Last week, we decided to wake up early one morning and go fruit picking. We drove upstate and stepped out into the most beautiful, fragrant air. The sky was a picturesque blue and filled with cottony clouds, and sunflowers lined the way to our favorite orchard.
The orchard was virtually empty, and overflowing with fruits and vegetables. We picked the tiniest, sweetest raspberries and couldn’t resist eating a few. We picked big, lush blackberries (which I have been obsessed with all summer) and discovered that the darkest, sweetest ones were hidden deep within the brambles. After filling up two cartons (and our bellies) with berries, we hiked up to the peach trees.
The peaches were covered in fuzz, and as sweet and juicy as they get; we picked almost seven pounds, twisting them off the branches and gently removing their beautiful green leaves. Visions of pie swirled around in my head.
As noon rose, the day got hot. We’d filled up on fruit and sweet, sweet air and were ready to go. But as we walked back, we passed by rows and rows of tomatoes. They were so big and colorful, we simply had to fill a big bag with them.
In the end, we took home close to 15 pounds of produce. We snacked on the berries fresh, and some of them, with the peaches, were turned into pie. The tomatoes were eaten simply, accompanied by bread, cheese and our favorite pesto, and the peaches are still being finished.
But the best part of the day, aside from the obvious wonderful produce we picked, was the time me, my mom and little sister spent with each other. We relaxed, talked and took pictures, and we vowed to repeat our day every summer.
We started the summer with fruit picking and ended it that way, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.
Blackberry recipes: Blackberry Buttermilk Rye Scones, Blackberry & Blueberry Cornmeal Crumble Pie, Roasted Blackberry Apricot Ice Cream
Raspberry recipes: Raspberry Rhubarb Galette, Triple Berry Pie
Peach recipes: Sour Cream Poundcake with Grilled Peaches, Peach Crostata with Blueberry Sauce, Spiced Stone Fruit Crumble Bars
Tomato recipes: Heirloom Tomatoes with Chili Oil, Pesto and Mozzarella, Eggplant & Tomato Jam, Tomato, Nectarine and Corn Salad
∞ A sign leading to the raspberries ∞
∞ Blackberries in various shades of ripeness ∞
∞ Blushing peaches and green leaves ∞
∞ Stained hands, chipped polish, and a perfect raspberry, seconds before she popped it into her mouth. ∞
∞ The clouds and the apples and the mountains ∞
∞ Dangling within our reach ∞
∞ A full blackberry carton, featuring a flower the little one picked ∞
∞ Velvety raspberries for days ∞
∞ The first peach we picked ∞
∞ A little sign for the tomatoes, and all the tomatoes spilling out in the background ∞
retrolillies 
One response to “The Best Of Summer Days”
Great post