Where are you from?- What is in season in your part of the world

[Guest guest]

It's not quite as hot here as in Cincinnati, but I live in the middle of

downstate Illinois--not very far from Springfield. It was unbelievably COLD

just a couple of weeks ago, and now it is humid, hot...hot...HOT! " Sweltering "

is the word most often used for our weather! Like you, Gypsy, the heat hits

here by the middle of June and goes on and on until early September. Often the

schoolkids will get sent home early during the first of the school year because

the temperatures get too high.

 

Until just about a week or so ago, there was almost nothing coming on,

produce-wise. Our farmers' market had opened for the season, but the vendors

felt there was little use in showing up when a lot of the crops were just so

much delayed by the late coming of spring & warmer weather this year.

 

Right now (I was out of town, so I missed Farmer's Market this week) I

think we have mostly early veg produce: scallions ( " green onions " , we call them

here), radishes (and I like eating the tops, if they are nice!), some numerous

varieties of lettuce, some turnip greens, and we have hydroponic tomatoes and

cucumbers right now. Lots of asparagus a couple weeks ago--it tapers off

gradually. There are also some strawberries and blueberries beginning. And

rhubarb, of course.

 

Last week before DH and I left to go out of town, I brought 2 bags home

from Farmers' market with different kinds of lettuce in them. The vendor sold

some of the " leaf lettuce " bunches in two's, and there were 2 bunches also of a

red " butter-crunch " bibb-type of lettuce and a red-tipped Romaine lettuce. I

love them all.

 

DH and I had several " meal-salads " of these (and I still have some

left!) I love putting all kinds of " stuff " on a bed of mixed lettuce

greens--chopped pieces of cauliflower, shreds of carrot, some chopped nuts, some

raisins (or dried cherries or cranberries). I dig around the fridge and find

odds and ends--a bit of cheese to grate or shred, some artichoke hearts, maybe

even some cooked rice to sprinkle over the greens and vegetables. The thing

that amazes me is that my DH, though brought up to be suspicious of any " salad "

except for a few iceberg leaves in a bowl--seems to love these " meal salads " .

We were gone for the past 4 days and I really MISSED those salad-meals!

 

Now that the hot weather has finally hit here in our area, I expect that

more produce items will show up at our small local farmers' market soon. That's

something I look forward to every May--the start of the Market here, 3 days a

week. I envy those who have much longer and earlier growing season, but it

really isn't all that bad here. Sometimes, I even have sufficient (vegetable)

left-overs to freeze for soups and other dishes later in the year.

 

--Laura B., from Illinois

 

Gypsy wrote:

. Re: Where are you from?- What is in season in your part of the world

 

I am in Cincinnati, Ohio and it is in the 90's here with a butt load

of humidity to go along with it. And that isn't even hot yet, it is

only June. Our hottest month is the end of July and all of August.

You can totally get baked here!

 

-Gypsy

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I had a friend years ago from Kerala. I visited her home (in the U.S.)

where she lived with her uncle's family while she attended college. This was

the first time I ever tasted " curry " (at my friend's Uncle's home when they

invited me to dinner once). I loved the very SPICY curry from their (Kerala)

state in India. Do you have any recipes for spicy curries? Your post brought

back memories of my good friend, who moved away and I lost contact with her some

time ago!

 

Are there foods (vegetable produce) that are grown and available to

purchase during your monsoon time? Is rice grown in your region? I enjoy

learning about the foods of other places.

 

--Laura B.

 

 

 

> > I am in Kerala, ..here These are monsoon days Thunder and

lightining along with heavy rain............

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Laura B.!

 

 

 

Well, you know how it feels to live here. I would use the word sweltering

here as well. During the summer months we usually get a season's pass to

King's Island. It is fun, but it is usually very hot and humid at the same

time. So, the pass allows us to concentrate on certain areas at a time

without wearing ourselves out in the heat. My youngest has it easy. She

chills in a covered wagon in style. She has one of those HUGE Radio Flyers

with the canopy. LUCKY!

 

 

 

This year for the first time since I left school in the 80's they are having

the kids report in September after Labor Day. It used to be like

that for us, I never understood having them suffer in the heat of August

because they were afraid of snow days. Yeesh!

 

 

 

I have not been to my Farmer's Market yet. I find myself in Jungle Jim's

mostly. It is an international store that covers 6 acres. It has literally

EVERYTHING in there. I hang out in the natural foods, Asian, Spanish,

Italian, and Middle East areas. It is a shopper's dream store. I try to

get there about every couple weeks and stock up. They are very reasonable

as well.

 

 

 

With all that talk about salads, you have me hungry for them. I am looking

up good dressing to make. We eat more salads, sandwiches, fruits, and

simple foods during these hotter months. We try to keep it light too.

 

 

 

Have a great day!

 

 

 

-Gypsy

[Guest guest]

Hi Mindy!

 

 

 

I know, right?! But it will indeed get much hotter. I don't mind the heat

as much as I do the humidity. It makes an otherwise beautiful day

unbearable at worst!

 

 

 

Hope you're staying cool and " dry. " Right now I am sweating.UGH!

 

 

 

-Gyspy

 

 

 

 

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AM2NjY2MARzZWMDZG1zZwRzbGsDdm1zZwRzdGltZQMxMjEzMDQ1NDAy> Re: Where are you

from?- What is in season in your part of the world

 

Posted by: " Mindy-n-Shawn "

<hunnybunns4233?Subject=%20Re%3A%20Where%20are%20you%20from

%3F-%20What%20is%20in%20season%20in%20your%20part%20of%20the%20world>

hunnybunns4233 <http://profiles./hunnybunns4233>

hunnybunns4233

 

Mon Jun 9, 2008 1:44 pm (PDT)

 

Gypsy,

 

I'm in NE Ohio, and I can't believe how hot it has been these past

couple of days. I dread what July and August will be like.

 

Hugs,

Mindy