We all have summertime rituals and mine have changed over the years, depending on my age and location.
When I was young in upstate New York, my mom was the concession manager for the local lake’s food booths. It meant long days spent at the lake, swim lessons with the lifeguards (Moment of Truth – my sisters and I all had crushes on different members of the life guard squad), and all the summertime food you can imagine. If you click on the link, we used to sit up on the grassy area so Mom could see us from the concession windows. I learned to spin cotton candy, work a commercial popcorn machine, and had my hair totally bleached out to strawberry blond by the sun. Of course it was child labor, and I wasn’t paid, but I didn’t care and I only worked at closing or when it was REALLY slow. It was a treat for me. I will never figure out how Mom put up with all those teenagers!
One of the rituals we had was stopping at a farm stand and picking up huge paper bag or burlap sack of corn on the cob and that was dinner. Dripping with butter and eaten off flimsy paper plates -you know, the kind with the dimples around the edges – I didn’t think anything ever had or ever would taste so good! I still believe that. We also had treat nights when a trip to The Country Cone on 9G was in order. And let’s not forget the Friendly’s ice cream sundaes…
In Maine, where I lived for a short while, we waited with baited breath for Memorial Day Weekend when the Houlton Farms ice cream stand would open. There was very little entertainment in northern Maine, so when “The Dairy Bar” opened it was a town event! There was no parking and a line around the block. They had the BEST soft serve ice cream. These days I have to accept Dairy Queen as my only soft serve option. No Carvel. No Houlton Farms…boo hoo for me (and don’t talk to me about Luv-It – it’s too far to drive for a quick cone).
Here in Vegas summer starts early and I get to grill year round. So I can hardly call a cookout a Summertime Ritual. As stated above there is no GOOD soft serve near me, so what is my Summertime Ritual? It’s still corn on the cob! Instead of the burlap sack from a farm stand, I get a whole box from the local grocer and have at it! There is something so summery about eating corn on the cob. I don’t care if it is grilled, boiled or steamed, I just love it! In San Antonio I came to love the way the Mexican street food trucks did it, with a creamy mayo sauce, chile and sometimes queso fresco or cotija.
So here’s to corn on the cob and the official beginning of summer for me!
Food Memories this week have been slim since we spent time lounging by the pool. Snacks and drinks at RM Seafood, a wedding reception, and steaks on the grill, all with friends from LA top the list.
Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!
Even as a kid I loved that song by the Lovin’ Spoonful. As a kid growing up in the country I LONGED for summer in the city even though I didn’t understand all the lyrics in the song. I live in a city now and I don’t regret it one bit. I don’t miss the country life, except maybe for the produce.
