My visit to Walker Farm today yielded a big bag of vegetables and fruits, and lots of inspiration for dinner.

I started with dessert, of course , which was minted peaches and blueberries. It just took a minute to blanch the peaches, peel and and pit them, and slice them up in a glass bowl with the blueberries and fresh mint in a simple syrup. It helps to make them a few hours ahead so the flavors have time to blend.

Then on to the main part of the meal: I sauteed some red onion and garlic until the onion began to caramelize, and added shredded zucchini, summer squash, and carrots. I stirred and sauteed that for another 5 or 10 minutes until the vegetables were soft and added salt and pepper to taste.

Then I took a handful each of green and yellow beans, tossed them in salt, pepper and olive oil, and put them on the grill until they were cooked through and slightly charred.

The corn on the cob at the farm stand was still damp with the morning dew, so I scooped up 6 ears and took them home for a little corn salad. I boiled the corn until it was tender, scraped the kernels off of the cob, and added it to onion, garlic and red pepper that I had sauteed in olive oil while the corn was cooking. I added some finely cut ribbons of basil, and salt and pepper and it was ready to eat!

The main dish for dinner was a frittata, made with fresh eggs, boiled new potatoes, onion, green pepper, black beans, cumin, cilantro, and fresh tomatoes. I started in a coated pan on the top of the stove, and finished it in the oven, adding grated cheddar at the end for a flavor jolt.

What a luxury to be able to prepare and enjoy an entire meal made with food that was grown within 10 miles of the inn!

It’s time for the long lazy days of summer here in New Hampshire, with hot sunny days and evenings cool enough to throw a sweater around your shoulders. With the beautiful weather comes the bounty of the local farmers’ gardens which is offered at the farmers’ markets as well as farm stands that appear on the back roads in the height of the summer.

Every day, I head to the farm stand that is just up the road from the inn to see what Mary Jo has to offer. Today she has corn on the cob, zucchini, summer squash, and the most gorgeous blueberries and raspberries. I picked up a few boxes of the berries and brought them home to make a batch of Summer Berry Crisp for dinner. Here’s the recipe:

6 cups of fresh berries(can be blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon corn starch

2/3 cups brown sugar

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the berries with half of the cinnamon, the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the cornstarch. Put into a buttered 8 inch baking pan.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until it is combined and crumbly. Spread the topping over the fruit and bake 30 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This is the taste of summer!