My Summer Classic

I grew up in Connecticut on a main street (actually, Main Street) and while we had a nice sized yard, it wasn't huge by any means, but what we always had was a garden and a very large patch of raspberries. (This season alone, my parents have picked 59 quarts to date.)

When I was younger, I don't think I appreciated the raspberries we had, in all their varied presentations. We had raspberry shortcake, crisp, muffins...yes, it did feel a bit like Forrest Gump, except with raspberries.

In all seriousness though, living two hours away from where I grew up, I realize what a special thing these raspberry plants (and my parents) are!

What brings me home during the summer, even when I can't be in the same state as my parents, is the common summer treat of vanilla ice cream with sugared raspberries (to bring out the juices). To me, there is nothing that says summer more than this.

In honor of mom's birthday (yesterday) and dad's birthday today (and to a lovely visit these past few days), here's a shout-out to a summertime tradition and a family treat...