It’s been a period of change and transition in our household. So much so that at times I’ve felt like we’re living on quicksand. Not just in our home—in the larger world there’s also been some mighty big stuff happening. The potential loss of our healthcare and the new travel ban in the US. Earthquakes, hurricanes, and the uncertainty of relief efforts to help those people directly affected  as they sort out their losses and rebuild their lives. We’ve been lucky that no such destruction has hit us directly. Still, Hurricane Irene came close several years back and we witnessed the devastation our neighbors experienced first hand. Hurricane Sandy hit the towns on Long Island near where I grew up. It seemed like the are and the people living there would never recover. It was a slow, painful process.  

I write this as a reminder that there is a flip-side to these events and stories. People have the strength and determination to rebuild. A nearby town in Vermont has a gleaming town center post-Irene. Boardwalks and businesses on the coast of Long Island once thought lost are flourishing now. I know none of it was easy, but I admire the human spirit’s determination to always do better.

As for the change and transition at our home, there is the normal progress of our children growing―our daughter about to learn to drive and our son about to leave home for his first job post college. My husband and I have each had health problems this summer. Nothing that can’t be tended to or fixed, but conditions that required testing, meeting new doctors, elaborate tests, and patience while things got sorted out. And sorted out they are. I’ve gone from being extremely afraid to feeling hopeful. With some lifestyle changes and determination, I’m on the road to feeling well and whole.

Of course, the seasons are changing in New England—slowly and in a different way this year. We’re having 85 degree days while we watch leaves changing and harvests being tending to.

This light dish of Roasted Butternut Squash with Herb Salad is a perfect blending of the changes going on around around us. Fresh butternut squash is always a fall treat. Here it’s roasted with a bit of maple syrup for extra sweetness, then cut into wedges. A salad of micro-basil and fresh mint provides the tastes and freshness of the summer weather we are about to leave behind. We enjoyed it for lunch with a wedge of cheese, bread, and cider. It will be equally good alongside some roasted meats and potatoes for dinner. Enjoy it any way you like.

I look forward to seeing you in my kitchen, gathering flavors, soon.

Dena