Eat your fruit s& veget ables T
he month of July and mid-year means summer is in full swing. With that in mind, there are so many highlights that describe this busy time of year. Hot sunny days with occasional thunderstorms are the norm. Family beach vacations and outdoor recreational activities like hiking, camping and picnicking are at their peak. Water sports, including kayaking, boating and swimming, are favorite pastimes. And wonderful food and treats are abundant as summer garden harvests and local farmers’ markets flourish. It’s just a great time to have fun and eat! Many people look forward to having and eating juicy, fresh summertime fruits and vegetables. Seasonal foods are much more available than in years past, but it is different when you grow them yourself or buy them from a neighboring farm. Folks claim fresh produce just tastes better, and experts tell us they are good for us too. Mama always said, “Eat your fruits and vegetables.” Shane Harris Although, I didn’t always
Garden Talk
18 Lake Martin Living
listen or adhere to that advice so much as a child, I definitely do so as an adult. It seems funny that adults get excited about picking and eating a ripe backyard tomato or fresh basket of peaches. It’s interesting how our taste buds change over time, broadening the pallet, making what we used to despise now a favorite. So many more food choices and eating opportunities are what make the summer gatherings memorable. Many fruits and vegetables make their way to the table and are summer icons simply because they are in season. When I think of the peak summer harvests and meals – watermelons, corn, peaches, tomatoes, okra, beans and peas, yellow squash and peppers – these are worthy of such recognition.
