Summer is over, my friends. (You don’t mind if I call you friends?) Autumn is now in full swing, and in the distance winter is peaking over the horizon. The days are getting shorter and the shadows getting longer.

The Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market that was once dazzling with the bright reds, yellows and pinks of summer is now dominated by the warm, earthy tones of autumn. Pumpkins and persimmons speckle the market with orange. Pears, grapes and apples cast a golden light. Thick winter squash and cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and Brussels sprouts dominate the vegetable stands. Course greens like kale, chard and collards have replaced the springy bright lettuces of summer. Sturdy root vegetables and tubers are also starting to appear.

To me, all these changes are welcome. It is getting much cooler in the evenings and salads are now less appealing than a hot, home-cooked meal. It is also around this time of year when I start emerging from my stone fruit-induced daze and realize how much I missed fingerling potatoes and sweet, nutty artichokes.

Even the fruits of fall have their own brand of magic. The diversity of pear varietals now available rivals even the height of summer’s pluot season. Grapes are as sweet as any natural food can be. The wily and mysterious pomegranates are an adventure all their own.

Today I embraced autumn, though I do admit to indulging myself with a few of the final remnants of summer. Ella Bella Farms was gone, along with their magnificent display of summer tomatoes. Dirty Girl Produce was the last place I could find dry-farmed early girls which, they informed me, would be around “until it rains.” I was also disappointed to learn that white pomegranate season has expired, so I will have to make do with the red ones from here on out. Last week pomegranate seeds replaced berries on my morning cereal.

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