Summer Menu Planning

Our tomatoes are finally starting to ripen. Sure, we've been feasting on the little ones -- the ones that you need four slices of to make a decent sandwich -- but the big ones that just one slice will hang over the the edge of the bread and the juice runs down your arm or drips off your chin -- ah! That's what I'm talking about! That's what I start dreaming about when the seed catalogs show up in January.

Our corn isn't doing very well. It's in too much shade. This lot has more trees than any acre should be allowed. I think the county should have tree police go around and count trees. ("Sorry, ma'am -- only two producing black walnuts per acre are allowed in this neighborhood!" Well, that would be one way to get rid of the squirrels.)

Now, there is a really nice fellow who lives across the road from us. He plants a garden every year -- then leaves town for five days every other week or so to drive produce cross-country. He generously offers us the privilege of raiding his garden when he's gone. We use his offer sparingly, but this year I think I'll talk Husband into -- well, a sweet-corn raid. I've had my heart set on corn for months. Look at it this way -- we'd be protecting it for the crows.

We got a plant catalog today -- talk about vicious cycles!