So, according to the calendar…if not the weather…it’s officially Fall. And if not exactly sweater weather yet, the season is settling in as it always does. It just takes some getting used to, is all.
For one thing, I’ll no longer be able to blame the heat for a day spent doing absolutely nothing. For another, I’ve finally had maybe my last ear of corn, my last fling with a red ripe tomato right off the vine (although you can still trick some of the greenies into a proper blush), and kissed my last peach. I need some time to miss them. So…I’m breaking up with summer.
Fall has a charm all its own…and I’m beginning to see the allure of the blush on a Pink Lady, savor the tart and juicy flesh of a Honey Crisp, and the seductive pairing of a Granny Smith cobbler with a melting slab of vanilla ice cream, or maybe a silky custard, or…ahem…where was I? Oh yeah…apples.
Apples have existed since…well, since Adam & Eve. The tool of choice of both kings and witches in fable and fairytale. But the first North American apples were a different breed: small, hard and bitter, used instead to make the sweet cider that was the beverage of choice and necessity at the pioneer’s table. And if you waited long enough, the menfolk would gather around the barrel to sample the apple jack. Today, hard cider is back…in bottles.
Didja know that Johnny Appleseed was a real person? Yep…grew up in Massachusetts during the American Revolution. The “barefoot wanderer” of legend actually traveled the country sowing apple seeds, establishing his own orchards along the way…and made a fortune in real estate! Truth! Read all about it.
Today, all the countless varieties grown in North America can trace themselves back to John Chapman’s “little green spitters.”
Grapes are also at the Fall table, but only for a blink…so buy ‘em when you see ‘em. Especially those deep purple Concords. Tart skin and sweet flesh. I think everybody’s grandma had a vine off the back porch, but today they’re a bit more exclusive…here and then gone. Don’t miss out.
We’ll get to what to do with all those crazy squash things in a later edition. Put a pin in it.
In the Music Tent: Full-on folk and acoustics double header with
Artist of the Week: BunnyButtons Jewelry by Gloria Lewis…handcrafted using a mix of natural materials and beads.
Health & Beauty: The lovely sisters of Izzie Lizzie Organics (which is which?). Soaps, scrubs and all sorts of scented products for your skin, hair and home.
It’s Community Day! Only one more after this. I’m always amazed at what’s going on right under our noses here in our community. This is their chance to show it off.
In fact, there are only FIVE markets left…and you don’t want to miss any of it…ESPECIALLY our October 26 Fall Fest and Community Day. Stay tuned for more on this season finale.
See you at the LFM.
Terry Baraldi