autumn amblings, or, cornelius falls for fall

October 29, 2012September 23, 2017 ~ jama ~ 28 Comments

~ by Mr. Cornelius, especially for Julia

*“Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.” ~ William Cullen Bryant*

Oh hello!

Do you know what the best part of Fall is?

It could be crunching leaves under your boots,

finding tree faces,

or going to the pumpkin farm!

I like all the funny bumpy squashes and gourds,

*You really should see someone about that.*

diving into the candy bin,

playing with the tractors and miniature horses,

doing daredevil stunts,

lending an ear,

liking dem apples,

baby, you can drive my car!

BUT. There’s something else that tops all.

Mmmmm! This one’s still warm. Can you smell those cinnamon-y apples?

Apple Pie is a really really good part of Fall.

But even better is adopting a pumpkin friend and making him feel at home.

Don’t worry, we won’t carve him.

Come visit us soon, Julia —

before giant pumpkins take over the world!

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” ~ Emily Bronte

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P.S. Posting may be sporadic this week because of Hurricane Sandy. Wishing the best to all my East Coast friends. Stay safe and good luck!

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farm market walkabout

June 6, 2012September 23, 2017 ~ jama ~ 39 Comments

June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month!

Have you been to your local farmer’s market yet?

Here’s what we saw on a recent trip to Reston Farm Market:

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A Few Take-aways:

Flower vendors are kind and seem to smile more. Bunches of lavender = a dream of Provence.
Giant zucchini prove that bigger is not always better.
Clowns making balloon animals do not like to be photographed when they are coughing.
Eek, leeks!
My love is like a red, red raspberry.
100 Bowls of Soup! Ginger carrot is quite refreshing.
Squash multiply like rabbits. It is highly likely they will take over the world.
Hooray for samples: salsa, cherries, cucumber, strawberries, tomatoes!
I don’t care what you say. Cucumbers standing up are obscene.
Rubbery green beans. Boing!
Mmmm, whoopie pies! Pause to worship at the altar of baked goods.
Lettuce entertain you.

So what did we buy? Basil, rosemary and parsley plants. Ravishing raspberries. Cranberry orange scones, apricot linzer cookies, triple chocolate rockies. Vine ripened tomatoes, blushing with vibrant color and oozing summer flavor.

Brought home these babies and had a little Insalata Caprese for lunch. So easy to prepare, wholly satisfying, and quintessentially summer: sliced tomatoes at their peak ripeness, fresh mozzarella and basil leaves seasoned with Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper, extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top. Magnificent in its simplicity, laid back and luscious, with each unadorned flavor taking center stage without an ounce of competition. Ti amo! Ti desidero!

*kisses bunched fingertips*

What summer fruits and veggies are you most looking forward to eating?

Buon Appetito!

*swoons and dreams of tooling around Capri on a Vespa with Al Pacino.*

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This post is linked to Beth Fish Read’s Weekend Cooking, where all are invited to share food-related posts (fiction/nonfiction/cookbook/movie reviews, recipes, musings, photos). Put on your bibs and join the fun!