SUMMER

In July tart cherries are ready to pick as plums, apricots, and peaches begin to ripen on trees nearby. Fruit trees are a big part of the summer and fall growing seasons here in Vermont, and we’re lucky to be neighbors and friends with some of the region’s most knowledgeable orchardists. Tomatoes are the true star of summer. I grow every variety I can, planting at least a dozen tomato plants every year. Tomatoes embody for me all the reasons why I garden. Each plant produces a distinct fruit with its own personality and potential uses. Some are best eaten out of hand standing surveying the garden, while others are best to quickly slice, still warm from the sun, onto a simple al fresco lunch plate. Still others come into their own after being simmered for hours on the stove, their mild raw flavor deepening into something more complex and magical that can then be frozen or canned and enjoyed all year round. I grow far more tomatoes every summer than we could ever possibly eat or preserve ourselves, which is the goal. Like the rest of the garden, the tomatoes are meant to be shared with our family, friends, and community.