Farm Stand Jewels

Another back road miracle discovery

[All images in this story are paintings by Miss Ruby C. Williams]

The other day I was aimlessly meandering around on back roads just to see what the world was up to when I came upon a small farm stand built at the edge of a sun bleached lawn. There were only a few items for sale on the table—half-pint containers of small country blueberries, fuzzy raspberries, some greens and radishes still dusty from being picked that morning. Foxgloves grow wild along the side of the road around here and the table had jars of foxglove honey lined up in front of the honor box. Then I discovered on the ground nearby two small baskets each of tomatoes and corn. It’s too soon in the season for them to be at their most glorious so I suppose you could imagine that the farm was half-heartedly offering them for sale. But I think the baskets might have been placed out as a tease because even these young tomatoes and corn have the power to reawaken dulled winter taste buds. I bought six of each and placed my seven dollars in the honor box then cradled them in my arms to carry to the car and placed them gently on the floor of the passenger side. That night’s dinner consisted of barely boiled corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes arranged over thin slices of red onions. All my feast needed was a slab of sweet butter and a dribble of olive oil.

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If you have never met Miss Ruby or seen her art, please spend time getting to know her. She was the kind of woman that makes you believe life, no matter how hard or ornery it may be, is worth the price of admission. And don’t we need a whole bushel of that these days!