Looking ahead to Summer

First of all, let me define Summer. It isn't the season I look forward to, it is that oh so brief time between the end of school and the beginning of school. This weekend, I can allow myself to let my mind glance at the possibilities of the upcoming Summer before I am so entrenched in the testing season that I can only think of bubble sheets and eraser marks.

For some reason, each Summer in recent memory has been marked in my mind by what cooking mood I was in and my self declared theme for the Summer. One Summer it was rustic fruit tarts until I could make up the combos by myself....no recipe following, just fruity goodness. The Summer we went to Colorado, I called the Cowboy Summer. Rustic, peppery food with unusual combinations of flavors. Not exactly Tex-Mex but a with a bit of that flair. One year we had a fabulous crop of jalapenos that were huge and almost sweet and I think we had stuffed poppers almost every night, in lots of different ways, for our Happy Hour. This year, thanks to Bob starting our raised gardens, we are growing a whole variety of  heirloom vegetables that will be my inspiration along with an entire dedicated bed of  fresh herbs right by the kitchen. Maybe our jalapenos will be perfect again......

I am always trying to find the perfect Summer drink to go with the theme. I think Bob has stumbled up on a winner that can be the base for many variations..........it is a homemade lemonade or citrus-ade depending on what we have on hand, and it is very refreshing and low in calories. With lots of ice, that is a winner. A good base for lots of different cocktails as well...

I think the point is, that when I have time, my mind turns to the kitchen. I let the local, fresh crops, along with our travels, and my reading, be my inspiration. I have the time, to tinker, test and explore different tastes and styles without feeling like I am taking time away from chores I should be doing. Any time I have some extra time, I turn to cooking but the Summer gives me time to be truly inspired.

I have more years than I would like until I can retire but it is something I think about more in this stage of my life than ever before. I also wonder what I will do with that new time of my life, which will, God willing, be a long stretch. Right now, I think I will fill my days with my own productivity......playing in the kitchen, playing with crafts, playing with my grandchildren, and traveling, to keep my inspirations flowing.

In the meantime, I will just glance at the coming of Summer, and wonder where it will take me.