Food for Thought: Summer 2017
The smell of the charcoal and the sound of my children squealing in my backyard tell me it is officially summer in South Carolina. The warm, wet days are upon us, and I await a calm, breezy evening from my porch swing. Summer isn’t just a season of sunshine and long days, it’s a season of plentiful bounty, and cool, refreshing fun.
While summertime represents this for most, for some Lowcountry farmers these are months spent recovering from the harsh weather of this past season. Many local farms were devastated—a year’s worth of crops lost. The more we support them by buying what they can produce, the quicker they can recover their losses. We share stories of these farms, and how you and your family can make the season one to remember, while supporting your community.
Blueberries and watermelon are local, seasonal favorites, as are fresh-caught shrimp for the grill at backyard barbeques. And of course, ice cream (and iced coffee!). As you soak in the second issue of Edible Charleston, you will find we have all of this, right here in the Lowcountry.
One of the best parts of living in South Carolina is that we can experience everything that makes summer, locally. Whether it is taking a ride to Shem Creek to buy shrimp off the boat from the captain, spending Saturday mornings at the Charleston Farmers’ Market eating locally sourced Wich Cream? ice cream sandwiches or indulging in local, fresh baked goods at Luckhaus & Brubaker Sweet Treats while sipping a Broom Wagon coffee, the Lowcountry is an epicenter for all things summer.
This issue we feature Blue Pearl Farms, located in McClellanville, growing arguably the best blueberries in the Lowcountry. And wait until you taste their honey, also produced on their farm. In addition to the local farmers’ markets, you can get their products during their seventh annual Lowcountry Blueberry Jam & Blueberry Festival, June 25. Our “Fork in the Road” invites you into King’s Farm Market on Edisto Island—an easy stop to or from the beach. We also share favorite trade secrets from notable Charleston chefs on how they source locally for their summer backyard barbeques.
While you soak up summer, I encourage you shop at as many farms and farmers’ markets as often as possible. Enjoy the freshest food and support our local farmers and fishermen, purveyors and artisans who work hard to bring it to the Lowcountry community. I invite you to enjoy and acknowledge the hard work and passion—and sometimes heartache—that go into providing the elements that make the “dog days” the best days. And l am honored to share these stories with you, so you, too, can get the best taste of summer.
Truly,
Jacquelyn McHugh, Editor-In-Chief
