Kicking and Screaming my way into Fall

The official first day of Fall is Saturday, September 22nd and I don't know about you but I'm not ready for it...sort of. There's a part of me that feels like throwing one big temper tantrum, while the other has already been seduced by the cool mornings, thoughts of hot chocolate and that first log being tossed in the fireplace.  As usual Summer seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye and just as I was getting into the swing of things food wise...roasted figs with local honey, beautiful eggplant of every variety. Peaches so ripe I could barely stop myself from eating them in the car on the way home from the farm stand, and tomatoes so vibrant they're practically bursting with song...it's over.  Don't believe me, just check out your other favorite food blogs. Fellow food writers and bloggers are talking pumpkins and kabocha squash.  My favorite farm stand now has huge boxes of pumpkins on display front and center with those last few tomatoes and peaches sitting sadly on the side lines.  As much as I want to resist what's coming I did find myself practically genuflecting at the sight of local apples and acorn squash a few days ago. I figured the late season peaches and tomatoes I was picking up wouldn't mind a little company on the countertop.  The internal conflict will continue to haunt me as I step up to my stove this evening, chili is on the menu, the first pot of the new season and in it will go a few fresh tomatoes along with some butternut squash, this is the cooks version of transitional fashion.

Soon the kicking and screaming will cease, probably around the time when my first Fall CSA box arrives (in two weeks).  I will settle in with my dear friends kale and collards and we'll make all sorts of plans to get us through the colder months.  And every now and then I'll pull out a bag of frozen peach slices to bake in a buttermilk coffee cake or from the pantry a jar of tomato jam and reminisce about those long summer days, because as we know, in another blink of an eye it will all begin again.

Happy Cooking!