SUMMER 2022 • ISSUE 60
The heat is coming!
At the beginning of summer, I always welcome the heat. Toward the middle, I am thankful for air conditioning and swimming pools. And by the end, I am extremely grateful for our changing seasons and ready to welcome fall weather.
Summer heat means tomatoes … lots of tomatoes! I love a sliced beefsteak or heirloom tomato with fresh basil, salt, and pepper and an olive oil drizzle. Layer in some burrata or fresh mozzarella and I’m singing praises aloud (not really, but you know what I mean). If you enjoy and look forward to that unforgettable taste of vine-ripened tomatoes (or any produce, for that matter), the Greater Sacramento region is where it’s at. Whether you grow your own, frequent farmers’ markets, shop the co-ops, or dine at our plethora of farm-to-fork restaurants, summer in Sacramento is undeniably and incredibly delicious.
My parents always grew a garden big enough to feed a small army. I would ask my dad, “Why don’t you plant a smaller garden?”
He would reply, “I want to grow vegetables to feed the neighborhood.”
And they did. My mother is that wonderful person who shows up on your doorstep with crates and buckets full of every possible fruit and veggie.
Since I mentioned my dad, I’ll go ahead and tell you that he loved to make a big deal out of what he coined “opening day.” This was the day the pool was finally warm enough to use after its winter slumber. Every year, as the days got warmer, he would repeatedly call to push me to set an opening date. Dad is no longer here to christen the start of summer with a splash, but we carry on the tradition. Now, however, we have a soft opening day for the kids because they have no patience and can tolerate 70-degree F pool water. The actual opening day is more around 86 degrees F and marks our family’s official start of summer, no matter the date.
I hope you have some fond summer memories to relish and traditions to celebrate this season. And make some new ones too.
My summer playlist is ready. The margarita machine is plugged in. So welcome, summer, I’m ready for your heat. Stay cool, Sacramento (aka Saca-tomato)!