Gluten Free Signs of the Season

I guess with Thanksgiving tomorrow, we can admit that the long days of summer and the ripe red tomatoes are long behind us. The past month or two have turned my kitchen into a slow, soup making, meat braising, butter and cream sauce mixing venue. The harvest has come and gone, with hopes that this year's wine will be the best yet and that the rains will come and provide the water needed for next year's crops. In this time of year, squash is king. I have two large butternut squashes lined up next to an acorn squash, prepped and ready for curried squash soup with a dollop of creme freiche to be served tomorrow as an appetizer. I love squash for its simplicity-cut it in half, remove the seeds, roast it with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, and you have a meal in itself.

One gourd signifies the abundance of this season, the inward reflection and slowing down that comes with the winter. Puree that roasted squash, add stock, curry, and a few extra spices and you've got a warm belly full of gratitude. Gratitude for family, for simple, honest food that sustains us, and for the passing of another year. With Thanksgiving, we kick off the holiday season, full of celebrations and the anticipation of another year. In this case, we welcome another decade with the wisdom that the past years have imparted. A recession of unparalleled proportions has instilled a sense that we must do more with less, love fuller, cook slower and closer to the earth. We follow the seasons, celebrating the passing of time with a token vegetable to represent the current moment. Now, it's squash.