RUNNEMEDE REMEMBERED

Growing up in a small town in Southern New Jersey


Saturday, July 31, 2010

Recipe update

Check out Runnemede Remembered Recipes today for an update.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

TOMATOES!!!!!

Yes, it's tomato time. It's my favorite time of the year (except for Christmas). And I recall that my mom always planted tomatoes, and we enjoyed the fruits of her labors for the whole year. During the summer we enjoyed raw tomatoes and during the winter we enjoyed the canned tomatoes she put up the previous summer.

Mom's tomato garden was between the garage and the back of the church. At the time I lived there it was fenced, about 15 x 15 and she grew tomatoes, basil, green beans (not a whole lot), zucchini, lettuce (Bibb), and probably some other stuff that I just can't recall.

But now it's my time to BUY tomatoes. It's the time of year I make friends (again) with the local farmers -- those who sell at Lunken Airport. I went to the same tomato farmer for over 25 years. He died, so I picked up another one after that, and I've been visiting his stand for about 10 years now. He's Marty.

And Mr. Schneider is the corn man. He's been selling his corn from his truck (along with melons) for the entire 35 years we've lived here. He's really getting old and his children are helping him. But he and his wife are there every day asking: "What can I get you, honey?" And I get my usual 12 ears (13 actually) of the best corn around here -- not as good as Jersey corn, or the Jersey corn I remember-- and two cantaloupes, so sweet and luscious, and a couple of cucumbers.

Then I hop over to the next stand and get my zucchini and my peppers and some onions. All fresh picked.

Yesterday I really lucked out. My tomato farmer had been to North Caroline over the weekend and picked up the best peaches. I recall my mom always sugaring the sliced peaches to make them sweet enough for dessert. These peaches need absolutely no sugar. And they are so juicy, you really need a paper towel when you eat one.

So, I'm thinking about all these wonderful fruits and vegetables, and I fondly recall the days when my mom grew her own.

ttfn

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I wonder

I wonder -- when did Runnemede have it's Fourth of July celebration? Did they have a baby parade? Did they have a bicycle parade? Was the parade on The Pike or Central Avenue? Did Mt. Calvary have a float as they had planned? Anybody know the answers to these questions? Let me know. Comments please.

I miss the small-town ambiance on the 4th of July and while I was able to view seven fireworks displays from my sun porch, it just wasn't the same as spending time in the morning at a parade and then having a picnic in the afternoon, and then watching the fireworks in the evening, and coming home exhausted -- even like did when I was younger.

I wish I could have transported myself to Runnemede for the 4th. Of course, we don't have that technology yet, and getting on a jet plane, going through two airports, twice, isn't my idea of transport. I mean I can almost drive to Runnemede from here in the time it takes to go through the check-in at the airport, and then hopefully get a non-stop flight to Philly. Go through the Philadlelphia airport, get some sort of transport from the airport to Runnemede, watch the parade, and then do it all over again. Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

So, if anyone out there has any info or pictures of the 4th of July happenings in Runnemede, 2010, post them or send me a comment and I'll tell you how to get them to me.

ttfn