With widespread frost in the forecast for this weekend, it looks like the growing season is about to draw to a close. I’m enjoying a hot mug of tea indoors on this chilly morning, but this afternoon, I’ll head out into the warm sunshine to harvest the last of the summer veggies and cover the still-ripening squash.

Tomorrow will be your last chance for cucamelons, jalapenos, and possibly some tomatoes and celery, and I’ll have green tomatoes for frying, too! If you want cucamelons, come early, because they tend to sell out quickly.

Make sure to grab a pint of jalapenos or two. You can dehydrate or freeze them to use until next year’s crop comes in. Freezing is super easy: just slice the jalapenos (maybe wear gloves for this) and spread them on a cookie sheet, pop them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, until they start to harden, then dump them into a lidded container and put them back in the freezer. When you’re simmering a pot of chili on the stove this winter, add a few of those jalapeno slices for an extra kick!

I’ll have the last of the dilly beans, too, as well as notecards and my knitted and crocheted items. All of these make great gifts (yep, it’s almost that time of year again!).

See you at the market!

Just a quick note to say that, unfortunately, the Broadway Community Market has been canceled for tomorrow! With heavy rain and wind in the forecast from tropical storm Ian, setting up canopies tomorrow morning doesn’t sound like a great idea. And we’re guessing you don’t want to do any outdoor shopping in that weather, either!

See you at the market – next week!

I just about froze in the garden this morning, despite wearing a jacket over long sleeves. Although I try to appreciate the changing seasons – it’s such a beautiful cycle – I find it difficult to get excited about gardening when I have to bundle up to go out.

But a breeze brought leaves twirling down through golden light on my way back across the yard, and once inside, I discovered how to make a black tea “mocha.” Mmm, yes, the cozy months may come. They will find me curled up with a hot mug of tea and a large pile of books.

In the meantime, though, the butternut squash are ripening, as you can see in the photo at the top. These striking heirlooms turn a wonderfully vibrant orange, inside and out. “Orange butternut,” they’re aptly, if unimaginatively, named.

Thought it will be a few weeks before the butternuts are market-ready, I still have summer veggies coming from the garden. At the Broadway Community Market tomorrow (9am-1pm), you can find:

• celery
• okra
• tomatoes
• cucamelons
• jalapenos
• fishbowl toys
• pumpkin baskets
• skillet handle covers
• dish cloths
• Swiffer covers
• notecards

Wait, celery? Yes! Some of you may remember that, long ago toward the beginning of the growing season, I mentioned experimenting with celery this year. Well, after overcoming some problems with slugs, I ended up with a rather healthy (if somewhat small) crop of celery!

I chose an heirloom variety called Chinese pink celery, and although the stems don’t get as large as the more common grocery store varieties, they make up for it in flavor and crunch.

I like to freeze celery to use throughout the winter. Just chop it up and spread the pieces on a cookie sheet, then freeze them until solid and transfer to a container. When you need celery for a recipe, just scoop out however much you need.

Due to the aforementioned small crop size, this might be the only Saturday I have celery. So if you want to try Chinese pink celery, make sure to come get some tomorrow!

See you at the market!

P.S. I see you, fellow chocoholics. Here’s how I made my black tea mocha: Brew a cup of black tea* as you normally would, but add a rounded teaspoon of cocoa powder. Remove the tea bag or strainer and mix in honey (or sugar) to taste and plenty of milk or cream.

*Good quality black tea, like English breakfast tea. Lipton probably wouldn’t be as good, with its distinct flavor.