EATING FRESH ALL YEAR ROUND

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When I was a bachelor in New York City my favorite meal was lamb chops, baked potato, and zucchini. I was not cognizant of seasons at that time in my life and bought my favorite vegetable in the winter when the price was notable. That is how I came to value zucchini. I don't even think I would like zucchini in the winter now but when it is in season I revel in the bounty.

CELERY, EGGPLANT & PEPPER

There are three more vegetables in the we-don't-store-them category:

celery, eggplant, and pepper. We don't grow celery very often mainly because I am not geared up for starting seedlings in February. Then they have to be taken care of until late May before they can be put out in the garden and left on their own. Then they should be blanched or else they are too strong and stringy. Celery can be stored in the root cellar for two to three months, so the books say. That is an experience that still awaits me.

Eggplant and pepper are not as bad as celery but they do need to be started indoors and cool summer weather can severely cut back the crop. Fans of dehydrating vegetables tout that method of storing these. We have stored them in ratatouille which we froze or canned. We try to get an overdose while they are in season but that isn't easy as there is so much coming from the garden at the same time...like corn.

CORN

Corn! Ah, this is another ecstasy vegetable. We plant early, middle, and late season varieties to get continuous corn from mid-July to mid-September. I have been told that frozen corn on the cob is as good as fresh, but I don't believe it. We have a lot of unused freezer space and we haven't even bothered to try it. Some say just put the ears in the freezer right from the garden. Others say shuck them and put them in plastic bags. Others say shuck them and blanch them before putting them in plastic bags.

We stick with the old rule of getting the water boiling before picking the corn. If you drop one on the way in, don't stop to pick it up. The sugar in corn does turn to starch but the transformation doesn't begin immediately and it takes a day or more to start to be noticeable. At least that is what I have read Me, I enjoy jogging in from the garden with an armload of freshly picked corn.

Harvesting can be a little tricky because you can't see the kernels. The best indication is the drying or browning of the silk. If you have raccoons, the corn will be ready to harvest about three days after the coons start eating it. If you are into sharing, plant a lot. With luck, your generosity will be noticed by porcupines as well.

Our favorite method of preparing corn is to cook it in the husk over coals. When the coals are ready I pick the corn and put it on the grill. The corn can actually go directly on the fire. The moisture in the husks keeps it from burning. Keep an eye on the husks, turning frequently. When the husks get brown, before they start to burn, the corn will be done. Pull back the husks, this is a little hot on the fingers but it is a good time to show off. Hand the ears around with the husk as handle. It cools in the air shortly after you have burned your fingers. We serve this outside with a stick of butter to rub the corn across. When finished, everyone gets to try their luck at lobbing the cob into the compost bin.

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