Can it be? September?

You could knock me over with a pumpkin.

I'm not ready for this. Didn't summer just start? Where's the ice cream? The pool's closing? Wha?

This is the problem when Pittsburgh has a cool, wet summer. We have so many cool, wet falls and winters that a summer where we hardly ever hit 90 and barely dry out the basement feels like more of the same old, same old. Still, I'm not ready for too much comfort food just yet. I've got a couple of frozen pops coming.

Fine Cooking magazine featured some great-sounding pops in late July. The time is right to try one -- I chose adults-only Lemon-Vodka Cream Pops -- as I hang on to summer as long as I can.

The first day of fall isn't until Sept. 22.

We have 18.5 days yet.

Several food festivals bridge the gap between summer and the full-blown fall lederhosen season.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, North Side, will hold its fall festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today through Sunday. Fax orders (412-321-7272) only from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today and tomorrow. Lamb shish-kabob, fried calamari, pastries; holytrinitypgh.org/festival.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, McKeesport, will holds its festival from noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 13. Gyros, spanakopita, grape leaves, pastries. Call 412-678-7038 or 412-678-2836.

Our Lady of Victory Maronite Church, Scott, will hold its Lebanese food festival Sept. 11-13, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. that Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Kafta, baked kibbee, tabouli, and, of course, pastries. Call in advance for takeout. 412-278-0841; fax, 412-278-0846; olov.info.

Get ready for AppleJamm 2009, the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania's festival. It's Sept. 26 but if you'd like to enter the apple baking contest, send recipes by Sept. 15 to rhandel@aswp.org or to Apple Recipe Contest, Aububon Society, 614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238. Recipe must contain apples. That's it. Prizes to top three winners.

Cimbalom fan, are you? Then head to the Gypsy Cafe, South Side, on Sept. 12 to hear Chicago cimbalist Alex Udvary, along with the 'Burgh's own George Batyi and Bob Sestili of The Gypsy Strings, and enjoy a three-course Hungarian meal. $35 per; reservations required, 412-381-4977; gypsycafe.net.

Marmaduke Dent Society Alumni Dinner. Yes, that's correct, named after West Virginia University's first graduate. It runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the school's Erickson Alumni Center, featuring WVU alum and former Steelers running back Amos Zereoue. He'll cook. He now owns an eponymous West African-French restaurant in New York City. $150 per; proceeds benefit alumni programs. Call 304-293-4731; alumni.wvu.edu.

Former PG food editor Suzanne Martinson will appear in town as fall starts to blow in. She'll be at Triple B Farms, Forward, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 12 for cooking demonstrations and to sign her "The Fallingwater Cookbook." It's part of Apple Day. 724-258-3557, triplebfarms.com. She'll be at Lauri Ann West Memorial Library, Powers Run Road, O'Hara, at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 15, where librarian Ann Andrews will have clove cake and honey maple pecan bars, made from recipes in the book. Register by e-mailing lawestref@einetwork.net; 412-828-9520, ext. 15.

Misc.: Crate in Scott has posted its schedule of fall and winter classes at cratecook.com. . . . Get a free Chick-fil-A sandwich on Monday if you wear any sport-related apparel (this seems financially risky in this city) . . . "Black and Gold Pittsburgh Day" is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at McGinnis Sisters, Monroeville. Pierogies and kielbasa.

• 3 or 4 medium lemons
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons citron vodka

Using a vegetable peeler, remove all of the zest from 3 of the lemons in 3- to 4-inch-long strips. Set the lemons aside.

Combine the lemon zest, cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let steep at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Squeeze 2/3 cup juice from the reserved lemons (juice the 4th lemon, if necessary). Stirring constantly, pour the lemon juice into the cream mixture in a slow stream. Stir in the vodka.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a 4-cup glass measure (or any container with a spout for easy pouring), pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Divide the mixture among 8 3-ounce pop molds or wax-lined paper cups. Freeze until just barely set, 5 to 6 hours.

Insert craft sticks and freeze until completely set, about 2 hours more. When ready to serve, unmold or peel off the paper cups.

Freeze for up to 3 days.

-- Fine Cooking magazine, July 2009