Summer

It makes me sad that I forget about pavlovas, they are SO good, SO pretty and SO easy to make. They are just little clouds of goodness and make the perfect ending to any dinner.

If you have never had them, they are basically meringues made into a little bowl, that happen to look like a cloud. Perfect for dessert after a big heavy meal. They are so light and airy.

Because I hoard berries over the summer and buy them when they are beautiful at Costco, I always have a freezer full waiting to be made into something delicious. This particular sauce I threw together with blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, but you can use any combination to make to your liking.

It doesn't matter how imperfect your cloud bowls are, the more rustic looking the better. I hope you give this a try, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Some things are just too good to pass up, such as the combo of blueberries and brown sugar.

And what else would be better than to combine them into a poundcake?

I adore poundcake. Love it more so. I’ve been kicking it up a notch lately with buttermilk, which I pretty much substitute for milk in most of my baking now. It gives a lift and kick and a richness to cakes especially. Honestly, because cakes NEED a bit more richness… enter gilding the lily terminology here.

Add in blueberries and your summer has just been captured in this dessert. Garnish with whipped cream, serve warm with ice cream and of course a few fresh blueberries, or toasted the next morning as the breakfast of champions!

From the blueberry fields flooding into to Middle Georgia into this Farmer’s kitchen and now on to yours, enjoy this delightful dessert!

It's not Summer until you've eaten a peach over the sink, nibbled on cherries, and enjoyed a stack of fresh blueberry pancakes. One of the most highly anticipated Summer treats aside from all the luscious fruit, is fresh corn. When I see Brentwood corn, I buy it. It's sweet, tender and pairs wonderfully with all types of shellfish, blueberries, lime and avocado.

Corn is high in starch and carbohydrates but it's also a good source of Vitamins B1, B5, and C, folate, dietary fiber, phosphorus, manganese and protein. I use white and yellow corn interchangeably. White seems a bit sweeter and yellow a has a rounder flavor, if that makes sense. Corn should be cooked as soon as possible, after it has been picked. It's particularly good in fritters, pancakes, succotash and salads. If you eat it on the cob, try squeezing lemon or lime juice over it and dipping it in something spicy like smoked paprika or chile powder. Another way to enjoy it is with crumbled Mexican Cotija cheese. Slather the hot cobs with mayonnaise and dip it in the cheese. Messy, but good.

Which would you choose, the green or purple basil?

I choose the purple every time. Not only is purple basil more alluring with its rich, regal purple leaves, but it's also more robust in flavor. And it's more fun to say. Come on, say it: purple basil. See what I mean?

There's no better time to enjoy purple basil than late summer and early fall. Whether you grow it in your garden or buy it at your farmers' market, you can use purple basil just as you would green basil in pestos, pastas, salads, sandwiches, vegetable sautes, stir-fries, soups, and drinks. Just remember to use less since it's more assertive than green basil.

So next time you've got the choice, go with purple basil. You'll smile all the way to your kitchen.