I LOVE fall, and I am not particular about whether you like Pumpkin Spice or Apple Pie. I love the leaves falling and the crisp, cool mornings. It is time to dust off my favorite cozy hand-knit scarves, gloves, and winter boots. I love fall, but it is also a bittersweet time, as it is with every gardener. For me, spring is filled with the excitement of new possibilities and new beginnings. I love going out to see if I can spot the first spring signs of green amidst the melting icy waters of late February. Fall is different, it is always filled with just as much activity as spring with bringing in the harvest and all, but Mother Nature is preparing for a time of rest, and in my opinion, so should we.
End-of-Summer Green Tomato Salsa Verde with Poblanos and all the goodness the season has to offer in this one little pot.
Two nights ago was first frost here, and as I woke up and sipped my morning coffee, I could not help feeling a bit of nostalgia. Fall means finishing up the final list, and then it is time to give it a rest, just like Mother Nature. It is time to green compost the beds and get them ready for next year, and it is time to pull in the last of the summer abundance. The cold frames are up and all my little herbs are tucked-in, cozy under the cold frames. Next year’s seeds are collected and drying, ready for a winter’s rest all safe and sound.
Fresh horehound ready for winter colds.
Today, I brought in the horehound to make cough and sore throat lozenges for winter, feverfew, nettle, yarrow, catnip, peppermint, and all the herbs Scott and I will need to fight anything that comes along this winter. The dehydrator runs constantly this time of year. Tonight, we celebrated with a nice bottle of wine, some amazing lemon pepper pork chops and Rapini from our own garden with mustard and lemon pepper to match the chops. We topped it off with little baby butternut squash topped with a casting of sugar and butter to carmelize them and a few sprigs of thyme and Bergarten sage. I have paid upwards of $50 for this type of meal at a fine restaurant, and honestly, our cost was $15 for the wine and $1.25 each for the pork chops. It was a celebration of the harvest at its finest all complements of simple living and our abundant garden. Who says simple living can’t be done with pizzaz!
Not to mention, the company was excellent, too. Now, on to fiber arts and spinning season…
