July '23 Newsletter

 

Hello and Happy July!

After an unusually cool and rainy June, it feels like summer is finally here to stay. We are finally having a beach day this weekend (late in the season for us!), and I’m so excited to get some sun and breathe the ocean air.

Our farmers market is about to explode in total abundance, as is evidenced by this month’s produce-rich recipes. Other things I’m excited about for this month are going to visit my mom & family in Maine (Maine summers are the best!) and making my first quilt with some beautiful, block-printed fabrics I got on Etsy.

This month’s class is the late spring/early summer edition of the shopping list, where I share with you the rough framework of my grocery list for the season. I make Coconut Cauliflower Rice, Spring Cabbage Noodle Salad and Marinated Beans and Veggies.

Seasonal Pleasures and Other Things

⁕ It’s cherry season, and I can’t get enough! My favorites are Rainier cherries, which are usually mostly yellow, with a blush of red. I love them because they have a tartness in addition to their sweetness, whereas I sometimes find red cherries to be almost too sweet. The ultimate cherries, though, are sour cherries, which will always hold the number one place in my Russian heart :) My grandma’s sour cherry pie is one of my favorite foods on this planet. If you ever run across them, give them a try. So good!

⁕ Speaking of fruit, if you find yourself with too much fruit or fruit that’s going bad, my tip it to repurpose it into chia jam. This extends the life of the fruit and makes a great ‘jam’ (more like a compote) that can be enjoyed on yogurt, ice cream, nut butter toast, etc. Here is a good article on how to make it. I rarely add any sweetener, unless the fruit is extra tart or flavorless.

⁕ Is everyone watching season two of The Bear? So far, I’m loving this season much more than the first. I think it’s the best show out right now, so refreshingly different.

Wishing you a balmy July,