If ever confirmation that fall had arrived was needed, this weekend was it. One could be forgiven for thinking we were already in late October, when washing lettuce in cold water at dawn requires mental fortitude and a triple espresso. Even though they are forecasting warmer weather by the end of the week, the sudden chill will likely have wreaked its havoc by Friday. Indeed, predictions are that the mercury will dip below zero on Thursday night — final curtain call for all our solanaceas (including the ground cherries we will be busily harvesting between now and then) and the last of our winter squash (the butternut squash which we had left to ripen in the fields but which we will now be hastily harvesting). That said, not all vegetables wilt at the first sign of frost. Brassicas flourish in colder weather, as do carrots and lettuce. For some vegetables (Brussels sprouts, Jerusalem artichokes, etc.), the colder the better. To sum things up, this week’s basket will constitute our final salute to summer bounty and an early introduction to fall fare.