Three years ago I saw my first okra plant and flower. At the time, I thought it was a hibiscus plant. Turns out, they are in the same family – hibiscus, rose of sharon, marsh mallow (the plant, not the sugary confection), cotton. Turns out I picked a perfect year for the plant as it is drought tolerant and loves the heat.

I love gumbo, but if you dislike that classic gumbo gooeyness, try a 3 minute grill. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. You can make an okradog and sandwich it between buns and add toppings. Try it, you might be surprised.

Another hot-weather bet are the melons this year. We came across a ripened and split canteloupe in the field. It has decent flavor, just need a bit more sunshine to increase the sugar content.

About now we stop battling with weeds and just try to coexist as much as we can. Most vegetables are at their peak development, producing prolifically every 2-3 days. Since we harvest at end of week, we receive steroid-sized vegetables. There is humor in seeing dinosaur-sized plants and puzzling out how to eat it. The kale, swiss chard, and broccoli rabe are still growing in their weedy rows. It’s not the prettiest thing, but the weeds provide some respite from heat, and aid in retaining water underground. Most of the swiss chard are still growing, but 1 plant has bolted and gone to seed.