Late August Blues…

Air’s cooling down, not cold, but maybe you think about bringing a sweater if you’re out of the House late … Late August is always depressing, because those first cooler days mean that the warm nights, shorts-and-tshirt weather, will soon be over for another year.  For those of you who send others to school, there may be an element of rest inherent in the cooler breezes, but we all know that September means it’s pretty much February already, and there’s a cold 8 months ahead of us.

The less pessimistic may disagree. “Fall is beautiful – the autumn leaves, bright colours, crisp air.” True.  But it’s going to be colder before it gets warm again, and that’s a bummer.

Unless you’re an Oyster, or someone that likes eating them.  Cooling air leads to cooling water, and the Oyster, having discharged it’s parental duties in the warmer months, turns its attention to survival.  It starts fattening up, getting plump to survive the lean times when the bays have iced over and the food has gone.  Fats become opaque, and white, and the Oyster swells inside its shell.  This process takes a few months, but what it means is that we are moving into the best time of year for Oyster Eating.

Everyone can serve a good Oyster in the Fall. Just leaving the Oyster alone in the water means it’s going to get plump and delicious.  Some of our suppliers only fish at this time of year (we’re looking at you, Tommy Joe), as the Oyster is really at its best.

Despite my discomfort with the suggestion of winter that late August brings, I take comfort in the fact that what we put on the plate starts getting better at this time of year.  And really, it’s going to be warm well into December this year.  Right? Right. Short mild winter. Like every winter.

Right.