Creamy Orzo with Feta, Asparagus and Crispy Breadcrumbs

If the stretch between Christmas and New Year's feels like a strange, disorienting no man's land of timeless, suspended animation—where no one quite knows what to do with themselves—then consider

September the monthly equivalent. It’s technically still summer, but not really. School’s back in session, vacations are a memory, the weather's still hot, but you can feel autumn creeping in. Your tomatoes might be giving up, or maybe they're stubbornly hanging on, and the first hints of Halloween décor have started to pop up on lawns. It feels weird, but also completely normal. Like I said - awkward and disorienting.

Naturally, this confusion spills into the kitchen.

September is the month where I start feeling uncertain about what to cook. Are we still grilling, tailgating, and celebrating the last of summer’s bounty? Or am I already surrendering to my autumn cravings—ones that, if indulged too soon, will have me braising and roasting while it’s still 100°F outside.

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In light of this calendrical fever dream, I have decided that for the rest of the month, I’m giving myself—and you, dear reader—permission to ignore the pressure to follow a set culinary theme (does September even have one anyways?). Frankly, adhering to a theme is too much to ask during a time when the month itself is having an identity crisis.

And this week’s issue of The Kitchen Counter is a reflection of that mood: I bring you Creamy Orzo with Feta, Asparagus, and Crispy Breadcrumbs.

This dish hits all the right notes: quick, easy, no fuss—earning it a rightful place in our weekday rotation. It’s technically a pasta dish (a nod to my inner autumn devotee), but it still feels light, thanks to the orzo, and bursting with