The weather has decidedly turned cooler and I am loving it. Fall is my favorite season. I picked my last harvest last week and I was struck by how the tomatoes were still lush on the vines even as the plants themselves are coming to the end of their lives. As the colors on the trees turn hues of yellows, oranges and reds, I find myself walking between shriveling vines and ripening squashes and vegetables that stand out in clarity. It is a poignant vision.

Back from the garden with a basket full of plump, red cherry tomatoes, I cannot help but hum a tune as I gently wash the dirt off them. This year’s crop of tomatoes were entirely volunteers, self-seeded from last year’s bounty! I feel like this the karma that one hopes for in their lives - be a good steward of the land and the land fills your cup without asking.

Expectedly, we have been souping and stew-ing a lot lately, as both offer the comfort of warmth and convenience of quick to table meals. For some reason, soups work well with both my kids and a way I find easy to slip in as much vegetable health as possible. When you one kid favoring meat and the other vegetables, soup are a nice middle ground and good base to build on to each’s tastes. :)

One afternoon, I was looking about for a something fresh to serve for lunch and something soul-warming. The fresh picked tomatoes on my counter called to me, vividly enticing in their ripe redness, and, a reminder to savor a season ending. It was a simple matter to toss them into a baking pan with a few cloves of garlic, some crushed red pepper flakes and a generous pour of olive oil. A couple of hours of slow roasting and they were just done for a lunch whiz and slurp!