This summer, I got a plot in my town’s community garden and I decided to use it to grow dry beans. I grow them every year, but I never seem to get enough to make the recipes I want to, something like baked beans or a nice soup. The plants usually end up getting eaten by rabbits or just don’t produce enough pods. 

This year was different. I grew two varieties, a small white bean similar to a Navy bean, and a Cranberry bean that is similar to a Kidney bean. When I would go to my plot, the other gardeners would say, “so you’re the guy growing all the beans.” The summer was busy and went by quick, and the beans were a nice way for me to slow down and consider the time that was passing. There are still some that I have to pick, and the the rest are sitting on my counter right now, waiting for the winter day when I feel the inspiration to make a hearty bean dish.

As always, we’ve got some great pieces for you to enjoy in this issue. 

Elizabeth Bolton starts us off with three snapshots of being a farmer in New England with “Three Pastorals with Animals and Neighbors, New England.”

Elizabeth Morse explores sobriety and returning to your past in “Keys to the Castle.”

We enjoy some great artwork by Jackie Kempe who shares her piece “The Windmill.”

John Fain shares the story of his parents adventure as inn owners in northern Maine in his story, “The Norseman.”

Beth Brown Preston shares a review of January O’Neil’s new poetry collection, Glitter Road.

We leave you with a short guide to apple varieties, and a recipe for apple crisp that you can enjoy as the summer fades into fall.

Thank you for your continued support of Atlantic Northeast.