Fall cookery

Our local agricultural department has, in recent years, promoted the local farmer's market with a Community Supported Agriculture program. I strongly urge everyone to see if their communities have similar programs. Prices and duration vary, but in our community, it runs 5-6 weeks at a time and costs roughly $60 for the whole duration. Each week, our horticulture agent works with local farmers and selects what's fresh and seasonal for our bags.

In the spring, it was honey and garden peas and spring onions, etc. In the summer, it was corn and squash and cucumbers and tomatoes and melons, etc. Now, we've reached fall. We have gotten a last watermelon of summer, tomatoes, squash, and onions. But, now we're also getting sweet potatoes, collards, and butternut squash. (I'm hoping for figs soon!)

This weekend is going to be a fall cookery extravaganza! At this exact moment, I'm boiling sweet potatoes that will be cooled and mashed with cream and eggs and spices and topped with brown sugar and pecans for a pudding. I'm also roasting butternut squash so I can make a pot of butternut squash cream soup tomorrow (spicy with both red and white pepper). And, tomorrow afternoon, I'll pick up some side meat and bacon so I can cook up the collards.

A local treat is "collard sandwiches" . . . cornbread filled with bacon and collards. I'm thinking it will be the perfect meal, along with little cups of squash soup and a dessert of bright orange sweet potato pudding. Southern food, gone old school.