The neighborhood chili cook-off was in three days and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing their great-grandma’s secret recipes, slow-simmered for twenty-four hours, … Read more
I was standing in the grocery store parking lot last Tuesday when the smell hit me—someone was grilling nearby, and that buttery, garlicky scent cut … Read more
This was supposed to be a quick, no-think side dish for a Sunday roast. I had the green beans blanched, the almonds toasted, and a … Read more
I had refused to order butternut squash soup for years. Every fall, when the café menus switched over and everyone started posting those orange bowls … Read more
My neighbor Linda wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, and the smell hit me … Read more
The woman at the next stall watched me squeeze every single butternut squash at the farmers’ market last October. She didn’t say anything at first, … Read more
My neighbor Carla wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder on a Tuesday night, and the smell hit me before … Read more
I was standing in line at the hardware store—of all places—holding a new garden hose and a bag of lightbulbs, when the man behind me … Read more
I was standing in the community garden last October, staring at a squash that looked more like a weird orange spaceship than something edible. Mrs. … Read more
The fall harvest potluck was in two hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those elaborate dishes—you know the ones, with hand-rolled … Read more
