A Fox in the Hen House ...

This amazing picture is of bro's okra plant in bloom. The flower is so stunning and a bit unexpected ... at least from my perspective ... which is that of someone with a distinctly black thumb. Who knew that okra came from such a beautiful plant? Surely not I. Beneath the bloom you can see the okra pods just begging to be picked. I wonder why I didn't take any home with me? Such a shame.

As mentioned, the weather here has been particularly egregious this week. We hit 90 degrees this afternoon. Yuck! I'm pretty happy I decided to make that soup on Wednesday night and not today. Delicious as it is, I don't think I could get behind the idea of soup for dinner tonight.

Actually, I won't be cooking anything at all. I'm dining at the home of a friend, in her back yard ... yes, we have those here in the city. Or, at least a lucky few New Yorkers do. We've been planning this get together for a few weeks now and doing so took so long that we missed the blissfully cool nights that we had at the end of August. C'est la vie.

Since I'm not cooking I thought I'd offer you a few more pictures from the weekend. Below is a picture of Frankie's, a farm stand not too far from Mama and Papa Diva's house. Though their selection of vegetables was truly lovely last weekend, we typically go there for Frankie's fresh
eggs. Sadly, there were none to be had this time ... a fox had gotten into the hen house and decimated both his flock and the new chicks. Much as I love foxes, I was very sad to hear this. We were told that new hens would arrive this week - so hopefully the egg business will be back up and running soon. There were a few hens and chicks running around the front yard, so all was not lost. Though we've only recently discovered Frankie's it was an instant hit with the husband and I. The whole shebang is entirely charming. The run down road-side shed, the bizarre cast of characters who farm and sell the wares, and the lovely heard of Dachshunds they raise all add to the wacky, homespun ambiance of the place. Its a treasure!

Our last pic of the day is of one of the friendly goats that lives at Hindinger's Farm ... my absolute favorite local farm stand. Located in Hamden, CT, the Hindinger family has been farming this 120 acres of land since 1893. They are warm and wonderful people and their produce is spectacular. For me, its not truly summer until I've had my first bite of Hindinger's corn - and corn is just the tip of the iceberg. They're also known for their yummy peaches and some wonderful varieties of apples in the fall, as well as a host of other local offerings.

I wish I'd snapped a few shots of the farm stand itself, and will certainly remedy that in the fall when we return for pumpkins and apples. If you're ever in this area of CT, do make a stop at "Hindy's", as we like to call it, and be sure to visit - or even feed - the goats. I can never leave Hindy's until I've spent a few minutes talking to the goats ... what can I tell you, this city Diva is wild life deprived!

Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for a new recipe tomorrow. Mwah!