Happy Halloween--or Samhain, as the original Celtic festival celebrated from October 31 to November 1 was called. Some say Samhain means "summer's end," and that is surely what it is for us, as we'll have our last pickup at the Enright Ridge CSA this coming Saturday. Samhain celebrated the end of the harvest season--just what we are reckoning with at the CSA, too. It also marked the end of the "light" half of the year, as we head into darkness, and hey--I believe that Daylight Savings Time ends next Saturday, too. Who knew that Congress followed the old pagan calendar . . . In any event, we'll be seeing the last of the tomatoes and peppers of summer, which continued well into fall, as well as some fall greens and root vegetables. You might think about carving one of those big turnips we got into your jack o' lantern this year--it was turnips and rutabagas that were used to carve scary faces to ward off evil spirits before new world pumpkins were introduced to Europe. Or you can just hide behind a false face, as masks were another way people found to hide from the demons.
Most likely the only demons showing up tonight will be trick-or-treaters. My uncle used to discourage them by passing out heads of cabbage, turnips, and occasionally brightly colored hard-boiled eggs, just to confuse them. I think I'll keep my turnips and cabbage for dinner, however, and pass out the more usual chocolate and licorice treats.
Happy Halloween, Happy Samhain, and as my grandfather would say, don't forget to set your clocks ahead. Remember, it's spring back, fall forward.
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