Can't wait 'til summer for.... ?

[stefania4]

CHERRIES! Around this time every year I start craving fresh cherries. Traditionally, about 2 weeks from now, cherries will appear at Publix for $8/lb. I grit my teeth and bide my time until June.

What summer treat are you looking forward to?

[Natasha]

Blueberries and peaches!!!

And strawberries, cherries, corn, tomatoes... :D

[lindrusso]

Tomatoes. And basil. But summer is mostly about the tomatoes. :D

Tomatoes are the one thing that I can't get anywhere that taste any good - only the ones I grow in my garden.

This year I want to try an heirloom tomato - Brandywine. I've been growing Beefsteak, Better Boy and Early Girls, but they just seem to be lacking something. I thing Brandywines are what they grow in Jersey? And there's nothing like a good Jersey tomato.

But perhaps most of all...no snow! Now THAT would be a treat. We have a covering on the ground right now. :mad:

Alysha

[SueK]

I'm looking forward to fresh corn and great tomatoes!

I'm thinking about starting a garden this summer since we have more land now, but I have no green thumb. Still, the thought of eating anything that I grew, however miniscule, makes me want to do it.

[SueK]

Alysha- I see we were both posting at the same time. I really never liked tomatoes (except in sauce and salsa) until last year and now I'm growing to love them. I can't wait to have great ones this summer.

And yes, your snow is heading our way. We are due to get it tomorrow morning. :(

[Jazzmatazz49]

Tomatoes and cantaloupe from my dad's garden! Dewberries from the patch behind their house...yum!

[wallycat]

Fall to start again and then winter :eek: :D :D ;)

[jjsooner73]

lol wallycat...

Tomatoes and fresh corn and peaches and cantalope and cukes and basil.

[Kayla]

Tomatoes...corn on the cob...juicy fresh melons (cantalope and honeydew)...berries....did I mention tomatoes?

The ringing bells of the ice cream man, despite the fact I left that crowd too long ago ;)

[BlueMoose]

MMMMMM....tomatoes and strawberries and corn and green beans and grapes and cantaloupe....

And for the kids to be able to run around outside whenever they want to (or whenever I want them to). Oh, and to have the breeze blowing in through the open windows again!

[Cayennecuervo]

Berries (all of them), cherries, peaches and apples come fall. I am so blessed to live in an area where there are so many u-pick-em orchards. Eat what we can and freeze the rest. I do however miss my salsa garden I had when I lived in New Mexico. All my homegrown tomatoes, bell peppers, tomatillos, onions, and chilis of all kinds.

[Gecko]

Unfortunately we do not get very good stone fruit here in Hawaii. I guess that they have to pick them unripe for shipping purposes, but they still end of beng either crunchy or mushy. Tomatoes are just OK - I have not had a really good one in a long, long time.

I guess I am looking forward to strawberries and bluberries that do not cost $6.00 a punnet. My favorite fruit is pineapple, and luckily I can get that year round.

[crlykat]

Cherries! My favorite. Blueberries. Strawberries that are red, not white or pink! And I think I could eat watermelon with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.:D In summer, I usually make a fruit salad out of several fruits and we pack to take to work. Yum.

[oceanjasper]

I LOVE wild blackberries. They grow like crazy around here...yummmmmm!! :D

[shumanata]

Strawberries and peaches that actually taste as good as they look!!

[Kayaksoup]

Garden Fresh Tomatoes.

And fruit.

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by shumanata
Strawberries and peaches that actually taste as good as they look!!

Ditto! And the same applies to all my other beloved summer fruits and berries! I also can't wait to not have to bundle up to step outside of my house when I go in search of said fruits. :cool:

Kari

[Angelina]

Dinner in my parents' backyard, with my father's famous Bruschetta, which is out of this world and made all with ingredients from his own vegetable patch!!

Angela

[Mimeea]

Peaches, apricots, plums, stonefruit who's trees are now in full bloom on our farm. There are so many different shades of pink, fushia, and white, it is very beautiful! I can't wait till it is time to sell our fruit at the farmer's market. I love all the fresh produce: strawberries, tomatoes that I can get there.

[HejazSunKat]

Originally posted by Angelina
Dinner in my parents' backyard, with my father's famous Bruschetta, which is out of this world

Is he willing to share the family recipe Angela? I made it last weekend and it was very good but I'd love one that is 'out of this world'! Pretty please? :D

[Peggy]

Cherries, blueberries, strawberries, garden fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and watermelon!!:cool:

Peggy

[Vicanddi]

I look forward to all the fresh fruit: strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches, etc. It's my fravorite produce time of the year! :)

[Chiffonade]

Real Tomatoes. Not the cardboard, grey, poor substitute for the real thing - but plum and beefsteak tomatoes that are red, ripe and taste like an explosion of freshness in your mouth. All the better if you can enjoy them in the garden rows holding nothing but salt shaker for the slightest sprinkling.

