Shift

It's not yet September, but the shift towards fall is evident: there's a chill in the mornings that the sun chases away a little later each day; the creek is swollen with unseasonable rain; and potatoes appeared in our CSA box this week.  And so I begin my annual reckoning with the fact that summer will not last forever.

I do love fall---it's my favorite season---but this year I'm resisting the inevitable tug towards darkness and snow.  But there's little more futile than resisting the change of seasons in our valley; there's no "Indian summer" here like the ones I grew up with in New York, where the swelter of August pushes deep into the heart of September till you beg for sweater-weather.  Like so much about the landscape here, the shift of seasons is dramatic, arresting.  When the clouds break tomorrow, we may see snow on the high peaks.

So I'm trying to give myself over to the momentum of the shift, while squeezing the last of summer out of this year.  In that spirit, dinner tonight was something of a seasonal collision, or maybe just the right meal for this lovely liminal space of late summer:  citrusy-tahini-marinated tofu with a classically autumnal heap of roasted vegetables, tossed with good olive oil and sage from the garden.

Tahini-lime tofu

2 14-oz. packages extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, roughly chopped
3 1/2 tablespoons sesame tahini
1 bunch cilantro (about 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups, rinsed with large stems removed)
1/3 cup tamari
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
juice of half a lime

In a food processor, mince the ginger and garlic.  Add the tahini, cilantro, tamari, water, and brown sugar and blend until smooth.  You may need to add a splash more water to get it thin enough to easily coat the tofu. 

Place the cubed tofu in a large bowl and pour the marinade over it.  Mix gently to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350.  Place the marinated tofu in a large baking dish in a single layer.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to minimize sticking. 

Remove from oven and transfer to serving dish.  Pour lime juice over tofu and mix well.