This one might not get your mouth watering, but it will get your foot tapping.
As I type this I'm eating a bowl of cereal with blueberries on top (actually mixed in...it makes me think I'm evenly dispersing the berries that way, but I'm sure some statistician could prove me wrong, or psychiatrist could prove me nuts). Berries make cereal better, don't you think? I mean, cereal's fine...but cereal with fruit is FINE. It's the juxtaposition (you're welcome) of the crunch of the cereal and the juicy sweet with a touch of tart from the fruit that does it.
Let's not forget about some other berries.
The strawberry has to be the king of the berries. Although you can buy strawberries year round from far off exotic lands with mythical names such as Florida and California, we can all agree there is nothing like a strawberry picked right out of the field. The fact that it's such a fleeting season here in Maine probably makes it all the more special. The red ripe, melt in your mouth, lusciousness of a native berry is tough to beat.
Although a nice raspberry comes close. Raspberries are fun and intriguing. Cone shaped...hollow on the inside...a little fuzzy. What's not to love. Except the picking of them. Have you ever picked raspberries? If not, I've got one word for you.
Thorns.
Speaking of thorns don't forget their cousin the blackberry. People often overlook the wonderfulness of this beauty. Sure you can use blackberries for jams and jellies, honey, wine, and they're great in pies and crumbles...but the best way to eat blackberries is popping them into your mouth one at a time. Did you know that Oregon produces the biggest crop of blackberries in the country? Bet you didn't. Bet you don't care either.
Cranberries.
Not so much (personal preference).
Although I have seen cranberries harvested in Cape Cod and it is something to behold. In very simple terms Cranberry bogs (yep, bogs) are flooded...then the ripe fruit gets detached and floats to the top of the water...the berries are skimmed off the top...you buy them at the grocery store....prepare them for Thanksgiving...then throw away most of what you prepared.
But I will admit to liking Cape Cod Chicken Salad, which is, essentialy, chicken salad with fresh cranberries mixed in. Oh, and pecans or walnuts. Neither of which is indigenous to Cape Cod. Go figure.
Yum.
Not sure if that is a glass of wine, or beer, or perhaps urine. None of them I'd picture going exceptionally well with chiken salad.
The intent of this blog was not to prattle on about berries...but that's clearly what I've done. I wanted to talk about fruit....I haven't even begun to talk about pomegranates!
I guess I bit off a bit more than I could chew.
But that's an idiom.
...and that's a topic for another time.
