Summer is my favorite time of the year. It is full of memories and nostalgia. I love every second of it: the sun, the smells, the greenery. I love it all! What I love the absolute most is the bounty of a summer harvest and a good farmer’s market. What is better than summertime food? The answer is absolutely nothing!
My favorite times in the summer were going to the produce stands with my Granny. She knew all the best ones. They had a certain smell. There is one I go to now that has that same smell, and every time I walk in there, I get a tear in my eye. I want to reach out and hold my Granny’s hand. I can almost feel it.
I recently had a big week full of summer’s bounty. I bought some white half-runner beans (our fave), new potatoes, some corn on the cob, and some garden tomatoes. Yum, fucking yum! My favorite summer meal. We had all this with a pork roast, and it was divine. It was the epitome of “white people food,” as my Chinese daughter would call it. Whatever, it was a damn delight! Josie was away at work and college, so she did not have to suffer through our profound whiteness.
My favorite part of preparing this meal was breaking the beans. I was immediately taken back to my youth, sitting on the porch steps with my Granny during my summer vacations and helping her break beans. We would talk, and we would laugh. Hell, sometimes we just sat there in silence, happy for each other’s company. That is time well spent. I still love breaking beans to this day.
The day before I made my summer feast, I was fortunate enough to go to my friend’s house and help her put up six dozen ears of corn. She was freezing it for her and her son. Three of us sat in her garage with a radio and each other’s company, just talking, laughing, and telling stories. We shucked corn, desilked it, and then cut it off the cob. It was such a relaxing and wholesome good time. I’m so grateful I was able to help my friend. BTW, it was some amazingly good corn!
I was sad when we were done. I could have sat there for hours. It was like a trip back in time. We need to do more of this. It is cathartic. It takes us back to the basics of providing food for those we love. What could be more important? Truth be told, food is my love language. If you don’t like my food, I’m devastated.
I’m glad there is still some left of the summer harvest, and I have some time to relish the joys of freshly grown food. I try to hit the farmers’ market at least once a week. For the record, we did try to do a garden a few years back, but it was an epic failure. We then decided the farmers’ market was the way to go. I’m good with that.
So, here’s to summer! The best time of year—at least for good eating. I hope I live to see many more summers and lots more summer foods. As we speak, I’m getting ready to slice up a cantaloupe and wrap it in prosciutto. It is a sweet and salty delight. Folks, if you have not tried it, trust me, it will change your life. So perhaps the country girl in me may be a bit bougie, but that is okay. I can still break beans.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
