I admire your spirit, also feel a certain kinship, because I'm always trying to beat the odds as far as gardening is concerned.

Anyway, it might not be appropriate to comment - mainly because of our climate differences, and perhaps someone in your zone would be more likely to give useful advice.

But - I'll comment anyway. I have a planting schedule for my area - and it gives planting dates for most veggies. I think pole and bush beans would probably be your best bet, making sure that the soil doesn't become too hot for the seeds to sprout, although 70 degree temperatures are tolerated for most summer seeds.

My chart recommends the following summer entries for our zone, so perhaps it would apply elsewhere as well:

June, July Aug - Pole and bush beans,

June - Cantaloupe.

June, July, Aug - Corn and cucumbers.

June, July, Aug - Lima beans

June - Pumpkin

June, July, Aug - Summer squash

June - Winter squash.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

I'd wait on the pole beans but the cowpeas should work. The first part of July starts the fall season for some things. Check out the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: North Central Texas planting dates

The cowpeas should work really well for you. I plant mine all season as long as they will mature in time. I love to plant them to fill holes of plants that are finished.

I would check out the native Seeds/Search web page. It might give you some interesting options.

You could also start thinking about seed starting for fall planting if you are bored. Have you purchased seeds for fall yet? Decide what you want, and how maybe you could make it look pretty. I will start flowers for fall now (edible) violas, also snap dragons. In a few weeks I will plant some calendulas to make some nice salve for dry, winter garden chapped hands and feet. About the same time I will start kales, chards and other brassicas. I also use greens in places other than the vegetable beds to make beautiful, edible plantings for fall and winter. Those gardens are so low care and could be perfect for a working teacher!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Native Seeds/SEARCH

You could do yard long beans instead of pole beans. How about Armenian cucumbers? They like to trellis, too. Also, lemon cukes love heat.

My climate is pretty similar to yours, though sometimes your heat is a few degrees hotter than mine.

Cowpeas will come up, bloom, and bear a crop in about 8 to 10 weeks. You will get 3 or 4 pickings over about a two week period, and then they will be finished. Because of this, I plant "patches" of them about a month apart until mid July (24 square feet of them, sowed 4 inches apart feeds 4-6 people with each picking). One caution, deer adore them, so provide protection, especially in late summer when the deer get tired of the stuff they're eating out in the wild.

The Southern Living Garden Book says that blackeyed peas do better in California than in the southeast. But the pink eye purple hulls will do great for you. I love Zipper Creams too. Basically, any type of crowder should do well for you.

Last year, I planted pole beans in early August and they bore very well until first frost in mid November. Any sooner than that and it might be too hot for them, depending upon the variety. (I planted Louisiana Purple Pod Snaps) It will be easier to get germination in the heat if you cover the row with fabric and keep it wet. With our heat, it's very difficult to keep uncovered soil consistently moist. Once they germinate, uncover them and keep them watered. They'll like a good mulch too.

Next year, I have decided that my early crop of snap beans is going to be something that is heat resistant, like Rattlesnake beans. It got so hot so soon this year, that my Fortex beans quit producing after only 3 pickings.

As the above posters said, July is a good time to start fall crops: collards and cabbage seeds can be started in pots (in dappled shade) in mid July. By mid August, you can direct sow broccoli, turnips, rutabagas, carrots and beets. By early September, you can sow kale and mustard greens, and set out your collards and cabbage plants.

Since your climate is somewhat hotter than mine, you may be able to get a couple more weeks on these dates.

I just realized that I also planted in the last week pickling cucumbers and winter squash. These still have time to make in the fall too. I have never planted winter squash before, so this is an experiment, but I have planted cucs in early July and got a good crop. Now is also a good time to plant a few extra tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, so that you'll have some "first croppers" coming on in the fall when your early crop is pooped out.

The area you described sounds exactly like where I planted my corn this year. It did quite well. I am also planting purple hulls there too. I am also in zone 8.

corn link
http://georgiahomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/06/corn-harvest-peaches-and-cream.html

Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog

Blackeyed peas do amazing for me here (although at times, I think we have been experiencing more California weather than California has lately)....if I take a plant out when it's done or diseased, in goes a black eyed pea!! They seem bullet proof.

Instead of thinking "late summer" I'd think "early winter". Lettuce, carrots, peas, snap peas, leeks, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, beets, broccoli, chard, Asian mustards, and so on. It's a little hot for some of these now, but some are worth a try, and others could go in in a few weeks.