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Southern Living, Jul 2001 by Thompson, Annette

Cultivate a Taste for Summer Close your eyes, and imagine this scene: stacks of just-picked corn with golden tassels stirring in the breeze; gleaming rows of red and green tomatoes; jumbles of purple hull peas ready for shelling; pyramids of heavy watermelons awaiting the first cut of the knife. Hungry yet?

Now log on to the following Web sites designed to help you reap the mouthwatering bounty of the season. Some of these Internet sources ship directly to you, while others guide you to the cache of summer sweetness. Either way, your taste buds will thank you.

Pick a Fruitful Farm

To acquire the freshest fruits and vegetables, you have to pluck them yourself, right off the plants. Look to these Web sites that feature farms around the South where you are welcome to come by and fill your own buckets and baskets with seasonal goodness.

Start with these two sites to guide you to fine pickings in Maryland. Learn all about Baugher's farm in Westminster at www.baughers.com. This month you can select sour cherries, green beans, peaches, plums, sweet corn, and early apples. They also have a bakery and family restaurant to tempt you before the drive home.

Larriland Farm's site, www.pickyour own.com, tells you how to get to the Woodbine acreage west of Baltimore. There you can choose from July's crop of blueberries, raspberries, peaches, beets, squash, cantaloupes, and corn.

Or perhaps you'd like to take your sweetie blackberry picking in Texas. A good place to gather a crop is Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls. Before you go, you can even keep updated on the harvest at www.sweetberryfarm.com.

Don't miss out on the blueberry crop growing near Baton Rouge at Redwood Creek Blueberry Farm in Slaughter, Louisiana. Go to www.angelfire.com/ la/redwoodcreekfarm/index.html for more information.

You can meet Pelham and Marie Thomas of Thomas Berry Farm in Cullowhee, North Carolina, at their Web site, www.thesylvaherald.com/thomas berry.htm. After gathering a harvest, if your family is not through vacationing in the region, the Thomases promise to refrigerate the berries until you leave.

If you would like to access a complete list of blueberry farms in North Carolina, go to www.agr.state.nc.us/ 5 markets/commodit/horticul/blue berr/growship.htm.

Visiting Farmers Markets

We enjoy checking out other cities' farmers markets when we're on the road. If you'd enjoy doing this as well, first stop in at www.ams.usda.gov/farmers markets/ for a compendium of various markets across the U.S. If you are visiting from out of state, you'll appreciate the helpful maps at this next site. Take time to click on www.cafecreosote.com/ Farmers_Markets/index.php3.

Smaller farmers markets may be more difficult to locate. Try calling the local chamber of commerce before you travel, and ask them to send you a listing.

When you're looking for the local variety in Florida, start by exploring an Internet guide to markets across the Sunshine State at www.fl-ag.com/. (Be sure not to miss the links to almost everything you ever wanted to know about alligator farming, including recipes such as Crocked Gator or Sauteed Alligator Medallions in Dijon Mustard Sauce at this site.)

You Say Toe-may-toes, I Say Toe-mah-toes

There's nothing as memorable as a bite of a perfectly vine-ripened tomato in July. It's the ultimate taste of summer. Unfortunately, most store-bought ones lack that essential quality because they are picked green and gassed to force them to turn red. Evan Mason, a tomato grower from Valley, Alabama, wants to solve this tasteless problem.

Click on www.buytomatoesonline. com to see how Evan picks the freshest varieties of `Mountain Pride,' red `Brandywine,' and `Yellow Pear' tomatoes; carefully packs them in specially designed boxes; and guarantees their arrival at your door within three to four days. After you try one of his, you may never want to buy another grocery store tomato again.

When Fins Can Fly

Need an entree to accompany your fruits and veggies? We think just-caught fish are ideal to complete a summer evening meal. If you live too far from the coast for fresh seafood, try ordering from The Fresh Fish Market, www. freshfishmarket.com, an Internet resource that ships its daily catches via overnight express. The Key Largo, Florida, business prepares the seafood as soon as it's unloaded from the boats, and then they flash freeze it before packing it in dry ice to ship to you. Choose from mahi-mahi, conch, jumbo shrimp, and even stone crab claws (in season). Don't forget their Key Lime Pie for dessert.

Annette Thompson