PS Blueberries are my favorite fruit...so I wait for those too ;).

[Chris415]

What a great thread! LOL Wallycat!

I can't wait for fresh, local strawberries, that appear right before 4th of July here so I can make strawberry short cake! And blueberries, tomatoes, cantelope, corn on the cob, basil (for my favorite--pesto!).... the list goes on! :o

Chris

[NewMrsG]

Funny, I've been thinking about this!

Definitely fresh fruit and tomatoes.

And food on the grill.

[rosie_one]

All of the above AND


A girlfriend just passed this along to me I'm dying to try it once it gets over 40 here. :rolleyes:

Mango Margaritas!!!!!!

1 jar sliced mangoes (26 ounce) undrained
sugar (to rim the glasses)
1 can frozen limeade concentrate (6 ounce) thawed and undiluted
1 cup gold tequila
½ cup Triple Sec or Cointreau
¼ cup Grand Marnier
crushed ice

1. Spoon 3 tablespoons mango liquid into a saucer; pour mangoes and remaining liquid into container of electric blender

2. Place sugar in a separate saucer; dip rims of glasses into mango liquid, and then sugar. Set aside

3. Add limeade concentrate and next 3 ingredients to blender container; process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.

4. Pour half of the mixture into a small pitcher and set aside

5. Add ice to remaining mixture in blender to bring it to a 5-cup level; process until slushy, stopping to scrape down the sides. Pour into prepared glasses; repeat with remaining mango mixture and ice. Serve immediately. Yield: 10 cups

[sdcook]

Originally posted by NewMrsG


And food on the grill.

I can't wait to grill! I finally got up the nerve to start the gas grill on my own last summer.

Also, going to the Farmer's Market.

[HRJ]

For summer,

Blueberries! (and blueberry pies!)

Also tomatoes, basil, corn, strawberries, peaches & nectarines, garden-fresh green peas (I never liked peas until I started growing them in my garden).

Alysha, I never heard of Brandywines being a particularly Jersey tomato, but I could be wrong. When I lived there, I, and most people I knew, would grow the Better Boys, Early Girls, Beefsteaks and Rutgers. But I think it's the soil and climate that really make a Jersey tomato -- sandy, loamy soil, and hot, hazy and humid summers. (I've often said the only living thing that can be comfortable in New Jersey in August is a tomato! :) )

But, I haven't even been thinking about summer -- I'm just getting excited about spring. Asparagus and fresh locally grown spinach. And strawberries, when I go to visit my mom in Florida next month.

Helene

[linsleyd]

Definetly the tomatoes and cherries. And being able to go camping without freezing and to just be able to sit outside and enjoy the warmth of the sun.....

[kristalsnow7]

ABOVE FREEZING TEMPERATURES (it is so cold here today!!!!!!!)

Also: open windows, green grass, flowers, sandals, riding my bike,......tomatoes, basil, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, sweet corn, nectarines, plums.

Sigh. It seems so far away.

[Pony]

Yes, Farmer's Markets w/ fresh tomatoes!

Being able to go outside wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts.

Eating outside.

Flowers and leaves.

BBQ's!

Open windows.

People, there is never anyone walking around this time of year :(

Can't wait!

[PoppyJ]

Blueberries, other berries, and peaches. How long til summer?:rolleyes:

[MiMo]

ALL OF THE ABOVE...
...especially tomatoes!!! :D

[Angelina]

Originally posted by HejazSunKat


Is he willing to share the family recipe Angela? I made it last weekend and it was very good but I'd love one that is 'out of this world'! Pretty please? :D

I will get it from him! I guess a big part of it is the bread we use. It's the large rounds of Italian bread, sliced thin and barbecued. I will get you the bruschetta part of the recipe though! :)

Angela

[ellen6242]

JERSEY TOMATOES!!!!!!! If you haven't had one, you don't know what you're missing :) I moved from Philly to California 13 years ago and to this day I haven't had a decent tomato :(

But out here we have wonderful strawberry stands. I can't wait for those, along with sweet corn and blueberries! Last summer I was on South Beach Diet and missed out on all that wonderful summer fruit. Not this year, though! I can have it on good old WW :)

Ellen

[KristinK]

The beach! :D

Foodwise, blueberries top my list, followed by basil and corn-on-the-cob.

[Kay Henderson]

The stone fruits others have mentioned.

The farmer's market where I buy the fruit.

Eating out on the deck.

Trying out my new stronger self (thanks, Curves!) water skiing and sailing.

[MISSINDI]

Definitely tomatoes, because the ones at the grocery store are sorry looking and overpriced at that!

Peaches -- for making some yummy desserts.

Cantaloupe melon -- hmm, hmm, good.

Watermelon -- our toddler could happily live on watermelon and black beans, if we'd let him.

One of my friends and I are starting a garden plot this year in a community garden, which we're really excited about -- can't wait for the weather to start warming up! :D