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ESCANABA -- Fair week brings out the farmer in all of us!
Corn fields, country roads, and cotton candy are all in vogue right now.
Sunflowers stand tall, tomatoes ripen and cucumbers are kings on everyone's kitchen cupboards.
The annual U.P. State Fair creeps up on us like a barn cat on a mouse.
Summer slips into the harvest season faster than a flash of lightening on the horizon. Fair week (August 17-23) is full of fantastic smells and sentiments.
Food trucks, French fries, elephant ears, and roasting chickens, mixed with the smell of hay and a hint of manure are the hallmarks of fair week.
Family time, toddlers in strollers, teenagers on dates and couples holding hands are good memories that percolate from Fair week.
Besides all the entertainment that the Fair provides, it also ties us to the earth and agriculture. We all love to watch something grow.
From a few geraniums on the porch steps to a few acres of vegetables, it's very satisfying to plant a seed a see it grow.
Most of us Yoopers like the feel of dirt on our hands. Hobby gardening is a very popular sport in the U.P. Dodging the frosts, planting, weeding, watering and finally harvesting that first organic vine ripened tomato is rewarding and delicious.
Fair time is zucchini time. This prolific vegetable has a million different ways to enjoy it.
Tiny, new zucchini are stir fried with a variety of other veggies and tossed on a bed of rice. Little zucchini simply steamed and lightly butter is tasty too.
Medium sized zucchini are grated and baked into cakes or quick breads. My mother sliced battered and deep-fried big zucchini. These were always a favorite at our house.
Yes, Fair week brings out a little farmer in all of us.
Choke cherries and blackberries are just about ripe. It's time for some jelly and jam making.
It's time to put out the scarecrow. It's time to haul some hay. Most importantly, it's time to hang out outside. The sunflowers are smiling and the bees are busy.
Enter your gorgeous gladiolas in the Fair.
If you can't make it to the Fair, visit a farmer's market. I think I hear the cows already! Have a marvelous moo-velous week!