Fairytale Season

It seems to me that autumn must be the season when fairytales take place, as there is something other-worldly about the light and the smell in the air at this time of year. I am an ardent fan of summer and its comfortable heat, and I also enjoy the clean majestic look of a winter landscape, but neither of them holds a candle to an October afternoon when the sunlight is at its most golden. Rumpelstiltskin did his best business at harvest of course, and Rapunzel must have let down her hair on an autumn afternoon…

What am I getting at, you ask? Well, as we madly try to enjoy the last safe bounty from the garden before the frost strikes and steal a few more moments on the deck to watch the sun paint the clouds, I am struck by just how fortunate we are, which of course is often the moral behind the fairytale. The photo we have included with this week’s missive is of beans we had from the garden. Martin mentioned that with produce like that, we could easily pay a visit to the giant! We don’t need any golden goose however, for our adventures at home are treasure enough. There is nothing better than to start the day enjoying the bounty of your own efforts, and the concept so popular in wine circles called “terroir” is something anyone who grows anything understands. The soil and its characteristics impart flavours into any harvest, but I think so does the tender loving care that the farmer offers to the plants. Such a balanced relationship does not happen nearly as often with people, but it could if we thought more about nurturing and protecting and simply enjoying what is offered.

I had an apple at work the other day that was offered to me by the person who had the tree on which they grew, and the first bite took me back to childhood, when apples were never waxed and the first apples of autumn always had that tartness that made you squint. It was absolutely delicious, and made more so by the fact that it was a gift. Such a grand act it is to share, and such a great reminder to be thankful for such a simple gift as food.

As the harvest moon sets on another growing season, let us all toast the bounty we enjoy and drink to the possibilities of fairy princesses or knights in shining armour, and living happily ever after.

Happy Thanksgiving.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.