Jackson Free Press

The girls at the old farmer's market here (the one off North West Street) tell me that the Chilton County peaches will be coming in soon, probably within the next two or three weeks.

Here in Mississippi, peaches from Chilton County, Alabama take precedence over those from Georgia. Oh, we get good peaches from Georgia, no doubt, but Chilton County peaches have the same cachet as Smith County (Mississippi) watermelons or Vardaman sweet potatoes. Peach trees just don't do well here (you'll have to ask Felder why), so we rely on our eastern neighbors to shore us up.

In the meantime, the early sweet corn is at its peak, and it's always good to grab a few small red potatoes this time of the year, scrub them well and simply boil them in salted water. The ladies also say they'll be getting their first green peanuts soon, meaning that a good batch of boiled peanuts will be a thing to make on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Bring them to a quick boil in the shell, and let them stew until they're tender. Be sure and use plenty of salt and throw a hot pepper in the pot.

Call me a redneck, but I like chewing on the shells and have been known to pop a whole peanut in my mouth.

Be nice.