Recently, I was talking to Ruth Reichl, best-selling author and former editor of Gourmet magazine, about nostalgia. She recounted working on a story in California in the 1980s that culminated in taking a flight with an entire flat of strawberries in her lap. The scent was so bright, passengers asked to taste the berries. Those requests, of course, were obliged.
Reichl’s story sparked some of my favorite memories of summer with my Granny hulling, slicing—and eating— strawberries. She’d buy berries by the half-flat from Detroit’s Eastern Market in the morning and we’d slice them into bowls and let them macerate with a tablespoon or so of sugar. As they broke down, the strawberry scent would waft from the kitchen to the front door and past the screen, overtaking the aroma of cut grass and barbecue grills. The berries were a snack, and a dessert, especially if they were spooned over the vanilla ice cream we churned on the back porch or sandwiched between the shortcakes we baked the night before.
In the summer, when the berries are ripe, you don’t need to do very much. Sweet or savory, it’s those simple preparations—the bright salads on page 59, freshly boiled corn with butter, the Blueberry Skillet Cobbler—that bring out the best in produce. Invite a few friends over, serve any of those with a side of Frankie Beverly & Maze’s “Before I Let Go”—now we’re having a party.
Summer for me is just as much about celebration as it is about food. I love to host, whether a casual dinner party or a grand Juneteenth cookout, and variations on the strawberry desserts of my childhood always make their way onto my menus during the season.
This year I’m looking forward to buying strawberries by the flat and piling them onto airy puffs of choux pastry, roughly chopping chunks for balsamic strawberry ice cream, or tiling them between the layers of shortcrust. That is, if I don’t just eat them all by the handful first.
My Summer Playlist
“Summer in New York” by Michael Franks
This is my first summer living in the city, so the jazz vocalist’s song about traveling down the Hudson, espresso after dinner, Shakespeare in the Park, and hitting a jazz club just snaps.
“Strawberry Letter 23” by The Brothers Johnson
This 1977 R&B classic speaks of freedom flights, blue flowers, and cherry clouds. It’s a song that just feels like summer, and it’s perfect for any Juneteenth party.
“Can’t Get Enough” by Tamia
Pair this one with a quick tofu pudding recipe so you have more time to practice that tricky three-quarter turn in the Tamia Hustle before your next family reunion.