Here we are at the end of July already, about halfway through summer, and we've hardly had any summerlike weather. I'm no expert on these things, and I'm not originally from these parts... but it seems this has been an exceptionally cold summer around here. Being from the upper peninsula of Michigan, I don't mind the cool weather. Surprisingly, the veggies don't seem to mind it too much either. They just keep on coming. Even tomatoes and peppers are starting to ripen.
Everything moves so fast here that it can be hard to keep track of all the vegetables coming and going. As soon as one vegetable is done for the season (bye, ramps. see you next year, asparagus) it is replaced by a new vegetable just coming into season (hi, eggplant. good to see you again, tomatoes).
To date, this is a list of all the veggies I have gotten to know for the first time on the farm this year:
Ramps
Nettles
Sorrel
Burdock
Beauty heart radish
Black Spanish radish
Fresh horseradish (I know all about horseradish in a jar.)
Sunchokes
Komatsuna
Mizuna
Dandelion
Yukina savoy
Sweetheart cabbage
Green garlic
Amaranth

My brain has been very busy with all of this learning going on. It's kind of exciting to think about- when this season is over and I graduate from the Harmony Valley Vegetable Academy, I will be such a pro at seasonal cooking and eating. What a cool job.