Falling for Greener Pastures

Watching the Neighbor's Sheep Migrate to Greener Pastures

You may have noticed that things have been all sweetness and light around here for the last month or so. My sentimentality is no source of pride, but rather a fact which I come by honestly. My Mom (who, by the way, is about to celebrate one of those big birthdays that end with an 0) is perhaps the most sentimental person I know. She cries at hello, at goodbye, at good news or bad, at parades, while rooting for her favorite team (or whatever team happens to be playing,) while saying grace, when the American flag is flown and certainly any time she hears our National Anthem played. Ever since I was a child, if you need a hanky, just look in Mom's purse. She's always prepared.

Now being a woman of "a certain age", I'd say her sentimentality has served her well.

As a variance from my recent and inherited state of being, I possess not one sentimental bone today. Not one bit. I've been robbed. Precious summer has been stolen away and I'm upset about it.

Le Creuset Doufou, a Lovely Gift from My Baby

Like a guest invited to five parties on New Year's Eve, summer came in late and left early sending autumn in as its proxy. Normally the summer-to-fall change of season brings immense kitchen inspiration, but this year I'm dusting off my Le Creuset doufou long before I've had my fill of using the outdoor grill. We've eaten precisely 9 red tomatoes from our vines, with 70 pounds of huge green ones refusing to ripen for lack of warmth and light. The dense corn patch shows spritzy tassels on its stalks, but not one single ear has yet been harvested. Several delightful Rosés langor in the wine refrigerator with lagging interest in their consumption. I've begun, perhaps prematurely, to worry about and cross my fingers for the 2010 vintage of Oregon wine. My once-a-week early morning 100-mile commute has already turned damp and gloomy. The kitchen has so soon become dark during dinner preparation, seriously stifling photography efforts.

A Fantastic Wine from a Fantastic Oregon Growing Season

As overjoyed as I am not, I will opt to look at the bright side.

Both varieties of winter squash, on the other hand, are burgeoning. Our orchard is producing a terrific apple and pear season. The freezer is stuffed with bags of summer's blanched chard and kale for use in autumnal soups, stews and casseroles. The cuddliness of flannel sheets beckon even if they must be put on the beds in September. A fire in the fireplace, candles en masse on the table and in-case-of-power-outage ">hiker's headlamps hanging on every doorknob make our country home feel warm and secure. Boots are always fun to pull to the front of the closet. And I mustn't forget, there's that beautiful doufou and all the delicious things that come out of it.

Braised Moroccan Lamb Shanks and Couscous

Served with the spicy 2006 Panther Creek Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Winemaker's Cuvee, Moroccan Spiced Lamb Shanks is a welcome autumn meal capable of convincing the most stalwart summer lover that perhaps we've crossed over to greener pastures after all.