I don’t want anyone, especially my people in the PNW, to panic with my next statement.  Here we go… brace yourselves!

There are only 7 weeks left before the autumnal equinox.  Yep, that’s right the 22nd of September is sitting right there on the horizon.  Never fear though, there will be tons of good weather left for us to enjoy our outdoor activities even after autumn falls on us with all of its colorful glory.

So ‘Best of Summer’… When it comes to deciding what exactly constitutes the ‘Best of Summer’, in terms of food, my mind whirls and my head spins.  There are, after all, so many options, and relatively speaking, so little summer to explore the options 🙂

I thought that it would be fun to do a little series, as summer wanes, to honor the abundance of ingredient available to us in the summer.  And for more fun, I’ve asked a couple of my friends to contribute to this series, so keep an eye out for what they have to offer over the next few weeks.

Part 1 of 7, in this Best of Summer series, is by yours truly.  Of course, with so much to choose from (well that and simply because I just love food), I’m at a loss for ‘the best’.  For me though, berries kick off the summer.  So colorful and bursting with flavor, berries are an absolute delight.  You can eat them plain, freshly picked as the purist do, but then there so many other ways to showcase berries.

They are welcome perched atop shortcake, stirred into ice cream, or baked in crostata…  Perhaps you remember the Lemon Ice Cream with Blueberry Crostata from an earlier post.  Like I said, there are so many options, so little summer!

I’m always looking for new recipes to try, and I stumbled on this jewel which I must say is a real treat.

Honey-Vanilla Yogurt Mousse with Balsamic Berries

There’s a surprising little wow-factor to this dessert.  The balsamic syrup has a kick from black pepper! The original recipe calls for crushed  amaretti cookies – yum.  But honestly, I don’t need a box of cookies sitting around, so I make my own crumble flavored with almond extract.  Flour, sugar, and butter are always on hand, and not nearly as dangerous to willpower as is the aforementioned box of cookies 🙂

Enjoy the remaining days of summer in whatever easy-breezy way makes you happy.

Best of Summer Part I Berries… thanks for visiting Palatable Life.

Be inspired,
Diane