Where is the Summer Going?

Well, the start of summer kind of passed me by. Spring was a-poppin' at the Market, and it's been a good year for gardening with the mild weather and intermittent rain (ok, maybe a little too much rain for my taste, but you haven't had to water, have you?). Now the local produce has started coming in, and we are eating GOOD!

Strawberries are over now, folks. Sorry if you missed 'em. They were wonderful as always, but I didn't get nearly as many put up as I would have liked, and only one batch of jam made - pitiful. The kids are going to be complaining this winter, so I'll probably end up taking some of the frozen strawberries and making jam later on.

Sweet corn - honest to God, Ohio sweet corn should be in this coming weekend - YEAH! Now I have to be better about getting the sweet corn done. We're out in the freezer, and that just has to change. Here's a tip, when you are making sweet corn for supper, cook twice as many ears as you think you'll eat. After supper, cut the corn off the cob, put it in a freezer bag and throw it into the freezer. If you eat corn as often as we do, this is a great way to restore you stock before corn season is over. Though I have to admit, we have a good time, and make it a family affair, when we do a big batch of sweet corn on Mom & Dad's back deck, where the mess doesn't matter. Nothing like being productive as a family!!

Other local produce that's in includes tomatoes, zucchini, candy onions . . . I'm sure I'm forgetting some, and more will be coming in as summer progresses. Stop by and check out the selection, and see what Darlene's been up to rearranging the store. Hopefully, you'll like what you see!

Finally, I'm going to share a really yummy recipe with you that is great for those hot summer days when you don't really want to turn on the oven or stove. If you're an avacado fan, you'll love it! If you're not, at least give it a try - like I tell my kids, you can't say you don't like a dish, it you don't at least taste it!

Chilled Avacado Soup

2 Avacados
1-2 T lemon juice (or more, to taste - Russ really likes more!)
2 cups (scant) chilled chicken stock (or 1 T chicken boulloin and 2 scant cups water)
dash of Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Toss the above ingredients into a food processor and combine until creamy. If you like a thicker soup, you can add less chicken stock. If you want a vegetarian soup, try it with a vegetable stock. If you want it decadent, you can add light cream (which also makes a cool garnish swirled into the surface of a bown of the soup - if you like that Martha Stewart-style touch.). Chives and parsley also make a nice garnish, and can be added into the soup for an extra touch of flavor if you so desire.

Happy eating!!