The First Weekend in July

I'm a little miffed that June left without even saying goodbye, but I guess I'll get over it since July is taking June's place. July is hot, busy, the heart of the summer. It's farmer's markets and far too many weddings and fireworks.

This weekend, I'm engaging all three of those activities, in that order.

This morning, it was the most bountiful farmer's market visit yet. For only $20, I came away with:

The old standards: tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes.


Beautiful blueberries (from Michigan, as I think we're done with that season here; but still, buying fresh fruit from the region at the farmer's market beats the pants off of blueberries picked who knows how long ago and shipped from California).


The first Illinois peaches of the summer. (Which inevitably lead to me to sing "Millions of peaches, peaches for me. Millions of peaches, peaches for free." Only they weren't quite free.)


The first Illinois corn of the summer, plus a lovely little spaghetti squash and some onions.


Oh, and a little treat for me.


I passed on a few staples that were in abundance–namely, cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers—as I'm about to pick my own from the front-yard garden.

And so there you have it. The first of the three Fs.

Then tonight, comes the first of the July weddings—after a stop at the pool for a few hours to get some sun.

And tomorrow? The fireworks, of course. And perhaps a bit of grilling, because isn't that what the Fourth of July is for?

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July, dear readers. I hope yours is full of fresh local food, good friends, and fun.