It has been hot. And I’ve been craving something cool with just a little spice. Gazpacho. Icy, thirst-quenching and invigorating, gazpacho is perfect for hot summer days. Because it is a blend of fresh vegetables, it is also a healthy treat. There are many variations — some more like ...

August is midsummer. Strawberries came in June, blueberries in July. Our currants are waning. I’ve been picking raspberries off bushes along the yard and driveway. I pick a few every day; most go straight into my mouth. I try to save some to stir into a salad or put on cereal or yogurt. I ...

“An apple is an excellent thing — until you have tried a peach.” — George du Maurier (1834-1896) One of the highlights of summer are fresh peaches and apricots. They’re aromatic, tender, juicy and sweet — so unlike their counterparts that come shipped from California or even ...

Woodland clearings are full of low bushes loaded with berries, abundant and free for the picking. Area berry farms (like those in AuSable Forks and Peru, New York) have high bush berries for those who want to purchase them or pick their own without bending so low. Delicious, satisfying, ...

Another little-known berry is the currant. The ribes family includes several varieties, including ribes negrum (blackcurrant) and ribes rubrum (red currant). Berries come in black, red and white and grow on deciduous bushes that are 3 to 5 feet tall. The ornamental bushes are great for home ...

Amelanchiers are purplish-black berries with many names: serviceberry, June berry, saskatoon berry, shadbush, are just a few. Their bright white flowers are among the first to bloom in spring and provide nectar for bees and other insects. The berries ripen in late June or early July in our ...