On Monday, the first day of this new month and the week, I listened to the song of a crow while picking beans. It is a harsh sound, that repeated caw, but to call it anything other than a song would be unfair. Crows seem to know when our calendar pages turn to August, though they follow different, more fluid cycles. And just as mourning doves invite the warmer months, crows are the heralds of fall.

But now, it is August, and summer. I still have plenty of fresh beans, okra, zucchini, and yellow squash, as well as dilly beans and a few bottles of garlic salt. In addition to the produce, you can also find my handmade fishbowl stuff and spill toy, dishcloths, skillet handle covers, and Swiffer covers, and notecards featuring my husband’s photography at the Broadway Community Market tomorrow.

Late summer is when produce really starts coming in. Things I’m looking forward to in August:

Tomatoes. I’ve been snacking on a few cherry tomatoes here and there (and you might see some at the market tomorrow!), but the paste and slicing tomatoes are just starting to blush. In fact, I harvested the first paste tomato this morning! It’s not summer, though, till I’ve had a tomato sandwich. Next week, I think!

Jalapenos. These, too, are just about ready. The jalapeno plants are producing well this year, and those spicy peppers are plumping up nicely. With both tomatoes and jalapenos coming on at the same time, we have the perfect conditions for salsa making!

Lima beans. When I checked on my lima beans this morning, I was surprised to discover a few pods ripe for the picking – and ended up with well over a quart! This is one of my experimental crops this year, so I don’t have any experience with it, but I think there’s a good chance you’ll see some at the market next week.

See you at the market!

There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of a freshly weeded garden. The plants have more room to breathe, I have more room to work, and the whole space just looks neater and happier. In fact, I find weeding to be a satisfying task overall.

I’ve dedicated a few hours this week to tidying up the garden, and I just love coming to the end of a row with tired fingers and muddy knees and looking back at the bare mulch of the walkway and weed-free crops on either side of it. I don’t even mind the “tedium” of pulling up the undesirable plants, as long as I can find the time to do it.

Around this time every year, the weeds begin to take over entirely, because I can hardly keep up with the more urgent tasks of watering and harvesting (so many beans!). Of course, I haven’t needed to turn on the hose in days, if not weeks, thanks to the frequent rain, which frees up a good hour or two each week.

But you’re here to find out what I’ve been harvesting! Beans, of course, as well as yellow squash, zucchini, and okra. I’ve also picked a handful each of cherry tomatoes and cucamelons, though not enough for market yet, unfortunately.

In case you haven’t seen my post about them on Facebook, cucamelons are fun little heirloom cucumbers from Mexico that look like bite-sized watermelons and taste like cucumbers with a light, vinegary tang reminiscent of pickles. Although I’m sure they’d be delicious in a salad, I can’t stop snacking on them!

I also made more dilly beans this week (beans pickled with dill and garlic), and I will have the first batch at the market tomorrow. They are flavorful and crunchy, and Paul and I could just about eat a whole jar in one sitting.

The Broadway Community Market is having a “foodie event” tomorrow, with extended hours (8am-1pm) and three prepared-food vendors, so come hungry! I will have:

• Dilly beans
• Fresh beans
• Yellow squash
• Zucchini
• Okra
• Garlic salt
• Crochet/knit items

See you at the market!

Summer is bean season around here. And although it’s hard to tell until we’re on the downslope, this week might be peak, judging by the abundance of beans filling the fridge right now.

What does one do with so many beans? Well, I’ve been making dilly beans and freezing market leftovers. There’s something incredibly satisfying about popping open a jar of dilly beans or pulling beans out of the freezer in the middle of winter.

And freezing beans is super easy! It takes just three steps:

1. Wash and snap beans.
2. Blanch for three minutes.
3. Freeze!

Make sure to dump the beans into ice water immediately after blanching to stop the cooking process. I like to then spread them out on a cookie sheet to freeze for about an hour before putting them in containers. This means that when I pull a container (or bag) out of the freezer, I can pour out however much I want instead of using a whole frozen block.

Oh, and the dilly beans? They take a couple weeks to reach full flavor, so I plan to have them at the market next week. They’re crispy, juicy, and deliciously dilly, with a bit of tang to keep things interesting. I’m not a huge fan of pickles, but I love dilly beans!

At the market this week:

• beans
• okra
• yellow squash
• zucchini
• garlic salt
• crocheted/knit items

Tomorrow looks like another hot, sunny day, so come out to the Broadway Community Market early and beat the heat! The tall brick wall at our backs keeps us nicely shaded, and Naty’s Mexican Cuisine always has some fun iced drinks to try (not to mention delicious tacos).

See you at the market!