We're deep in the time of year that most residents of the Garden State enjoy the most. Ah, yessss....Summertime!  We enjoy a bounty of local produce that ends up on a grill, in a pie, or eaten fresh right at the farm stand.  Nothing like summer in New Jersey.  

 

Tomatoes are THE crop of the summer for Jersey farmers.  It's a point of pride for many of us to have the distinction of having the "best tomatoes".  I remember having a thrill of delight when a woman rushed up to my farm stand one day and said, "Oh good you're here!  I HAD to get more of your tomatoes.  The ones I had last week were so good!"  And so much of that is the soil.  If I were making wine, I'd call it the particular terrior of the soil, as they would say in France.  That specific combination of soil qualities that allows a grapevine in France, or a tomato vine in New Jersey, to have that peculiarly perfect flavor.  You see, a Jersey tomato has as much to do with the sandy-ness of the soil, the richness of the compost, and the trace minerals left in our soil from the Ice Age as the organic fertilizer or quality of water absorbed by the plant.

 

But before I get too far "in the weeds' with tomato insights (LOL), I'll mention here that the combination of weather events over this winter and spring contributed to a later season this year for tomatoes.  Many farmers have just now started bringing their own to market, mine included.  I have some pretty cool varieties that are new to me, but I'm waiting on my very favorite:  Aunt Ruby's German Green.  That's right!  A tomato that is green when ripe.  A luscious combination of sweetness, tartness, and a certain savory "umami" flavor that I have a hard time defining.  She's taking her time, ripening at her own pace.  

 

Other things at the market this week will include:  Italian eggplant, cherry tomatoes, both green and yellow cucumbers, yellow and green squash, red onions, red potatoes, honey from a local apiary, and husk cherries.  What are husk cherries?  Well, friends, they are simply the most delicious little fruit you've never eaten.  They grow like tiny tomatillos, inside their own little wrapper.  Some farmers like to call them the "snowflake fruit" because each one has a slightly different flavor.  Sweet and berry-like, they'll be a yummy addition to any dish that needs a flash of pineapple flavor. Try them!