I adore appetizers. It’s probably because I have the attention span of a gnat. I love small bites of many things. Committing to a full serving of anything sort of feels like settling. Especially when you have plenty of choices in front of you. I would rather order the full run of starters on a menu than a solitary main. And yes, I realize this is far from sane. Most people would rather have a ribeye than a side order of focaccia. But that’s not important. What is important is I love to design appetizers. From dips and canapes to sliders and skewers, tiny food is when my heart is. And today’s Curried Pumpkin Croquettes with Mint Chutney are some of my best work.

I realize we’re inching our way into fall and today’s Roasted Red Pepper Labneh with Charred Corn has summer written all over it but I don’t care. I can still sit comfortably on my back patio, and corn is sweeter and more plentiful than ever. And even the calendar is behind me. It’s summer until the 22nd and if current temperatures persist, I’m not even willing to accept that date as summer’s end. I’m not going to go on the ever-trendy tirade against pumpkin spice because I like pumpkin spice and I’m not against anything people find joy in. But I would like to live in this summery moment a little longer. So let’s temporarily banish thoughts of Halloween and dig into this labneh.