How do I know that fall is here?

I know that fall is here because there is marsala cooking on the stove again. Marsala is a dish Hubby and I learned to make about twelve years ago. It's spicy and fragrant with garlic, ginger, turmeric, red pepper, and a blend of spices called garam marsala that I believe includes cinnamon, cumin, and nutmeg among other things. Hubby used to eat this dish at a friend's house in high school whose family was from India. That same friend lived in Houston while we did, and we devoured his marsala dish so enthusiastically that he finally taught us how to make it ourselves.

Many of the tomatoes I have put away from this summer's farmer's market will be devoted to marsala. They will also be good in chili, another favorite winter dish in our house.

I'm feeling a little blue about the season for Farmer's Market drawing to a close. I keep wishing I'd been more dedicated to buying extra to put away. I managed quite a few tomatoes, a few peppers, and a handful of bags of okra and corn (from our own garden, no less).

I was so inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's book, and with our fabulous local Farmer's Market it's been fairly easy to live all summer on a diet of primarily local fare. I'm going to have to think about my winter approach as I certainly don't have enough stored to feed my family. I'm not sure a year-round venture would be entirely possible for us unless we were back on our own acreage, raising our own meat and eggs. I'm still not sure that's even the direction we want to go, but I find myself thinking about it a lot.

The changing seasons have always been my favorites. Spring and Fall. I always see them as a time of re-focusing. Realigning myself to my path and my purpose. Now the days are coming where I will empty my freezer item by item and be inspired to plan for the spring.

How much will I do? How far will I go? Who knows.