Summer in the South

A picture of some of a recent haul from the Mississippi Farmer's Market. YUUUMMMM!!

Summer in the Deep South is hot. Like, REALLY hot. In July, August, and September, highs can routinely be in the 100s. And the humidity. Oh, the humidity. The air is heavy. Running outside is a test of endurance. It'll be 6 a.m., and already something like 80 degrees outside, with a humidity of 90%. It can be brutal. (As I type this, it's technically fall. But we have highs in the mid-90s all week. So, for the South, the first day of fall is more of an idea than a reality. We most likely won't get a reprieve until well into October.) 

And what do we, as Southerners, get for all that suffering? Well, we get summer farmer's markets. They are glorious. They are bursting at the seams with amazing food - berries, figs, squash, tomatoes of every shade/size/color, deep-red watermelons, plum piles of sweet corn, giant heaps of peas and beans, it just goes on and on and on.  

On Saturday mornings in the summer, I love going to the Mississippi Farmer's Market on High Street in Jackson. Every vendor there is from in-state, and they love talking to you about what they grow and how they grow it. They also love sharing recipe ideas and serving tips. I have never failed when taking their advice about how to best prepare and show off the food they grow.  

You can get there at 8 a.m. and get a delectable breakfast at the cafe. (Their bacon is amazing.) Then, you can shop for produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, flowers, jams/jellies, milk/cheese, coffee from local grinders and arts/crafts. Bring a re-usable bag and, if you're planning on staying a while or going somewhere else in Jackson before returning home, a cooler for the trunk to keep your purchases fresh. 

Say what you want about the South. We've got problems we need to solve, for sure. And the heat/humidity can be a real drag come August. But we can grow stuff, cook stuff and eat stuff on par with literally anybody in the world, which makes summer in the South a great time to be alive!