Seasonal

Jim and Matt were away for the day on Thursday, which gave me a good opportunity to drive to the South Fork shops. 

I needed a bit of fabric from The Quilters' Trunk so braved the steeply winding road to that destination first. 

In theory at least, it should be possible to meet and pass another vehicle on those roads without plunging into a ravine or heading for the ditch, but I always fervently pray that I won't have to deal with that challenge. It is a matter of choosing the least tortuous of several 'short cuts' and chugging cautiously around the hairpin bends. I usually take one road in and another on the way back to the main route.

I allowed myself a few minutes to appreciate the new fabrics shelved at the quilt store and to note the sample projects displayed. The store is also a Bernina dealership offering the latest models of sleek machines. A look at the price tags reassures me that I am very content with my 20 year old Elna and my newer Janome Memory Craft! 

Winding down the steep hill past Cat Hollow Farm I found a few useful items at Sunny Valley Salvage, then stopped at Laverne's Produce Market.

I can't resist taking photos at Laverne's although the early spring display of bedding plants and the autumn offerings are the same each year.

If I was to buy a potted 'mum' it wouldn't be one in full bloom.

Many Amish/Mennonite families in S. Fork specialize in growing mums for market. Throughout the summer we can watch the process as we drive by a yard dedicated to mums. The pots are arranged in rows on an expanse of landscape barrier cloth and water lines are laid to each pot. The plants are judiciously snipped and pruned to achieve the full and rounded shape they will display at maturity.

The rough benches which in springtime hold small pots of annual flowers and herbs are now heaped with pumpkins of every possible shape and color.

Most of these are sold as fall decorations. 

I didn't check whether humble 'pie' pumpkins were available, although a shaded table displayed large stripey cushaws. 

A bin of warty gourds.

I hadn't seen this decorative offering before.

The tag reads 'Straw bale and pumpkin combo: $40.

My own seasonal effort involves the apples that Howard brought back from his recent stay in Vermont.

During our years in Kentucky we have tried most of the locally available apples, those brought in from the Carolinas, some raised in Pennsylvania, a few from local orchards.

The names of the varieties are familiar: Cortlands; Winesaps; Red Delicious; MacIntosh. 

Sadly, the tart/sweet flavor and crisp texture of New England apples isn't equaled in those grown farther south.

I hadn't thought of making pies today, having spent much of the day outdoors.

Jim parked himself in front of his TV with a colander full of Cortland apples, a paring knife and a container for peelings, announced that pies were in order.

Pies made for a household of two using standard sized 'pie plates' [ usually 9 inch or larger] aren't consumed quickly enough.

I recently ordered 7 inch glass pie plates from Amazon [where else?] and they are a perfect size for a pie to be eaten while fresh.

Flaky pastry, flavorful apple slices that kept their shape while baking, a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon. 

The pies came out of the oven just before we went out to walk the meadow loop in the quickly fading daylight; one pie has been put away for Howard to retrieve tomorrow; another has been tucked, unbaked, in the freezer .

And one, the first from the oven, has been tested and pronounced nearly perfect!