Yellow Veggies, Cheeses, Summer Memories and More

Today being the autumn equinox, it seemed fitting to recall some of the summer highlights that I will be taking with me into fall. There were a lot!

First of all, this year we had another (late) cherry tomato blooming bravely in our window-well (I guess she just loves those dead leaves!). That's amazing. Some of the tomatoes in our area haven't been as hardy; the farmers told me out of every 10 organic tomatoes they pick, they had to toss 8. Now that's bad news, since I -- and just about everyone I know who enjoys organic local produce -- practically live for fresh organic heirloom tomatoes.

The yellow brandywines were awesome this year -- big and fat and juicy and sweet. I am going to miss them -- and we didn't get nearly enough of them this year, either. So the ones we had were all the more precious.

And on that yellow note -- we had an amazing organically grown yellow watermelon that was sweeter than any watermelon I've ever had. Crunchy and seeds and all. I loved it.

And then to continue the yellow theme. . .we found some extremely delicious new cheeses in Vermont. One of them was a goats milk cheese called La Luna, made by Blue Ledge Farm in Leicester, VT. This one is fabulous with fresh fruit or on crackers or fresh-baked bread.

The other cheese we really liked (not so organic though) was a maple smoked cheddar -- very like a gouda -- that was out of this world in flavor. It is mild enough to combine with fruit and crackers, or eat a cube or two with some crudites. I'd love to try this in a mac-and-cheese combo, or with a hearty fall stew.

Now here is a sad memory, though. One of the Saturdays it was storming pretty badly -- heavy rainfall and wind. Being hardy souls who find it hard to get through the week without our fresh local produce, we braved the elements to support the farmers. A few of the stands didn't bother to show up; can't say that I blame them.

One of the bigger farmers was selling out the back of a semi trailer instead of under his usual canopy -- and this presented a problem. Apparently his help had not arrived, and he was trying to do everything by himself. And this is where the story gets ugly.

Instead of getting in a line and waiting their turn, people were grabbing stuff off the table and trying to push in front of everyone else. (That was bad enough.) But the worst thing I saw was when individuals grabbed fresh ears of corn by the armful, and instead of getting in line to pay for them, just walked away!

I don't know about you, but in most places that is called stealing. And I think it's pretty crummy behavior. The folks doing the evil deed surprised me because they looked to be folks who really COULD afford to pay -- folks you would probably see on the commuter train going in to work in the city at white collar jobs -- folks you would see in corner offices in high rise/high rent districts. Yeah these were people who should know better and could afford to wait and pay for their produce; they just didn't.

And that is a bummer. Suppose the farmer decided not to return to our market square as a result of those thieves' stupidity and greed? I suppose the thieves would simply go elsewhere -- but both the farmer and our community would lose a valuable resource.

I say SHAME on you (if you were one of those filchers whose hands should be permanently dyed red for thievery.) If I ever see that again I will call the police and confront you in public to shame you in person! Be warned!! You will not get away with that again.

Finally, one of the special memories of the summer was to discover the American Flatbread Company, where a fabulous product is created. The restaurant portion is only open twice a week for supper; the rest of the days are spent producing their wonderful organic gourmet flatbreads for sale to health food stores in the frozen prepared foods section.

This meal was a real treat. The preparation is fun to watch, as the flatbreads are fed into the brick ovens with long wooden paddles. You can watch them cook on stone ledges inside a little "igloo" where the flames are kept hot and high. We had a nice selection to choose from, all easily tempting the taste buds. When the flatbreads arrived, they had been sliced into narrow strips, the better to savor their delicious flavors. I will never think of "pizza" the same way again! (And I am happy that some of our local health food stores carry them now. . . )

Happy fall to you! Enjoy the fall harvest, and all its dining pleasures.

Yours for extraordinary dining -- for everyone,

Nancy

Enjoy fresh local organic foods this fall!