This summer seems to be hotter than others in recent memory.  Maybe it’s because we were pregnant – but we think everyone’s been feeling the drain of a heat index of 115.  Some days it is so hot that we just don’t even want to think about putting anything remotely warm in our mouth.

That’s where our love of cold soups has come into play more often than not this summer.  We’ve made some soups.  But usually we place our order with Sharea Wheeler, owner of Sharea Soups.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve watched Sharea launch a business based on one of her passions – soup.  She is a very accomplished chef in this arena, and offers different soups each week to her ever expanding list of faithful patrons.

We’ve had watermelon gazpacho, regular gazpacho, curried squash, cucumber, vichyssoise, summer borscht, and other cold soups that have kept us coming back for more.  Sharea operates out of a commercial kitchen at Historic Arkansas Museum.  Each week she sends an email to her list and tells about her offerings.  They usually include a cold soup, warm soup, and salad.  Each costs $12 per quart and that includes delivery!

It’s the easiest way we know to obtain fresh cold soup for these hot Arkansas days.  And each week we look forward to a new selection.  Just another way we’re working at staying cool these days.

Sharea Soup
Email Sharea at shareasoup@att.net
to be placed on her weekly list.

When bedrest became necessary during the last part of our pregnancy – it most certainly did not fit in with our plans.  But life is like that sometimes, isn’t it?  Throwing us curve balls and seeing how we respond.  Well, with the help and support of wonderful family and friends, we responded quite nicely.

We didn’t have to worry about dinner once during that time.  (Which is a nice thing when you’re not supposed to get up except to go to the bathroom!)  And one of those evenings our dear friend and neighbor suggested she bring us Chinese.

Great idea, we thought!  When she arrived, she told us that dinner came from Chinese Kitchen on Rodney Parham.  We’d seen Chinese Kitchen many times, but amazingly had never stopped in to try their food.  So we were doubly pleased that she brought dinner.

We feasted on generous portions of shrimp and vegetables in a spicy sauce bursting with flavor, along with a more mild vegetable delight.  And as we sat filling our bellies with this delicious food, our spouse looked over and said, “This is the best Chinese food – ever.”  And you know what?  He was right.  We like a lot of Chinese places around here – but this was the best.

And to think – we have bedrest and a good friend to thank for the introduction.

Chinese Kitchen
11401 N. Rodney Parham
(501) 224-2100

When we looked at the nation’s weather map yesterday, it showed Little Rock as being one of the hottest places right now.  And we believe them!  Even the pool feels too hot to bring much needed relief.

But that’s when we turn to food.  Fresh food, that is.  And Saturday brings another round of all the great local products Arkansas has to offer at the Certified Arkansas Farmer’s Market in North Little Rock.

Cool dishes – you know – the one’s that don’t require turning on the stove at full blast.  Those are the dishes that are most enticing to us right now.  So we’ll stock up on tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, corn, and all the fruit that we can eat in a week.

We just can’t get enough of the Arkansas tomatoes this year.  Between a cold onion, tomato, cucumber salad and a caprese salad, we can really make meal after happy meal with those delicious tomatoes.  Not to mention the salsa that percolates with the flavor of homegrown goodness.

There’s cold cucumber soup to be made, and fresh berries with whipped cream.  Oh the options to create a truly delicious meal without the stove!

When the heat gets you down – grin and bear it on Saturdays – for the sole purpose of acquiring those delicious and mouthwatering Arkansas products from the Certified Arkansas Farmers Market.  Then, head back inside and cool off.  It’s so worth it.

Certified Arkansas Farmers Market
Tuesdays & Saturdays
7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Corner of 6th & Main, North Little Rock

Tomorrow and Saturday bring great delights of local agriculture and food to Petit Jean Mountain.  Bountiful Arkansas is back for its third annual appearance thanks to the efforts of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute.

For these last few years, the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute has put a weekend together that celebrates our state’s great agricultural history.  We all love the local food that we can get around here at the farmer’s markets and at local restaurants.  So now is your chance to celebrate that love from beginning to end: by learning about the farm, the market, and the table.

There will be lots of activities for everyone in the family.  From garden tours of the lush gardens at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, to luscious tomato tastings and educational workshops, the weekend is chock full of delicious ways to see and celebrate the growth of our local food.

The weekend’s agenda also includes culinary classes for kids and adults, food related film screenings from the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute, an art exhibit featuring food and agricultural art by local artists, and much more.  The Lodge will be available if you want to spend the night, and the River Rock Grill will feature local food on the menu.

We can’t think of a more fun way to spend a hot July weekend, so be sure to check it out – and be sure to make reservations for the workshops!

Bountiful Arkansas
July 16 & 17, 2010
Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Petit Jean Mountain
www.livethelegacy.org

Life happens.  And usually not as we plan.  There are deaths; there are births; and there are just plain old busy days where life throws you a curve ball and that trip to the grocery store is out of the question.

That’s why Diane’s Gourmet is quickly becoming one of our favorite stops.  They make it easy to provide a complete and healthy meal for the family when you just can’t do it yourself.

On a recent Monday afternoon, when it was clear to us that we were not going to make it to the grocery store and cook, we stopped by Diane’s to see what we might put on the table.  We love going in that store.  There are wonderful gifts and spices and prepared foods that will keep your hostess gift drawer stock piled.  And then there is the fresh food that they make right there.

The deli case is always a temptation, with it’s many different types of salads and other entrees.  And their frozen casseroles make our mouths water just standing there looking at them.

Our favorite meal from Diane’s is an eggplant parmigiana casserole, rolls, and Nell’s Favorite Salad – a delicious combination of greens, cranberries, granny smith apples, celery and a vinaigrette dressing.  This is a meal that we literally could eat all week and not tire of serving.

And don’t forget the desserts!  Pies and cookies and dessert bars await to tempt you.  Whatever the occasion – and whether it’s is for you or for a friend – you can’t go wrong with a meal from Diane’s Gourmet.

Diane’s Gourmet
11121 Rodney Parham
Market Place Shopping Center
(501) 224-2639
www.dianes-gourmet.com