Living in a rural area in the summer is a magical time.  Gardens are in full bloom, and all over the countryside, local fruit and vegetable stands are busy, presenting fresh and just-picked produce used in our favorite summer recipes.  They may be a formal market, a lean-to on the side of the road, or even just a small table at the end of a driveway (where payment is made on the honor system), but no matter where you find it, this is the time of the year to discover juicy summer tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and even fresh farm eggs – all at their peak of seasonal freshness.

My favorite stand is run by a wonderful lady named Mrs. Williams, who runs her operation out of her garage just outside of my hometown.  As for her hours, it’s very simple.  If the garage door is up, she’s open.  There’s a handwritten sign on the side of the road that advertises the weekly bill of fare, and she carries everything from fresh berries and greens in the springtime to delicious sweet corn, patty-pan squash, and juicy tomatoes in the summer months.  In the fall she has pickles, preserves, pies, and the best homemade potato chips I have ever tasted.  Believe me, once you find a go-to spot for fresh produce like this one, you cherish it.

Mrs. Williams comes from a Mennonite family (think the Amish, but these folks drive cars – black ones, of course), and her smiling presence is always there, standing in the garage with her white bonnet firmly affixed to her head, happily waiting on customers or giving directions to the rest of her family, who help out with the stand during the busy summer months.  This is a family of workers, and everyone is involved.  Believe me, there’s nothing like seeing a small, five- or six-year-old boy dressed in suspenders and a black baseball cap hop into a golf cart and tear off back towards the farm in search of something for a customer or for the Grand Dame herself.

Need 300 ears of sweet corn (shucked and silked) so that you can freeze it for winter?  Mrs. Williams has you covered.  Need a great apple, pecan, or berry pie for your Thanksgiving meal?  Well, come on into the kitchen and pick one out from the shelf.    Need a dozen farm-fresh eggs?  Check the cooler inside the garage.  Need a bag of fresh-picked spinach?  If she’s currently out, she’ll have however many bags you need picked and ready to go the next morning, if that works for you. 

But those potato chips.  Man, if you haven’t tasted homemade potato chips from Mrs. Williams, you are truly missing out.  Three ingredients.  Potatoes, salt, and lard.  That’s it.  Cut paper thin and fried to perfection, they literally melt in your mouth.  I don’t care what the people at “Lays” say, you truly cannot eat just one of these divine creations.  We buy them a half-dozen bags at a time and keep them in our freezer during the winter months.  I have taken these beauties to share with family in Florida.  I’ve taken cans of them on vacation to the beach or the mountains of Tennessee.  I’d send them to the space station for the astronauts to enjoy.  I’ll punch you in the face right now and take your bag, if you’re not careful.

So instead of searching the aisle at your supermarket for produce and fruit trucked in from God knows where, find yourself a good farmers market or produce stand and shop local, patronizing a hard-working farmer or home gardener who will gladly share their glorious bounty with you. 

And if you’re ever in my neck of the woods, stop in and see what Mrs. Williams has to offer.

I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.