To me, there are certain flavors that immediately come to mind when I think of a season. The first taste of that food lets me know that the season has arrived. Nowadays you can get any food at any time of year because of freezing and international transportation but to me, some foods just taste best when they are in their natural season.

For me, summer starts with the first taste of fresh strawberries, sweet watermelon, and corn on the cob. When they come in season, I eat them as much as I can. Strawberries and cream for breakfast anyone?  Watermelon with feta as a salad at lunch or dinner? Corn on the cob every evening? As summer goes on, the fresh peaches come in, along with summer squash and tomatoes. I’ll eat fresh peaches on top of bland oatmeal. I saute the squash and mix it with pasta. The tomatoes can go into gazpacho or a tomato tart or just a simple sandwich on fresh crusty bread with a smear of good mayonnaise.

For me, those flavors say summer as much as the DC humidity and the smell of sunscreen.

What tastes say summer to you?