Making any version of this...

means my favorite time of year has arrived.

Heat, humidity, sunlight, and all the growth of this sort of produce that those three things enable. Mamma mia, y'all should see my own tomato, okra, eggplant and herb plants. They are going gang-busters outside, and the beautiful yellow, white and purple flowers are any accurate indicators, we'll have a delicious assortment of goodies in the near'ish future.

For dinner tonight I also made some fava bean, mint and pecorino puree, as well as some wonderfully seasoned sautéed shrimp with dipping sauce.

Thank you for all of the warm responses to yesterday's post. Your support means a lot to me, and I hope you all know that none of us need feel alone, even when we think we are. Reach out, ask someone what you can do, tell someone what he or she means to you; you never know how much that might be needed, welcome, desired.

Please continue to spread the word about the classes I'm offering this summer. The first, Canning 101, is in just a couple weeks. I'm very excited and hope to see many familiar and new faces!

Y'all, how much do I love this guy? So much!