Last Call! 6 Ways to Devour Fresh Summer Produce Before Labor Day

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but the time has come to bid farewell to fresh summer produce. After months of eating piles of fresh corn on the cob, watermelon and other in-season fruits and vegetables, it's time to move on to apples, squash, Brussels sprouts and more fall fare.

Before Labor Day rolls around, start a mini bucket list of things to cook with your farmers market favorites. Whether you enjoy baking a  bubbling stone fruit cobbler or biting into a fresh tomato like it's an apple, the countdown starts now. Get it all out of your system now so when fall comes on Sept. 23, you'll have some closure, having given warm-weather produce a proper sendoff. Here are six ideas to get you started with your goodbyes.

Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

HEIRLOOM_TOMATO_CAPRESE_SALAD_H.jpg,heirloom-tomato-caprese-salad-recipe

HEIRLOOM_TOMATO_CAPRESE_SALAD_H.jpg

Photo by: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Matt Armendariz, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Fresh heirloom tomatoes are so juicy that you may want to take a bite of one without bothering to even slice it up. But if you want to be a little less of an animal, make a simple caprese salad with Burrata cheese, basil and olive oil.

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charred-corn-salad-with-basil-vinaigrette-recipe,CHARRED_CORN_SALAD_H_.jpg

CHARRED_CORN_SALAD_H_.jpg

Photo by: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Matt Armendariz, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

We have 11 ways to eat corn on the cob that are grilled and slathered with butter and spices, but sometimes you should take your corn off the cob for maximum deliciousness. This charred corn salad is a two-for-one recipe with heirloom cherry tomatoes and corn tossed inside a basil vinaigrette.

Green Beans: Cold Pasta Salad

The fresh flavor of summer green beans comes through in this simple pasta salad. In addition to the beans and pasta, all you need is some buffalo mozzarella, lemon zest and olive oil to pull this easy recipe together.

Stone Fruits: Blueberry-Peach Cobbler

Photo by: Emmer Schmidt

Emmer Schmidt

Peach, plum, pear — no matter which stone fruit you're in the mood for, you can make a perfect cobbler. Kelsey Nixon uses blueberries and peaches for her mouthwatering skillet recipe.

A Watermelon Champagne Cocktail, as seen on Cooking Channel's Dinner At Tiffani's, Season 1.

A Watermelon Champagne Cocktail, as seen on Cooking Channel's Dinner At Tiffani's, Season 1.

Photo by: Adam Rose ©2014, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Adam Rose, 2014, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Before summer's end, you should be drinkin' watermelon as much as you can. The only person who knows this better than Beyoncé is Tiffani Thiessen, who created this champagne-spiked cocktail.

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Zucchini Ribbon Pasta, Zucchini Ribbon Pasta

zucchini-ribbon-pasta-recipe

EK-0503 Zucchini Ribbon Pasta, Zucchini Ribbon Pasta

Photo by: Marshall Troy ©2012,Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

Marshall Troy, 2012,Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

We love using zucchini as a main dish, and this light pasta dinner combines two kinds of squash so you can really use up that summer produce. Your local farmer would be proud.

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