The Sweet and the Fire

The summer is an overabundance of carnal pleasures. Where some people may only concern themselves with the heat that Summer brings; the real crowning jewels of the season are the abundance of delicious fruits that are “in season”, and fire pits set ablaze to grill a range of delicious foods. To pick only one food to signify summer, would be equal to choosing only one instrument to signify an orchestra, or star to define the galaxy. Too vast an array of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes which create the symphony of sensations experienced, all possessed within summer, and to choose only one as its mascot would simply do it an injustice.

Is a berry truly a berry when it is not in season? Does it dream of its lush summer body being ogled over? Does the desire of its flesh being consumed excite it? Or is it truly oblivious as to how desirable it is in these moments?

Berries are only the beginning of the bouquet, merely scratching the surface of what delicious treats are part of the season.

Watermelon and pineapple always come in strong during this flurry of budding fruits. Expressing themselves through bold colors, and even bolder juices. While being both are refreshing, watermelon will choose to stand firmly on its sweet disposition. Pineapple has a delicious sweet base, it’s prickly shell, and eccentric top, are a preview to the aggressive tang that accompanies its rich sweetness.

And then there’s the A-VO-CA-DOOO, who presence might as well be considered equal to gold. The avocado boasts rich and creamy delights, with a price that often times rivals the price of gold or gas the rest of the year, but becomes increasingly affordable, and accessible, during the summer...not to mention DE-LI-CIOUS.

Nothing comes to life like peaches in the summer, and I can eat a peach for hours. This fruit is the perfect crossover. One of the most delicious foods served during the summer, from raw to cobbler, peach is always a delicious treat. With or without the soft outer skin, the “meat’ of the fruit is soft, sweet, with fleshy fibers. Each bite is often bursting with juice, and it is all too easy to arrive at the seed before you’re ready.

Where the fruit are the jewels, the grill is the throne. Commanding the fates of all those who come in contact. The smell of delicious foods and their seasonings being ignited, commands the will of individuals from a distance. While the dance to prepare for this, is just as important as the one that signals the procession towards the food. The grill acts as though the pied piper himself played through the delicious smoke emanating from the food cooking on the grill.

It’s no mystery, food is on the minds of every living creature on the planet, and summer is the time when we all come to eat. The consumption, and often even just the presence of these foods, release a flurry of chemicals into the brain; filling the moment with pleasure, and the desire for more. Summertime always boasts a flurry of fires to commemorate its arrival, giving various offerings to Vulcan, or Weber, or whichever fire god that needs to be appeased. Whether you go plant-based, or full carnivore, the vibrance of the fruits and vegetables will definitely make their way back into the scene. Some can take or leave the sauces and marinates that coat and glaze items prepared under the intense heat of the grill, but one thing is for sure, everything and everyone is coming to enjoy the delicious treats that contribute to the heat of summer.