On Saturday I bought french heirloom galeux d'eysuves and sucrine de berry winter squash from a trio of Harry Potter's at the Pt. Reyes farmers' market. The sheriff was selling tomatoes but I couldn't figure out what the woman in the leopard print dress and pink sweater was selling. She was all over the place.
The 9:00 a.m. bell ringer that announces the opening of the market was convincingly dressed as a farmer. As he made his way from one end of the L-shaped market to the other I realized it was the last time this year I would be witness to it. Next week is the last of the west Marin market and Saturday mornings at Toby's Feed Barn will be just that; Saturday mornings at Toby's Feed Barn. Until spring returns bringing the market with it.
I remembered the early crowd at the first market of the season, three deep at each vendor. The coffee line had been impossible that day, the picnic tables full of people eating hot cheese and egg sandwiches and small children had run in circles down the middle aisle when they weren't poking at the feral cats at the adoption tent. The only thing missing had been the clowns.
The early novelty seems to have dimmed with the season though. As the market opened the cheese sandwich man hadn't yet lit his grill and the aisles were free of children. The coffee line was manageable and the honey women were set up offering tastes with no waiting. I was first everywhere I went making it a tough decision to pick which end of the season I like better.
Aside from the heirloom squash I found cabbages the size of a Cyclop's one eye, bought three and filled the remainder of my canvas bag with familiar butternut and delicata squash and made the second trip to the car before having coffee and a ginger scone. The scones alone are worth the trip to Pt. Reyes which doesn't take into account the bob cat, deer, hawks, turkeys and vultures I saw on the way there. Or secondary, the saddle shop across the street on the corner that is literally packed to the rafters with good finds or the book store a few doors down from there. One of the best bookstores in the county with old plank wood floors that creak like Halloween all year long.
As much as I'll miss the Saturday market adventures I've stored their stories under flour sack towels in the pantry in the form of four heirloom squash I can't pronounce, five butternut and half a dozen delicata's. I can't wait to serve them but I doubt anyone will believe I bought them from one of three Harry Potter's whose cape constantly blew into the scale as he weighed them on a foggy Saturday morning.
How to Cook Your Life
Suzuki Roshi,
smiling bird, said, "Treat food as
though it were your eyes."
I love people that can make a point, a big point, in seven words or less. Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle can do it. And so can Wallace J. Nichols who the cute guy and I heard speak on Sunday.
WJN is an ocean conservationist, scientist, reasearcher, father of daughters, comedian, photographer, educator, activist and one heck of a public speaker. And even if he weren't so entertaining and interesting we could have sat and simply looked at him.
WJN caught sea turtles when he was a kid in Maine and is still catching them, but now he's doing it to bring attention to the ocean.
First he invoked the seas beauty. And how can you not fall hopelessly in love with a giant sea turtle named Adelita swimming in a bath of shattering blue water at turtle speed from Baja to Japan.
With our hearts the size of Baja he then showed pictures of piles of fish netted and discarded in order to catch a few shrimp and the destruction by shrimp farms to the ocean's shores. He showed us pictures of plastics found in the stomach of a sea turtle. The visuals were startling. We had no idea.
After that he told us how we could help sustain a healthy ocean; in seven short words.
Less in. Less out. Protect the edge.
That sounds doable. 
He also gave out bumper stickers. If you see me, honk.
The cute guy and I have a new favorite food - well, it's more my favorite food than his but he does like it - mashed winter squash. Aside from how good this is, it's easy to cook and makes the house smell like the table is going to get set. 
Last night I used spaghetti squash and tonight delicata. The spaghetti squash was juicy and the delicata a mashed potato consistency. They were equally lick the plate clean good!
1 winter squash - spaghetti, delicata or butternut
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 sweet colorful fall peppers
2 cloves garlic
3 sprigs garden herbs - thyme, rosemary, sage
1 serrano pepper finely minced
1 tablespoon butter
sea salt
Cut squash in half and remove seeds with a sturdy spoon. Rub the inside of the squash with olive oil and place face down on cookie sheet.
Cut off the tops of the fall peppers (I don't remove the seeds like the rest of the world), conservatively coat with olive oil and place next to the squash.
Peel garlic and put on cookie sheet. Tuck garden herbs under the belly of the squash.
Bake at 350 for one hour. Test with a fork for tenderness and continue cooking if squash is still tough, checking every ten minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, scoop squash and squeeze garlic from their skins to a bowl with butter and mash with a large fork. Dice roasted peppers and add to bowl (peppers can be peeled if desired).
Add minced serrano peppers, salt and additional butter to taste, mixing with a large spoon.
Roasted herbs can be used as garnish.
Eat anywhere but the kitchen table.
(This recipe is my thinly veiled justification to buy more local squash!)
