FARMER'S WIFE IN KANSAS

I had to write after reading the letter from "Ready to Serve in New Hampshire" (Feb. 23), who felt compelled to delay her dinner party when her guests brought fresh vegetables from their garden.

My husband's summer hobby is a large vegetable garden, and he, too, enjoys giving away the fruits of his labor. When we are invited to dine with friends, he also brings a gift of his wonderful vegetables. But in no way does he expect our hosts to prepare them for us. They are intended for the family to enjoy at future meals.

I doubt that "Ready's" guests intended for her to cook those veggies, either. She should have thanked them and stored their gift for future dining. -- FARMER'S WIFE IN KANSAS

DEAR FARMER'S WIFE:

I think you're missing the real reason she decided to put dinner on hold. Obviously she did not want to force her family to eat vegetables that some non-farmer had grown in their garden. While the idea of growing your own food and sharing your bounty with friends is a concept full of hearty, self-reliant goodness--not everyone sees it that way.

How exactly were these veggies fertilized? By her guest's two golden retrievers? The neighborhood skunk? Are there baby slugs hidden within the layers of lettuce? Was her guest's garden box made of treated wood, leaking arsenic into the soil?

I agree the host shouldn't have prepared the veggies which forced her guests to consume them out of politeness. Perhaps she was trying to get even with her sniping, small-minded friends who complain that their painstakingly prepared food was served a few minutes behind schedule.

It would have been easier to graciously thank the guest, then shove the suspect produce down the garbage disposal, preferrably after all the guests had gone home.

Your advice, readers?