I come from a long line of women who preserved food. My mother, grandmothers and their mothers all canned, smoked or salted something. As I write this, I am waiting for the kettle to boil for yet another batch of fava beans. I harvested an entire bushel of them from one seed package. They can be planted along with the early peas as they can take frosty nights in their infancy. The rabbits do not eat them and I have never seen any sort of pest on the plants. The flowers are an interesting black and white. By mid-July they produce enormous pods filled with large beans.

I boil the pods for a short time, cool them in the sink and slide them out of their shells. The bean has an inedible sheath but I don’t bother with them now. Popped into the freezer until mid-winter, the task is enjoyable on a long dark afternoon.

A few years ago Marie made a delicious hummus from them instead of using chick peas. I like them sauteed with garlic and maybe some Italian sausage.

As long as I’m talking about food preparation I may as well keep at it. I’m on a roll. Recently, I was channel surfing and by mistake ended up in the upper 100s. A chef was preparing a blueberry pizza. On a homemade crust he sprinkled a mix of cheddar and fontina cheese, some red onion and pancetta. He baked for 20 minutes or so, added a layer of fresh blueberries and some more cheese. Then he put it back on the oven for a few minutes.

Intrigued, I gave it a go since I had blueberries in the fridge and a homemade crust from last winter in the freezer. I only used cheese and blueberries and was very pleased with the results.

By the way, soaking raw onion in either ice water or vinegar for a short time will cut the unpleasant after-taste.

Now is the time to plant for a fall garden. There is still time to get a decent harvest of beans, cucumbers or summer squash. I usually plant my main carrot crop in mid-July. They will be ready when the days are cooler and therefore the roots will be sweeter.

I tossed a few radish seeds into the carrot rows and, amazingly, they came up in two days. Wow, that has to be some sort of record. By the weekend I am determined to start some fall cabbage. I figure if I say it in print, I might actually do it.

The fields on either side of Sweetened Water Farm are covered in butterfly weed. It seems early but still very welcome. The monarda is looking mighty fine right now. Also known as bergamont, it is the source of flavor in Earl Grey tea. My favorite cultivar is raspberry wine. It is a deep purpled red and matches the other colors in my garden better than the orange reds like Jacob Cline. It spreads so can be used to cover empty sections nicely.

Violet and I spent some time watching two fledgling sparrows being fed by their parents and perhaps some aunts and uncles. I guess the begging for food works on all family members.

What a sad week in the country. First the police shootings of young black men and then the attack on Dallas police officers. I thought President Obama did a great job at the eulogy alongside former President Bush. This was the 11th time he had to make a speech following a mass shooting. Sadly, it probably is not the last.