Once autumn arrives it is pumpkin spice everything. I even saw an advertisement last week selling pumpkin spice brake pads! Of course the service station was just having some fun with this pumpkin spice madness.
For me the perfect aroma for autumn is not pumpkin spice but a bouquet of sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil and oregano.
With the threat of the first frost upon us the time had arrived to harvest my herb garden. I cut each plant leaving the roots in place with hopes that next spring they may sprout again. Each herb released an intoxicating scent when cut, a means of departing the garden with one final farewell.
Some of the herbs were delicately tied and hung upside down on a wooden rack in our mudroom, welcoming all who enter with a savoury fragrance. Others were prepared for a faster drying process in the oven. With the oven warmed to 170 degrees and the necessary supplies gathered: reclaimed glass jars, parchment covered cookie sheets, and a mortar and pestle, I was ready to start.
Soon the house filled with the best aroma autumn can offer. Not only does this process fill my home with a warm and delectable perfume it also adds a touch of summer to each winter dish.
Sure, pumpkin spice is nice but the signature smells of my own home grown herbs is a reminder of warmer days that help carry me through another cold Grey-Bruce winter.
May we all find simple ways to honour this most rewarding season!
Happy autumn everyone,
Rev. Heather McCarrel
