HARD CHOICES

Although I am spending much time fighting weeds...mostly coming from the straw mulch I put down, there are so many vegetables ready each morning I can barely choose which to have for our dinner.  In fact, sometimes we just have them all!

Haricot vert a French green bean that is very long and slender, and by the way, the best green bean I have ever eaten.  I grew them for the first time last year, and saved enough seeds to give some away, and to plant two long rows myself.  They are presently prolific, and I pick a large pail-full each morning.

Broccoli heads are coming in also, and we have had broccoli in many ways....the simplest was sauteing onions and garlic in butter, adding slightly steamed broccoli, stirring about, then adding 4-6 farm fresh eggs, (my friends Geri/Steve have by far the best eggs in the world) cooking until set.  Serve with fresh crusty bread, a little bit of heaven.

First head of cauliflower this morning, more broccoli and beans...

...onions are sweet and add to every dish...

We have been getting a few cucumbers each day, and our very favorite way to eat them is...clean and cut off the ends, score each cucumber with a fork, slice thinly...slice fresh onions very thin into rounds, salt/freshly ground pepper, plenty of chopped fresh dill week, and Hellmans mayonnaise, a generous amount.  It is good to make this a couple of hours ahead and let it sit in the refrigerator. (We go through a great deal of mayonnaise in the summer, and the only one I use is Hellmans.  Hellmans has a new one out using olive oil, but I have as yet been afraid to try it, as I love the original so much.)

A wonderful taste of summer.

We love plain steamed green beans served with butter, but I always make extra to use in this salad.

Cut up steamed green beans, onions, a bit of fresh minced garlic, cucumbers if you wish, plenty of fresh chopped dill weed, sliced cherry tomatoes, salt/pepper and dried oregano.  Dress with good olive oil and wine vinegar, a little heavy on the wine vinegar as the beans soak it up and add very much to the great flavor.  This dish should be made a few hours ahead and left at room temperature to serve.

Our favorite way to eat fresh broccoli is raw, in the above salad.

Clean and cut a smallish broccoli head into bite sized pieces in a medium bowl.  Cook a couple of strips of bacon (or turkey bacon) until crisp, sprinkle over the broccoli.  Chop a freshly picked onion into small pieces and add, sprinkle a handful or two of sunflower seeds over all, and a handful of dried cranberries.  Dress with about a cup of mayonnaise, a tsp. of cider vinegar, a sprinkle of sugar, and salt and pepper, adjust all to your taste.  Toss completely.

The very last of the peas served over a salad of fresh greens, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and sliced radishes, topped with homemade Blue Cheese dressing, another summer favorite.

We have at least two of these salads each evening, and one night this week we had only salads, three or four, for dinner.