We have magical elves for neighbors, I’m sure of it. Magical gardening elves. Because every day, on my way out of town, I stop at their shed on the side of the road and find fresh snap peas, or potatoes, or whatever’s been picked the day before. And my neighbors are not just magical elves because they grow and offer this stuff (lots of people have front-yard farm stands around here), they are magical elves because their food tastes magical. Take a look at this pea, for example

It’s plump, sweet, and fresh-tasting. I couldn’t even take the picture without stealing a pea first. My neighbors’ sugar snap peas are better than any I’ve tasted from farm markets, let alone supermarkets. And once a few weeks go by, the elves will start to put out heirloom tomatoes meaty and bursting with sweetly acidic flavor. These tomatoes were what made Jim and me wonder last year, when we just moved into town, if we could ever leave