Corn on the cob! (AKA shift of crops)

It’s been a very strange year weather-wise (forget COVID). We had a very warm winter with no plowable snow. A cold and wet spring. A hot and dry summer. Usually we’d be eating corn on the cob a few times a week for at least a month by now. But today–July 19–we finally get our first farm fresh corn on the cob! We’ll pair it with BBQ chicken and fresh broccoli (due to the weird weather there’s been no fresh asparagus in sight . . .it’s usually a spring staple, but not this year).

Anyone else noticing a shift in fresh crops this year?

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All our garden crops are late this year, with the exception of our garlic, and rhubarb. Even the plums are later than usual. Tomatoes way late in blossoming and setting fruit. Plenty of bees though. OTOH, the sunflowers are early.

We had a beautiful and sunny early spring, but cool, rainy and gloomy most of June, and even through the 4th. Had our 1st 80 degree day this past Wednesday. We ARE getting some great cherries, and wonderful tasting peaches from the grocery however. Really surprised at the good peaches, as it’s so often not the case. Corn, just so so, on the tough side, even. Asparagus seemed fleeting or expensive this year, but haven’t been in stores since before Covid.

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That sounds so good. We’ve been stuck in the high 80s-low 90s. Until this weekend when we’re hovering at 100. We did get 5 inches of rain–unfortunately all in one day; otherwise it’s been bone dry. No good peaches or cherries.

When I lived in the city we had great tomatoes, peppers and herbs. But out here in the burbs the deer just eat everything (even the hosta).

But I am looking forward to tonight’s corn.

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Know all about the deer, but never see them in our neighborhood; lots close by, especially as things change from deeply suburban to country/rural.

Hope the corn exceeds your expectations, as does the rest of your meal. Would trade you some of our weather for yours if I could. Love at least a week or two of real heat to make it feel like summer. Understand you have humidity with it though…hope your mom is doing well @gaffk.

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Yes, strawberries were very late to the Greenmarket, and I still haven’t seen corn, although I think it’s there now - I’ll find out tomorrow. In my own balcony garden, my first crops of greens were abject failures; the second plantings are roaring successes. Tomatoes/basil/thyme/oregano are great, peppers are okay, kale/parsley/dill/cilantro are pretty pathetic, cucumbers are almost dead (from bacterial wilt, which I am frequently plagued by). Every year is different, but this one is weirder than most.

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Thank you so much for remembering/thinking about mom. She is doing well . . .some dental surgery a few weeks back, but now that doctors have reopened she’s had visits with her primary and eye docs and has a clean bill of health. I swear at 91 she’s in better health than I am at 55 :crazy_face:

And yes, dewpoints here are in the 70s, with temps in the upper 90s making it ridiculously hot and humid. There’s not much activity outside except the occasional dog walker . . . and the dogs are being walked from lawn-to-lawn, not on the hot streets.

Hope all is well with you. I’d also wish the COVID madness ends soon, but it doesn’t look that way any time soon :sob:

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How wonderful.

We’ve had an odd year in the UK. Sunniest May on record. But the last few weeks, temperatures have been below 20 - we’ve had several days when our heating system has kicked in.

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Yes, same here, which I find kind of pathetic for summer. I swear, in June I was colder than in the depths of winter @Harters - wearing socks, sweaters, you name it. Weird, since I usually run hot all year! Hope you get some good summer weather, with the fresh fruit and produce that happens with it. :sun_with_face::corn::cherries::watermelon:

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Local corn-on-the-cob here has been 89 cents an ear so far this year. That seems high, but I’ve had it a few times. I think either growers are moving away from the too-sugary super-sweet strains, or else I’m getting used to them. They tasted like corn, not generic sugar.

A quirk I’d never seen before moving here is that people shuck the ears right there in the store, the husks going into a big trash can. I don’t understand–husks keep the ears fresh in the fridge. Do people do this anywhere else?

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Yes @gaffk, same here - swear 94 year old dad could run circles around me; he irons, cleans, and cooks (simply) too! I’ve told him he’s hired, and could move in with us. He’s going about with normal life, feeling he’s bullet proof while masked. Engaging in high risk behaviors even, like dining out, and never missing an opportunity to do errands. However, since he is so healthy, ALL of his docs have told him explicitly, they don’t want to see him this fall or winter with both Covid, and seasonal flu circulating. Only in emergencies. Don’t be surprised if your mom’s doctors do the same. How was the corn?

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Oh wow !

I do not like summer, so let´s make a trade ! Ha Ha …

It is average 30 centig daily. I like the early early mornings, which are approx 18 - 22 Centig and chilly.

Have a lovely summer.

This started in local stores a few years ago. I prefer to keep the husks on the ears until they’re ready to be cooked (although I keep them on the counter with a wet paper towel and not in the fridge).

The corn was a bit starchy and not very sweet. That said, we drenched it in butter and s&p and ate it down to the cob. The roasted chicken and steamed broccoli were tasty as always. Malgato was a big fan of the butter and chicken :wink:

Yes, we have dined out a few times in actual restaurant dining rooms :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Mom is a gardener, ironer, cleaner. Much more energetic than I. But I am glad she lives with me so neither of us are too isolated during these tough times.

But she no longer drives . . . She gave her 1999 Corolla with all of 60,000 miles to her great grandson when he turned 16. I hear he put a boom box in the trunk (remember 1999 . . . no CDs, no MP3s, no device chargers . . .How did we survive?) It echoes 2001, when dad passed and mom gave the 1986 Dodge Diplomat V8 with less than 50,000 miles to her oldest grandson. My first car was grandpop’s 1971 Chevy Malibu V8; my sisters fitted it with a great stereo/cassette player as a graduation present. Apparently we don’t drive many miles as a family, but we take good care of the cars and we all need music.

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Haven’t noticed a shift but I like talking it anyway!

I feel that this year I have strawberries later than usual. Other than that, not much differences. I suspect it’s the problem of fertiliser. April was quite hot, and this year it’s quite dry without much rain.

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