Right about now, my Midwestern heart yearns to go to the nearest farm market. To get bushels and pecks of summer tomatoes, cobs of corn, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, eggplant, beans, salad greens, herbs.
Here’s the rub.
I’m still wired for summer farm markets, but I live in Florida. Here, August is when most farm markets close down for the month. The growing season, which means the farm market season, is opposite of up north.
I’ve lived here for a total of six years now and I still can’t get used to this upside down schedule. I decided to write about this so that this year I can use a new strategy—basically a reminder to seek out stalls of produce in the next few weeks. Maybe if I see myself type the words, Get thee to the farm market soon, I will start the shift that needs to happen to collect the bushels and the pecks.
Lately, I’ve just relied on local grocery stores. I finally found a few decent cobs of fresh corn. First corn of the season at our house.
I went to Trader Joe’s this week for an old school summer haul of tomatoes, herbs, squash, graffiti eggplant, and peaches.
G isn’t a fan of squash nor eggplant so I make ratatouille for myself.
He can’t get enough tomatoes so we adhere to a Caprese a day keeps the doctor away.
I was lucky enough to meet Ann Hood and her husband, fellow Clevelander, Michael Ruhlman, this year. Michael introduced me to Ann’s essay, Tomato Pie, included in her book, Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food.
Reading the essay reminded me that my Mom started to make a version of tomato pie in her later years. When I had a heap of tomatoes on my counter, I thought I’d try to make a tomato pie in her honor and in honor of meeting Ann this year. Poor Ann does not know this, but I refer to her as my mentor to anyone who will listen.
My first tomato pie, recipe via Ann Hood, via her inspiration, writer Laurie Colwin, another writer you should definitely check out.
I care about you. Don’t forget to eat your greens.
Yum yum 🔥