Summer (Produce) Lovin'

I look forward to so many things during the summer. Warm weather, being tan, summer dresses, going to the beach, visiting family, summer nights, and just being outside are but a few of the many things that summer time brings. It is truly the most joyous season of the year. One thing that you certainly cannot get during the other seasons of the year are ripe, luscious, and juicy fruits and vegetables. Growing them yourself makes them taste even better. Don't get me wrong, I realize you can get most of the same fruits and veggies year-round at the grocery store but they are more times than not, tasteless, hard, chemically, and down-right disappointing. I however, still buy them because I need a taste of summer goodness in the dead of winter when I am pasty white, wearing 20 pounds of clothing, cold, and going to bed at 8pm because it got dark 3 hours ago.
As for a vegetarian in the middle of winter... well lets just say there are some slim pickin's if you know what I mean. Being creative with monochromatic foods has to come second nature. But in the summer, there is a plethora of colorful goodness waiting to be tossed to together so effortlessly for your enjoyment. My personal garden supplies me (neighbors and coworkers included) with delicious cucumbers, Japanese egg plants, strawberries, yellow and orange bell peppers, chili peppers, banana peppers, strawberries, and tons of herbs. It is so nice to walk out into the backyard, snip off the veggies from the plant and eat most of them before I get back inside. Haha - the strawberries don't stand a chance! I don't think my husband even knows we have strawberries since they don't make it inside the house.
The relationship vegetarians have with food is sublime and almost spiritual. The summer months are a celebration of fun and rejuvenation. During this time I celebrate the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables that are picked during their own season and are allowed to grow on their own time. Strawberry season is over, watermelon season is in full force, and my egg plants and cucumbers are still pumping out huge volumes of veggies. Take advantage of this time. Visit your local farmers market to experience pure freshness and remind yourself what a real tomato tastes like.

Enjoy your crusade!
~Crystal Van Meter