Where did summer go? It seems that everyone I know is asking this question lately. One day it's spring and just warm enough to sit outside without a jacket, and the veggies are starting to come to market, and now it's fall. Thanks goodness for the still-warm water and the great local produce.

There seems to be a debate these days about whether to use processed foods and artificial sweeteners in order to lose weight and eat "healthier". The simple rule of thumb is this: if you can't make it yourself in your kitchen, it's processed. If you don't recognize the ingredients on a label as something that's found in your kitchen, it's processed. Anything that ends in an "ate" (monosodium glutamate, for example) is a chemical compound, manmade, and is not going to be a healthful choice. When buying things like crackers or cereal, I do look at the label but it's easier to just buy organic. If you buy organic oatmeal, then oatmeal should be the only ingredient. Keep it simple.

In order to cook fresh, you have to start fresh. The best way to do this is to buy locally and buy organic. If you're buying local fish, there's no need to ask if the fish is wild, because other than Long Island farmed oysters; the fluke, black sea bass, monkfish, flounder, striped bass, cod, blackfish are all fished wild in Long Island Sound or the Atlantic.

Weekly forays around the East End always bring me back to the Green Thumb in Watermill. Over the past couple of weeks, they've been picking their own organic tomatoes, green and yellow string beans, different varieties of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, melons, peppers, cauliflower, herbs and more. Jo, Patty, Peachy, Debbie and the other ladies at the Green Thumb are usually up for a chat about the weather or the veggies or who's cooking for whom this week.

This past week, I picked up a bag full of late summer vegetables including bright red tomatoes, sweet orange cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, and some orange cauliflower. I have a few clients that are sworn cauliflower haters, but when it's been cut into small florets, lightly steamed and then baked for a bit with carmelized onions, toasted bread crumbs, fresh grated parmesan and a little olive oil, I've turned the haters into lovers. The trick is to let them try it first and tell them what it is later, if they happen to ask. This works with kids as well. Cauliflower also happens to be surprisingly good for you - it's got Vitamins C, D and K - and the orange version apparently has substantially more Vitamin A than the white version.

Eggplant is another story - I just don't love it in its natural state. That is not to say that I won't eat it; I just don't like it grilled, or roasted, or in any form where I can actually taste it and it tastes like eggplant. You can pick eggplant by choosing the less bitter male over the female fruit (hmmm…..); look for a smaller, rounder indentation at the stem end of the eggplant and that's the male, which supposedly contains less seeds than the female. I try to buy younger, smaller eggplant which also tend to be less seedy. It does seem to work. I camouflage it a few different ways - in ratatouille, in eggplant parmesan, and in Melitzanosalata, which is a Greek eggplant dip with garlic and toasted walnuts. To make Baba Ganoush, substitute some tahini (sesame paste) for the eggplant. (Think hummus with eggplant.) An Epicurious recipe for Melitzanosalata follows:

Melitzanosalata

(Source of Recipe: The Greek Vegetarian)

2 large eggplants
2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash the eggplants and pat dry. Puncture the skin in several places with a fork. Place on an ungreased pan and bake for about 25 minutes, turning, until the skin is blistered and shriveled. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes, until easy to handle.

2. While the eggplants are roasting, pulse the garlic, walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together in a food processor until ground and pastelike.

3. Cut off the stem and cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape out the pulp, discarding as many of the seeds as possible. Add the eggplant, a little at a time, to the bowl of the food processor and pulse on and off. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining olive oil and pulse until well combined. The eggplant puree does not have to be perfectly smooth. Season with salt and add a bit of sugar if necessary, as eggplants sometimes impart a trace of bitterness.

Diane Kochilas shares her tips with Epicurious:

• This version of the traditional eggplant spread melitzanosalata is from the north of Greece. Its similarity to the Middle Eastern dip baba ghanoush is due to the Turkish influence in Greek cuisine.

• In Greece, hunks of country bread are traditionally dipped into this spread. Toasted pita is not as traditional but makes an equally delicious accompaniment.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Ratatouille is a very easy peasant dish that originated in southern France - it's extremely versatile and you can throw almost anything into the mix (with the exception of cruciferous vegetables). I'll make a pot of ratatouille and use it to spread on crostini for an appetizer or garnish. Cook some penne or fettucine and use the ratatouille as a sauce, on top of individual pasta bowls. Top grilled tuna with a big spoonful after spritzing with fresh lemon juice - or serve with roast chicken or salmon.

At this time of year, the local corn is so great that I put it in just about everything from ratatouille to salsas to salads - and here's the basic ratatouille recipe. You can change the herb content to your liking - I prefer to use fresh herbs but you can use dry and just use less.

Ratatouille:

Olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 small yellow or red onion
1 eggplant, medium or 2-3 small, cut into small dice
2 medium zucchini, or 1 large yellow squash, cut into small dice
1 red pepper, cut into small dice
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded, cut into medium dice
2 ears corn, shucked and de-silked, shaved from cob with sharp knife
Rosemary
Thyme
Basil
Parsley
Lemon juice
Salt

1. Sweat onions and garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil.
2. When soft, add eggplant, diced uniformly and small with skin on.
3. Add diced zucchini when eggplant has softened a bit and turned slightly darker.
4. Add red pepper and shaved corn- cook for about 5 minutes, then add tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
5. When vegetables have cooked enough to be tender and still retain bright color and some crispness, add chopped fresh herbs to taste.
6. Season with salt - do not overcook. Add a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice before serving if desired.

Eggplant Parmesan:

3 medium eggplant or 4 Japanese, sliced into ½ inch to ¾ inch thick rounds
Kosher salt
flour
2 eggs
1 ½ c. whole milk
About 3 c. fresh bread crumbs made from stale bread, seasoned w/ salt and pepper, and ground in food processor, mixed with about a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese*
Olive oil
Fresh tomato or marinara sauce (recipe follows) or Bottled Muir Glen Organic sauce (or some other organic tomato sauce)
(more) Parmesan cheese, in block form
Fresh mozzarella

1. Sprinkle sliced eggplant with kosher salt and place rounds in large colander or stainless bowl. Toss to coat eggplant with salt, and let sit for about 20 min to ½ hour to drain. Lightly towel eggplant to remove some of the salt. Eggplant should be a little damp.
2. Dredge eggplant in flour, then egg wash made from eggs and whole milk, then dredge each piece individually in bread crumbs.
3. Place eggplant slices on sheet pans or cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or tin foil and coated with a layer of olive oil. Drizzle some olive oil on top of eggplant and place cookie sheets in preheated 375-400 oven for about 15 minutes.
4. Flip eggplant over and put back into over for another 15 minutes or until eggplant has cooked through and is a little crispy. If you bite into a piece of eggplant, it will have lost its bitter taste and that's when it's done.
5. Let eggplant cool slightly and place in non-reactive or glass baking pan coated lightly with olive oil. Put about a cup of tomato sauce in bottom of pan.
6. Layer eggplant so it overlaps slightly, cover with a layer of sauce and some fresh grated parmesan, the repeat 2-3 times depending upon the size of your pan.
7. Grate more parmesan on top, add a few handfuls of fresh grated mozzarella, cover with tin foil so that it's not touching the cheese and bake in 375 oven for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

* Note: When I was just starting out in the food business, I interviewed many years ago with Warner LeRoy for a private chef position at his home in Amagansett. The reason I wasn't hired, he told me, was because I failed the interview test question which was: How long is Parmesan cheese good for after you grate it? My answer was two hours and the answer that he was looking for was "ten minutes". I still try to adhere to that and grate my parmesan just before I use it.