Every summer I have grand plans for all the summer dishes I will plunder. 50 snow cones, endless strawberries, 30 corn dogs, 200 lbs. of BBQ, 90 hot dogs, etc. I rarely make a dent in my wish list and am left with a season of regret. While I didn't eat the desired amount of summer cuisine, I fared pretty well. There were enough grill-outs; BBQ trips didn't happen as often as I would have liked; and I ate more than my fair share of lobster--in many forms--while in Maine--the amount of seafood I consumed in Maine was enough to qualify this summer as splendid.
I still feel as if I missed a lot. Snow cones, hot dogs, strawberry shortcake, funnel cakes, and tequila lime chicken are a few of the dishes that will soon feel out of season. They're already out of season, but Texas grants us with a few extra months of summer.
Most of the food I did consume wasn't seasonal. Rice and beans took up most of my meals, due in part to me being poor, but mostly because of my family's Louisiana heritage. Each of those meals could've been gazpacho, okra and tomatoes, or cobbler. Wasted opportunities. The best I can hope for is to learn my lesson for the next season of food choices. Unfortunately, the extra months of Texas summer weather are deceptive. Mother nature is producing fall foods, which will soon be out of season as well.
But I'm not done with all the delicious summer foods. These next few weeks will be all about righting the missed opportunities of this past season. That means about two weeks to eat as many snow cones, ice cream, and grilled [everything] as possible. While it will be bittersweet, I am already looking forward to the foods of autumn, if I catch them in time.
