My World

Summer time was special growing up. While we lived in the burbs, we had aunts and uncles that lived on the river and were good old country people. They knew how to have a good time. We cousins played outside while the men grilled, the women cooked the side dishes, then every one chipped in to get it all laid out and ready to eat. Long lazy hazy summer days on the riverbank.

When I was older and raising my own children we would visit their grandparents on their tenant farm for similar feasts of lots of southern cooked food both prepared by the grandmother and brought over by all the kids aunts and uncles. The grandfather’s contribution to those meals were his fresh vegetables and fruits grown on the farm.

The one similar thread in all those summer gatherings and meals was one favorite treat for young and old. Summer never came and went without plenty of fresh cold water melon. Delicious, nutritious and fun to eat. It never failed for a water melon seed battle to break out and it was usually one of the adults that started it! Lots of fun memories in all those summers.

The heat is still intense here in the deep south and today was a very busy day dealing with home renovations. We keep a variety of things in our freezer and I had already planned a very simple quick meal of ground chuck patties and fried corn. I roasted fresh garlic cloves with the meat smothered in homemade spicy apple BBQ sauce while I fried the corn. Having not decided what else to go with the meal I was thrilled to find that was taken care of upon opening the fridge and finding a small watermelon there. Evidently hubby had brought it in with him when he ran an errand. Yep! Summer is here. That sealed it for me because it was less cooking and quick to prepare. I sliced it up into chunks that could be easily stored in the fridge and consumed, sliced a fresh juicy tomato to add to the meal and…..Yes! You KNOW there would be some of those homemade oat shortbread cookies for dessert.

Summer time in the country has changed as we aged to just me and hubby and updated healthier versions of some of those wonderful southern dishes. But the deliciousness, especially of that watermelon, brings sweet memories of long ago flooding back.