with a no-bake recipe such as the Raspberry Cream Pie recipe below from tasteofhome.com.
A new burger recipe (salmon or turkey) would be interesting, or you could try grilling fish for the first time. Ribs are good; you can experiment with your own recipe for sauce by checking out others online for ideas.
Peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and onions along with other vegetables are at the peak of their season and can be grilled easily on skewers or on the grill. If you grill extra vegetables you can use them later for a salad.
Anything new you make might turn into a family favorite and become part of a new tradition.
Whatever you make, the most important thing is to enjoy yourself and the summer weather during the holiday weekend. Fall will be here before we know it.

Raspberry Cream Pie

Crust:
1½ cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 45 wafers)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
¼ cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (or 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate)

Topping:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries, divided

1. Combine the wafer crumbs, pecans and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch pie plate.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, liqueur and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fold in whipped cream. Spread into crust. Chill until serving.
3. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in water and 1½ cups raspberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate until chilled.
4. Spread topping over filling. Garnish with remaining berries.

Editor’s Note: If using frozen raspberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.
Nutrition: 1 piece: 507 calories, 28g fat (14g saturated fat), 70mg cholesterol, 196mg sodium, 61g carbohydrate (46g sugars, 4g fiber), 4g protein.

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