Last Weekend of Summer

Today's farmer's market was the last for the summer of '09. Tuesday is the equinox, the first day of fall. I can't believe another summer has slipped away. It's always sad to say goodbye to summer.

Of course there's still a whole lot of good stuff to be had at the market, and autumn really is my favorite time of year. More pumpkins are starting to fill the booths, as well as winter squashes and an abundance of potatoes, onions, garlic and other fall crops. The Garlic Queen has returned this year. She's a wonderful, friendly woman who sells nothing but garlic. Dozens of varieties fill her booth for every use from cooking and canning to eating raw, to varieties that will store all the way through spring. Her garlic now fills a nook in my storage pantry. New to the market this year, one farm started braiding their onions into traditional hanging ornaments for winter storage. They look beautiful hanging in the kitchen, and whenever you need onion you just cut one off the braid. They should last through the depths of winter. Pears are also in season, and they are second only to the pumpkin as being a symbolic fruit of autumn and the start of the holiday season. They are always a very welcome but short lived autumn treat. And of course there's also a little bite in the morning air now, and people are starting to wear light sweaters and long sleeves in the early morning hours. Even the aspens have started to slip into their golden autumn wardrobe, and mountainsides are starting to shimmer. Autumn is knocking on the door.

This morning I ate the first fresh apple I've had since last fall. Lordy it was a feast for the senses. Never in my life have I enjoyed an apple so much. They're just coming fully into season, and when I saw those crates full of them my mouth started watering. I selected an organic Gala with a full round body and no blemishes. It was a bright, sunny morning but the apples were still cold from last night. That first bite - oh my - I wish I could put it into words. It was so crisp, so sweet and juicy and chilled. It was nothing like those flavorless cardboard apples from the grocery store. It just tasted so - appley. It may sound odd if you haven't experienced it, but it gave me a slight buzz. I savored every incredible bite, then sat there stretched out in the cool grass looking at the sky for a long time being deeply grateful for moments like this.