Labor Day weekend in Northwest Montana is usually a beautiful gateway to Fall. Whenever anyone asks me about visiting Montana, I always suggest September if they don’t have school age children to consider. September weather is typically warm but not hot with cool, crisp nights and all of the July crowd is long gone.

But, this year – YIKES!

The beginning of September is darn ugly! However, when I’m tempted to complain too much I remember that unlike southeast Texas, my pain will be over in 10-14 days … hopefully.

Still, it has been a hot, dry, smoky summer through most of July and August and now into September. I usually am able to put the A/C units away on my birthday in mid-August. Maybe by mid-September this year.

There is good news about the heat.

The vegetables! Above is week 16’s box: fingerling potatoes, long red onions, baby romaine, baby kale, basil, sweet corn, red beets and greens, braising greens, cucumber, zucchini, patty pan, bell pepper and TOMATOES! I get a box of an heirloom mixed with cherry tomatoes. Both were gone the first night – sliced and eaten plain.

So … off to Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Bear and I left early, snagged a shady parking spot and I was at Lower Valley Farm’s spot for the opening bell.

I added more patty pan, cucumbers, rainbow chard, golden beets and greens, fresh flowers and a box of mini-slicer tomatoes to my week’s vegetable store. I’ve been blanching and freezing some of the beet greens, basil, chard and braising greens to have for Fall and Winter cooking but everything else I eat during the week.

The partial share (half share) with some occasional additions from the market has been working very well for me this summer. The variety of vegetables from Lower Valley Farm, courtesy of Jay and Mandy’s extensive research, is much better than my prior CSA experience which makes it easier to prepare a variety of things and not get tired of many, many greens as I did last round.

This week’s CSA newsletter says that the fall squash are doing very well so I am already planning on where I will store as much extra as I have room for.

Meanwhile…

Another smoky sunrise.

I’m ready for a Montana Fall and/or Winter!!!