Use the last big harvests of basil, the first cool-weather parsley, and the sturdy perennials that will carry you through fall.

September cooking in the Louisville area sits between two seasons. Tomatoes and peppers are still coming in; apples and winter squash are arriving at markets. Herbs bridge the two. A handful of basil can still taste like August. A pinch of sage already hints at October.

Basil before the nights turn

If you have not already made a large batch of pesto, this is the week. Blanching the leaves briefly in boiling water, then shocking them in ice water, helps keep the color brighter in the freezer. Freeze in small portions. A cube of pesto stirred into soup or spread on toasted bread in November will taste like a gift from this month.

Whole basil leaves layered with a little oil in a jar and refrigerated will last a short while; use them soon. Fried basil leaves make a crisp garnish for late-summer tomatoes.

Sage, thyme, and the turn toward richer dishes

Sage loves brown butter, winter squash, beans, and pork. Fry whole leaves in butter until they crisp, then spoon the butter and leaves over roasted delicata or acorn squash. Thyme belongs with roasted root vegetables, mushrooms, and chicken. Strip the leaves from woody stems and add them early so they have time to perfume the pan.

Oregano, still strong in September, is excellent with roasted peppers and late tomatoes. A simple sauce of chopped oregano, garlic, olive oil, and a splash of vinegar can sit on the counter while you cook everything else.

Cool-season newcomers

If you sowed parsley or cilantro this month, the first thinnings can go into salads and salsas. Chervil, if you have it, is delicate and best used raw or added at the very end. Dill with late cucumbers or with roasted carrots is a September pleasure many gardeners forget until they see the feathery leaves.

Preserving the surplus

Herb butters freeze well: soften butter, beat in finely chopped herbs, roll into logs, and wrap. Sage-and-thyme butter is useful on bread or vegetables all winter. Herb salts — layered kosher salt and chopped rosemary or thyme, dried, then pulsed — keep in a jar by the stove.

Vinegars take a few weeks. Fill a clean jar with rosemary, thyme, or a mix, cover with vinegar, and store in a dark cupboard. Strain when the flavor is strong enough. These make simple salad dressings and gifts.

A sample September plate

Roast a tray of mixed vegetables with thyme and olive oil. Spoon sage brown butter over winter squash. Finish a pot of beans with a bouquet of parsley stems and a bay leaf. Tear basil over sliced tomatoes one last time. None of this requires a complicated recipe — only the willingness to use what is still abundant and to notice what is just arriving.

Tell us about your favorite ways to cook with herbs in the comment section below. We learn as much from each other’s kitchens as from each other’s gardens.