That picture? It’s a photo haiku. A short reminder of where we are. Summer is rapidly slipping into fall. I found these red leaves on the ground one morning. I looked up to see what tree they had come from. No tree had red at all. These portents of autumn had turned red and fallen overnight.
Soon though, the trees will be blustering red and orange and brown. Each day will have changes that appear right before our eyes. And with those visual changes, our food opportunities change too. Each week the apples will be different, the corn not at all the same as the week before.
This weekend, tomorrow, I start giving you a round of early fall recipes. A cold drink for warm days. Some warm syrups for cold mornings, syrups to put on special pancakes and waffles.
That strip of green in the picture? It’s a fragment of corn husk. One day old, and velvety to the touch. I’m just like you. I strip the husk off the corn and toss it away. It’s only by accident that this piece was lying around and I was able to touch it and realize how lovely a leftover could be.
As the days go by and we see all the changes about us, just pause for a moment. Or an hour. Let autumn fill your eyes and your nostrils.
And, get ready for some fall cooking!