Fall is here. Yes, I could have taken the hint from the maple that has gone crimson outside my office window, or the brisk turn in the temperatures a few days ago, or even the fact that I am sick to death of my garden and can’t wait to put it to bed. Nope. I took my cue from the vegetables that have changed from tender and meltingly ripe to the tougher stuff of winter squash.

They are everywhere at the market, in all shapes, colors and sized. Deep forest green and ridged acorn squash, eerily celadon green and bumpy kabocha, pumpkins that range from the melon-sized deep orange pie pumpkins to jack-o-lanterns that you can barely lift. Then there are the creamy beige butternut squash, lovely oval light green spaghetti squash, stacking pumpkins in varying hues and sizes. My market is full of them.

The late harvest is sterner stuff than the voluptuous summer fruit. Apples, to be sure, in all varieties, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips, cauliflower and cabbage. They welcome braises, stews, and take well to roasting.

My CSA has put an acorn squash in the basket for the past three weeks now, and I was wooed by a lovely little pie pumpkin at another stand.

My mother taught me to split the acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds, throw in a generous pat of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover the cut half with foil and bake at about 350, cut side up so the butter doesn’t leak out, for about an hour, until it almost collapses.

But, really, there are only so many times I want that for dinner no matter how darned cute those squash are. I have taken a larger squash or a pie pumpkin and stuffed it with corn, onion, cream or milk, an egg and then bread crumbs to thicken slightly, and baked until the custard set and the squash was tender (throw that squash in the microwave for a few minutes if it is large). Then slice it and serve the pretty wedges with some roast chicken for a soul-satisfying meal.

I know that in the weeks to come, I’ll be spending time making dips, adding chiles and garlic, making soup and doing darned near anything else I can think of with these winter squashes. Stay tuned.

It was a beautiful morning this past Saturday. There was a warm breeze wafting between the trucks and tents of the vendors as they were setting up for Saturday’s market in downtown Farmington. This week, all the stars of summer and fall came together. You could find everything from eggplant and cayenne peppers to heirloom tomatoes, acorn squash and corn. This was the last week for peaches, but the beginning of pumpkin season.

Now, really, there is no comparison between the perfect summer peach and the perfect fall pumpkin. Peaches are lush and juicy, dripping a sugary trail of nectar down your arm. Pumpkins will yield a comforting, velvety puree to warm you on a cold night.

The CSA basket from Fusilier Family Farms weighed about ten pounds and contained corn, acorn squash, tomatoes, broccoli, sweet peppers (yellow, orange and green), onion, plums and peaches (I eschewed the apples for a last blast at summer’s stone fruit), carrots (with tops!) and eggplant. I picked up some gorgeous shiitake mushrooms and an arm roast of beef, too.

I steamed the broccoli so it is ready to go for lunch or dinner. The peaches and plums are ripening on the counter. So, you ask, what’s on the menu? How about a slow stew of an arm roast of beef with carrots, onions, garlic, shiitake mushrooms and some red wine, finished with chopped peaches? Just the thing for dinner and for the freezer.

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