NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — We’ve passed the midpoint of September, and this weekend autumn will arrive. We’re finally getting some good rains and, even though rain and thunderstorms have interfered with all three of our football games so far, we’re not complaining.

The moisture was much needed and yards and pastures are greening up once again. The pace of nature always slows a bit in the fall, and we too can pause to catch our breath, listen and look around at all the beauties of the season.

The cooler weather seems to spur the wild critters into a burst of activity. We often have to stop when out on our travels to wait for a frisky squirrel to scamper across the road. Sister Nancy and her husband enjoy the cute chipmunks that inhabit their valley, but neither of us are very fond of the pesky armadillos which keep digging holes in our yards. Even the birds that were so quiet during the hot days seem to sing sweeter now that there’s a chill in the air. In only a few weeks we’ll be hearing the calls of wild geese flying low over the horizon.

As I sat down to write this I’d just finished a bowl of lentils and smoked sausage, one of our favorite foods of fall. Prepared yesterday, they’re even better warmed over. Liberally seasoned with finely chopped onion,carrots and celery, they’re a healthy dish with all the veggies. Adding a can of diced tomatoes contributes another bright color to the pot and they smell, oh, so good when simmering.

I recently bought a new carton of cornmeal to use in breading okra for frying. Some folks just use flour for this purpose but to my mind that’s no substitute for the coarser texture and richer flavor of cornmeal. In years past I’ve visited the War Eagle Mill. Daddy was a big fan of their stoneground cornmeal and it’s a real pleasure to inhale the aroma of the freshly-packaged product.

Early colonists adopted corn as a staple of their diet and sometimes even found it essential for survival. In Jamestown and Plymouth, Native Americans taught the new arrivals how to plant, cultivate and harvest corn and other New World foods and rescued them from starvation. Now there are so many wonderful variations on the standard corn bread. The Southwest offers jalapeno cornbread flavored with cheese and spicy hot peppers. Southerners made “cracklings,” crispy bits of cooked pork fat, when rendering lard. They prefer a moist cornbread seasoned with these “cracklings” to produce a popular smoky taste.

The cover story on this month’s issue of “Southern Living” is “Apple Delights”and my new copy of “Martha Stewart Living” features a plump caramel apple on the cover. I bought some apples the last time I visited the farmers’ market and I’m thinking of making some baked apples. Mama used to make some delicious ones when we were kids, seasoned with a filling of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in the center where the core was removed.

Nancy came by and visited on Thursday and brought me a few of her homegrown sweet potatoes. I baked one and enjoyed its bright orange flesh for supper that evening. This tasty tuber is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and cancer-protective nutrients. One four ounce baked sweet potato contains about three grams of fiber, 120 calories and virtually no fat or cholesterol. Nutritious and delicious! No wonder they’re so popular.

As we wind down toward the end of the month we enjoy the foggy mornings with a dusting of dew on the grass. With the burn ban lifted, we sometimes smell the fragrance of wood smoke on the air as neighbors clear out their brush piles. We look forward to driving to the football game at Pea Ridge Friday night and seeing the countryside rejuvenated by the recent rains. Soon we can watch for the first colorful leaves against the green background and an extra blanket will feel good on the bed.

Susan Holland, who works for the Westside Eagle Observer, is a lifelong Benton County resident. She can be reached at [email protected].

Opinion, Pages 6 on 09/19/2012