Does anyone else get summer fever at the supermarket this time of year?
I admire the photos my gardening friends share on social media. June, July, August, they proudly share the bounty they've grown in their backyards or in community gardens.
When I had a yard, the most I could manage was herbs. Born without a green thumb, I was fiercely proud of those herbs. During the Michigan summers and falls, I could grab my kitchen shears and walk outside to gather fresh herbs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In October, I'd try to harvest sage, rosemary, and thyme to use at Thanksgiving, just in case an early frost decided to land.
My culinary life bloomed in Michigan. That's where I met and married G. My mom lived an hour away on five acres of land. For the first time in her life, she had raised bed gardens where she grew tomatoes, peppers, lettuces. Those lettuces! I'd never seen so many different kinds. That was my favorite crop to to collect and take home with me. I loved the tender leaves of oakleaf and red sails, the different colors of loose leaf baby lettuce. All of a sudden, my salads had character! Mom even grew kohlrabi, a vegetable that's still kind of a mystery to me now.
In Michigan, I started taking cooking classes. I earned my culinary degree and worked at a farm-to-table kitchen. Visiting farmers' markets became a frequent pastime.
We moved to San Francisco where I was lucky to be able to walk to the farmers' market at the Ferry Building on Saturday's. I volunteered there and helped pick and prep vegetables and herbs for cooking demos. After my work was done, I'd visit the stalls to do some grocery shopping and pick a pastry for my walk home by the bay.
The farmers' markets in Chicago were small, but mighty. Now that I think about it, I could walk to the markets there too. Was that a subconscious prerequisite for choosing a neighborhood? The Chicago markets had excellent produce, a lot of it grown in Michigan, a stand or two with donuts or artisan bread, and great coffee.
Nowadays, I find my summer produce at the grocery store. I'm still learning the in's and out's of Florida farmers' markets. I look forward to the dishes that have become tradition in the summer months. I have my usual stand-by's. A stellar BLT when tomatoes arrive. Daily Caprese salads when tomatoes arrive. Summer fruit for ice cream and homemade popsicles.
Drum roll, please for this year's summer food goals:
- Attempt gazpacho.
- Make copious amounts of pesto.
- Try a stovetop shrimp boil.
- Choose something nostalgic to make from our childhoods.
- Use tomatoes galore!
