Saying goodbye to a season

Just like that, the sun’s angle has shifted, the daylight hours are noticeably shorter, and the morning air is crisp and cool. Of course the process has been more gradual, but at this time of year it almost seems like Mother Nature flips a switch to usher in the next season. While it can be difficult for a warm weather-loving person like myself to say goodbye to summer, I must admit a sigh of relief that the cucumbers are nearing the end of their production. I’ve run out of ways to use them – there have been salads, dips, cold soups, sandwiches, and beverages galore – so it’s wonderful to contemplate the bounty that autumn brings, with apples, squash, root vegetables, and spices to make you feel warm on a cool evening.

The rhythm of the seasons means you don’t get bored with the same old foods: just when you are getting tired of one thing, there’s another on the horizon. It also makes the fleeting times when foods are at their peak all the more special: the blush of strawberries in June, July’s succulent sweet corn, August’s juicy tomatoes, and October’s crisp apples. Since I am so far north that eating completely in season would make the long winters seem even longer, I do appreciate that supermarkets carry out-of-season fruits and vegetables shipped in from other regions. Nevertheless, anticipating the return of fresh and vibrant local produce makes the cold and dark days more bearable.

In the next few weeks I will put the gardens to bed, and with it the endless weeding. Then I will turn to the cold weather pursuit of baking that was pushed aside during the long, hot days of summer. The transitions from summer to autumn and winter to spring seem much more dramatic than from spring to summer or autumn to winter, at least food-wise. In this transition, I’m eager to make pies of all kinds and enjoy long-simmering soups. What foods are you anticipating the most for the next season?