By Gretchen Mckay

The last few weeks of August and the first of September are often bittersweet.

With the kids heading back to school, our kitchen gardens rapidly maturing and vacations to the beach in our rear-view mirror, it means the sunny days of summer will soon be behind us.

Not that fall is bad, of course. If the weather cooperates and you can sweet-talk someone into helping you rake leaves and replace screens with storm windows, it can be wonderful, what with all the colorful leaves, cooler temperatures and the return of apple- and pumpkin-flavored everything. It just doesn’t have the easy, relaxed feeling we associate with summer.

But still.

Fall doesn’t officially start until Sept. 23, so there’s still time to plan one last outdoor summer party for family and friends.

My final outdoor get-together of the summer season was a paella party for about 15 friends and colleagues on a balmy Friday evening in my backyard. I’d originally planned on a pig roast, but the cost of buying even the smallest pig and renting a grill proved prohibitive for a newspaper’s budget.

Besides, who wants to work that hard when the ultimate party and celebration dish — paella — is so easy to make and a lot less expensive, if you don’t go crazy with the seafood?

Paella is perfect for parties because it allows the cook to put on a show. It’s a fragrant and colorful dish to watch someone prepare, especially when it’s made outside under the sun or stars on a raised paella burner. As soon as the pan hits the flame, the subtle, earthy scent of saffron and smoky pimenton paprika fills the air, followed by the tantalizing aromas of garlic and onion.

Thanks to the many servings afforded by that giant pan, paella is meant for sharing — and isn’t that what a party is all about?

Spain’s iconic dish

One of the best-known dishes in Spain, paella (pronounced “pie-ay-uh”) is thought to have first been cooked in Valencia, on Spain’s eastern coast.

Its current form originated in the 19th century as a humble farmer’s lunch made with the short-grained rice grown there and whatever seasonal vegetables, bits of meat and seafood those in the fishing villages had on hand. That was often flat green or lima beans, tomatoes, onions and snails, and maybe rabbit or chicken on special occasions.

Paella gets its name not from the ingredients, but from “la paellera,” the Valencian word for the shallow, wide frying pan in which the rice dish is cooked. It was popularized when wealthy Valencians fell in love with the dish on their outings to the country. It was always meant to be shared and is typically served family-style on a round table with the pan in the center.

There are probably as many recipes for paella as there are cooks making it, but a few things are standard procedure. The authentic Valencian version always includes rice, water, olive oil, salt, chicken, vegetables, saffron and smoked pimenton paprika, according to the International Journal of Gastronomy and Science, based on research from social scientists at the Universidad Católica de Valencia.

So what about the seafood and chorizo sausage many recipes include today? In Valencian eyes, that’s a no-no. (My group, however, found it quite delicious.)

A word about the rice: It needs to be short-grained, and to be truly authentic, imported from one of Spain’s three regulated “denominaciones de origen protegida” (protected designation of origin).

Bomba, a short, almost round, pearly rice grown in all three regions, is the standard bearer because it absorbs three times its volume in water (regular rice absorbs only twice its volume). That allows the rice to soak up more flavor from the saffron-perfumed broth without turning to mush. Calasparra rice is also ideal for paella.

Also keep in mind that, unlike the Italian rice dish risotto, paella is not stirred. You want it to form a brown and crispy crust called “socarrat” on the bottom and sides of the pan.

If you’re going to break with tradition and add seafood (I used shrimp and littleneck clams), it should be placed on top of the rice during the last few minutes of cooking to keep it moist.

In Spain, paella is often eaten right out of the pan. Because there were so many of us at different tables, with an array of vegetarian side dishes, I offered my guests plates.

There were a few tense moments getting the gas to turn on under the paella pan, (it was a brand-new setup). But once we got started, it was smooth sailing. The results were incredible, and the presentation was gorgeous. What a fabulous farewell to summer!

Because rice is the star of paella, spend a little more on a quality product. Short-grained pearl white rice varieties such as Bomba or Calasparra, which are cultivated in Spain and easy to find on Amazon, are preferred. In a pinch, you also can use Arborio rice, but it will not be as crispy. Do not rinse it before adding to the pan.

You also want to use a high-quality saffron, which is definitely a luxury purchase (it’s the most expensive spice in the world by weight). Remember that you are only going to be using a small amount — it’s what gives the dish its characteristic yellow color and distinct flavor.

Many paella recipes call for peas or green beans, but I’m not a fan, so I left them out. If you cannot find Spanish chorizo, it’s OK to substitute another sausage with a robust flavor, such as andouille.

I made the dish outside in a stainless-steel 20-inch paella pan on a paella burner from Spain (around $125 on Amazon). But you can also use a cast-iron pan or any heavy saucepan.

For a vegetarian version of this dish, omit the sausage, chicken and seafood and instead layer the top with a variety of fresh garden vegetables to steam along with the rice. I used diced red bell pepper, red onion and chunks of zucchini. The vegetarians in the crowd approved.