October, welcome!

I'm sitting in my kitchen, the blinds up, all the windows in the house open, watching the leaves blow across our parking lot, I'm filled with a sense of joy. Fall has finally arrived and to say I'm thankful is an understatement. I've been waiting, not very patiently for the cool breeze, to cook soup, bake apple pie and wear tights. I had a hard time letting go of the colder months last year; when spring came I was sad and complained. I was so not ready to let go that I made another pot of potato soup; it didn't get eaten. Once spring comes it North Carolina, it just gets HOT. No middle ground, not in this state.



The fall always means time with family is close by. My brother's birthday is today, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. I'm looking forward to time with family and friends. I'm also looking forward to time spent in the kitchen, cooking soup and doing things with apples.

The NC Farmer's Market was beautiful today. Not as many people as a Saturday morning. I'm starting to see less and less of the fruit and vegetables I've been enjoying all summer as we're moving into colder weather. I was thankful though because there were still small eggplants, zucchini, basil and yellow tomatoes. While I have a love of all tomatoes, the yellow ones have been my favorite this year, but they were only around for 3 weeks. I nabbed 5 today, its the first time in a month I've seen them. These are beautiful medium sized, round, still have dirt on em' and believe it or not, taste a little peppery. I'm thinking maybe sliced thin on a pizza tonight or a tomato sandwich with mayonnaise?

I can always count on having "company" while I'm in the kitchen, Merlin is never far away - ever hopeful - wedged between my legs and the cabinet doors. He waits patiently for me drop something on the floor or to put something in his food bowl. And sometimes if he is looking really cute, I'll slip him something, a piece of peach perhaps?

*Merlin - "Do you need help? Or do you want to give me a piece of the meat your making meatballs with?"


In the fall I tend to miss living in Europe the most. Less tourists are visiting my favorite places, you get to wear your winter clothes, (they have after all been lonely in the Tupperware container in the attic all these months) and Christmas markets start.

*Look what I found! 8-ball zucchini- going to stuff them
with ground beef mixture. Small, round, green, and hopefully
they'll be delicious.


*Look at the gorgeous color of these!
I made them into a sauce with tomatoes- to eat with rice.


But, soon the Farmer's Market will be devoid of my summer favorites- eggplants, varieties of tomatoes, fresh herbs and fruit like peaches and plums. They are making way for apples, pears and beets. I'm going to have to get a little more creative, pretty soon it will be greens and sweet potatoes!

Apple pie anyone?

dmj.