Oh, late July- you just have to love it!  This past week has been a challenging one at the Farm.

Our coveted sweet corn patch (with Gary’s absolute favorites of Candy King and Silver Princess) have finally been discovered by the local raccoon population.  The deer, of course, had made their presence known as the first ears were ripening at the 4th of July, but thankfully, they aren’t happy with Dad’s “radio in a bucket” response.  Apparently they don’t want to listen to the golden oldies while they munch their sweet corn.

The raccoon are quite another story.  We have considered live traps and have let both dogs run throughout the patch, but it really hasn’t deterred them at all.  My teenage boys have offered various solutions to the problem, but their dad has nixed those “well thought through” plans.

So we are picking the last of the crop this evening and packing it safely away in refrigerators where neither the raccoons or the tremendous heat will ruin what is left of the summer sweetness.

For the rest of the garden goodies though, the heat is our worst enemy.  We have been watching, watering and harvesting as the weather allows…  The greenbeans are holding steady, the okra loves it, of course, and amazingly the daylilies are continuing to defy the heat too.

We look forward to sharing more of summer’s flavors with you.  Check your email for Vanessa’s latest list and order that sweet corn while you still can.  Have a great week and stay cool.

Join us Friday, July 8 from 4 to 7 pm and Saturday, July 9 from 8-Noon, for fresh picked produce and amazing flowers!  New potatoes, fresh green beans, Silver Princess sweetcorn- it is all just too good- and yes, we are digging daylilies/hostas too!  Choose your favorite flowers and for just $5 a “dig” for daylilies and $6 for hostas you can take color home!

And Jacob’s grilled veggie recipe is very simple.  He slices any veggies we have on hand, puts olive oil in a cast iron skillet and then while the veggies are cooking he adds Fleur de Sel De Guerande or French Finishing Salt (available at Amazon.com just search “French Sea Salt”).  I especially love it when he adds kale to the mix.  Note that if you do add kale, add it only toward the end as it wilts quickly and can cook too long.    This coarse salt is just enough to bring out the flavor of the vegetables without the overwhelming saltiness that our traditional saltshaker produces.  And I may sound crazy, but I, honestly, didn’t know that I could like vegetables this much!

Have a wonderful week and enjoy these cooler temps!  We look forward to seeing you this weekend at the Farm.