My great grandparents would escape New York every summer for the fresh, cool air of the White Mountains. We always trekked up to visit for a few weeks, and although I was maybe four at the time, I have fuzzy memories of Santa’s Village and the Cog Railway. But those pale in comparison to the time Grandma Gi, an elegant, eccentric and snobbish lady whose name, Regina (queen), fit her to a T, brought me to the local farm stand. This was back in the day when salad was iceberg and veggies were mainly frozen. Imagine my astonishment when my grandmother reached into the earth, dug around with her knobby fingers, and produced a carrot! Maybe I knew peripherally about farming (Old Mcdonald), but as far as I could see, we got our produce at the grocery store. Kids these days have lived through the food revolution and I’m sure they know exactly where their meals come from. But for a city kid, that moment has stayed with me. I still relish a visit to the farm stand and the surprises I’ll find there. Here’s a list of favorites.

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