What's In Season Now - July

Remember, everything you read about seasonality but this is wrong (wink-wink). I'm not gonna do a full update for July yet because things have not changed much since the last report. Moreover, the full glory of summer, the peaches, the tomatoes, the cukes, have not arrived. Still, a couple of great products have just shown up.

• True, freshly dug new potatoes. A lot of shoppers like to think of any smaller, red or waxy potato as a new potato. We should reserve the term only for the real thing. These are potatoes dug within a day or so of vending. Unlike other potatoes, they are not cured (about 1/2 down the linked page). They do not have to be red either. Any potato can be eaten "new". The tell tale sign of a new potato is peeling skin from the farmer washing the potato. I'll post some pictures soon. Also, unlike other potatoes, new potatoes should be stored in the fridge and eaten soon after purchase. They are best cooked/dressed lightly.

• Tiny summer squash. I was just reading in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Family book how vegetables do not ripen the way fruit does. They're there when they're there and ready when they are there. In other words a baby zucchini is no less and no more ripe than a mondo zucchini bread zucchini. Still, one tastes light and delicate and one, well, as I say, it's good for bread. This is the time for light and delicate.

On the downside, strawberries and asparagus are just, just about done.