August: Best eatin' month out there.

Sugar plums & fresh garlic-cheese loaves at the Greenpoint Farmer's Market

In a culinary sense, there's a lot to be said for spring -- all the fresh new greens, zippy young ramps, asparagus sprouts, tangy rhubarb stalks, earthy morels, and a preponderance of peapods.

Fall also has its high points. I can't deny the appeal the apple season, the rich butternut squashes, the cool autumn mushrooms, fresh cranberry chutneys, and sweet potato pie.

But for variety and straight-from-the-farmer's-market freshness, you really can't beat late July through early September.

Fresh beets, candy-sweet corn, five types of plums, six kinds of tomatoes, new potatoes, dill, basil, thyme, parsley, sage, all manner of greens, sweet little carrots, summer squashes, and peaches so juicy, tender, sweet and succulent they drip tangy sticky juice across your face and down your elbow.

There's too much to list. Too much to try. Too little time to enjoy it all. Ah! My dear, sweet August. What a luscious dilemma you create!