Fall Frenzy

There always seems to be a frenzied pace to the Fall with work and children needing attention and the sense of impending winter.  But as the temperatures start to cool, I retreat indoors, leaving the garden a weedy mess and the roses to wilt and die. It is time to cook! This is the perfect time of year for a cook. The summer is luscious but overwhelming, with the clamor of ripe vegetables and fruit. I have trouble choosing, and often realize at the end of the season that I forgot to make many of my favorites. Though I did get to my Blueberry Crostata several times this summer at the request of my children. Early fall is all about tomatoes and zucchini, two vegetables that are easy to love and to cook (or not, raw is good even for zucchini, thinly shaved into noodles and tossed with a lemony vinaigrette, shaved parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts). But now that the tomatoes have gone and frost has left even the green ones mealy and inedible, it is time to turn on the heat.  The winter squash are starting to come into the markets and I am not yet tired of their fleshy sweetness.  I’ll make acorn squash soup, toss together butternut squash, bacon and kale to serve over pasta, or slice the last Delicata squash from the CSA to roast in a hot oven.

The only drawback to all this cooking is that it cuts into my time working! Fall is a busy time when you make fire pits for a living. As soon as the summer heat starts to fade and the nights dip below 75, an evening spent around a fire seems like a good idea. I am not complaining, busy is good and with winter, things are sure to slow.

Busy Fall at Fancy Fire Pit

In the meantime, I plan to enjoy theses fleeting indian summer days, make lots of fire pits  and try to get outside and weed that garden! I hope I’ll have time to cook too and make myself a bowl of delicious pasta with roasted fall vegetables, maybe even finding a minute to enjoy it outdoors in front of my own Fancy Fire Pit!

Happy Fall, Joy

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