There is something about the lushness of summer that never fails to thrill me. I love the brief period when I can eat fresh asparagus every day and when I can eat fresh ripe cherries for a few precious weeks. I heard Stuart McLean talking about this on CBC Radio recently. Like him, I think part of the pleasure is in the discreet period when the favoured fruit or vegetable is available.

Some people lament the short season, while others are willing to spend money on summer crops when the winter comes. Yet for me it is the pleasure of looking forward to the first bunch of fresh asparagus at the Farmer’s Market and the knowing that it will only be available for about a month that makes it so special. I like the looking forward and the savouring. I also like the wistful feeling when the brief season ends.

When I was a child I anticipated eating fresh red tomatoes until I developed tiny sores at the corners of my mouth. I remember that there was always a debate about how they should be served. My grandmother put sugar on hers. My dad put salt on his. In the ladies magazines it was suggested that they could be served with a dollop of mayonnaise. My preference was plain old sliced tomatoes, especially if they came straight from the garden.

Another summer treat was cobbler made with raspberries or peaches. Despite the heat of the Kansas summer my mother and grandmother made a few juicy cobblers from fresh picked fruit. The heat made them all the more special.

There was also watermelon. One year my mother threatened to boycott watermelon because it cost had risen to a penny a pound. However, we found our way around the outrageous price somehow. I remember the pleasure of the sweetness and the stickiness though I continued to worry about the potential dire effect of swallowing the seeds.

My favourite summer indulgence was green beans and new potatoes cooked together with a bit of bacon or ham. Interestingly, I now generally prefer my vegetables lightly cooked. However, when I cook green beans and new potatoes I still prefer them a bit over-cooked just like my mother made them.

I am looking forward to going to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. We go early to avoid the crowd. Gary has his routine and prefers to move quickly through the aisles stopping only at his preferred spots. I, on the other hand, enjoy ambling through the market feasting my eyes on the beautiful arrangements of fruits and vegetables. I love the celebratory atmosphere.

There are many things that I love about this season, but fresh flavourful food tops the list for me. Each year I savour the all too brief season and as fall approaches I will remember the perfection of the season.

© C O P Y R I G H T   2 0 0 6.  Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.