Quietly, while we were looking the other way, Fall arrived. But it won’t stay quiet for long…the signs are there…in the blush of the maples and the sudden thought that maybe you should have brought along a sweater. And really, for all of our (well, my) resistance, is there anything more beautiful than the colors of October? Sure it also means pollen season, but once your eyes stop watering, by way of apology, all that floating dust is what gives everything that golden shimmer…then 1-2-3 BOOM, the paintbox explodes all over the trees, and it’s full-on Autumn in PA….and judging from the recent rains, the foliage this season should be CRYIN’ OUT LOUD!
And speaking of gold…it’s Bartlett pear season, people! Buy them green and stick ‘em in a brown bag…but don’t fugheddabowdem. They ripen faster than an avocado, and bruise easier than a jilted lover. If you’ve got your wits about you, you’ll snatch it at the perfect moment of creamy white flesh and wine-like juiciness. (Excuse me a moment…my mouth just watered.)
Soon to be followed by the crisp brown Bosc and wrapping up the year with the sweet but firm green d’Anjou…great for baking a rustic tart or, if you’re confident enough to channel Julia C or Jacques P, an elegant tart tatin.
And let’s not forget the savory side of the aisle…the produce tables are showcasing lumpy…and come to think of it, sorta pear-shaped…butternut squash. It took me a while to get into them but now they’re in the regular cold weather rotation. Sliced into rings, roasted and seasoned with rosemary and sage… and of course, the soup is definitely ON! And always make enough to freeze for later. BTW: Here’s how to keep your creamed soups from erupting like Vesuvius in your nuker. Or was I the last to know this trick?
While butternut, acorn and the ubiquitous pumpkin are the usual suspects, there are all kinds and colors of winter squash(es?) and every year there seems to be a new darling on the catwalk…or as part of your neighbor’s doorstep decor.
Another thing that happens in the Fall…you suddenly recall that the inside of your stove is for more than storing those extra cookie sheets…and hold the phone!…could actually produce actual cookies! And how long since your last oven-door facial?
If diving into a sparkling pool-full of cool water was your best idea of summer, try stepping out of an autumn chill into a warm kitchen smelling like some lovin’ from the oven…add in the spicy candles you bought …you did buy them, right? If not, do it NOW…and bring autumn indoors.
What’s your favorite? Two points if you don’t say Pumpkin Spice…’cause everybody else will… I love deep smoky scents, things that remind me of my Dad’s pipe or of the tangy potted mums that Mom put on the front step. Scents and sweet memories…perfect together.
Before I close, and after I remind you to read the rest of this newsletter: This Sunday, October 3rd needs to find you at Lansdowne’s fabulous Arts on the Avenue, noon to 6…and yes, sports fans (and spouses of)… RCN will be live streaming on a big projector screen so we can watch the Eagles beat Andy Reid’s KC Chiefs. All this in the Conshohocken Brewery Beer Garden and under the big top tent, with half a dozen food trucks around you. Invite your family and the friends who are tired of hearing you go on about the great town you live in. Don’t just tell ‘em…show ‘em!
See, Stay, Shop! Christmas is coming.
Next week…pumpkins go rogue!
Terry Baraldı