This spring I set the intention to pick and freeze (and enjoy fresh!) all the summer fruits we enjoy and are grown nearby. I started with strawberry season and enjoyed a lovely morning picking at Hand Melon Farm in nearby Greenwich NY with a friend, her 2 daughters and granddaughter. A few weeks later, I managed to make it back for one more picking. We had a rainy June (and July and August!) so it only culminated in 1 more quart basket. And that’s OK. A few quart bags went in the freezer and then it was blueberry season. I only got out to Winney’s blueberry farm in Schuylerville once but my bowl was full and many more quart bags entered the freezer. Winney’s is a fun place to pick because they grown so many varieties. I have always wanted to do a tasting for friends because they really do taste different. One of my favorites is northstar.
Next up was cherry season and this one I’m pretty proud of because it was a short season for cherries due to the rain. I got out to Hick’s Orchards for a few quarts of their sour or pie cherries. That weekend, I went out to Champlain Orchards with my husband and picked many quarts of their cherries. Black gold, balaton, and gold cherries filled our box. Some of those cherries are baked into the delicious looking tart above. Then came peach season and another drive to Champlain Orchards in Shoreham VT with a friend. Picking with friends is fun and I usually pick more because you’re talking and picking and next thing you know that bowl or bag is full to the brim! It was early in the season the first time I picked so I talked my husband into another drive to Champlain Orchards. I bribed him with lunch at West Coast taco truck in Benson Vt! And many more quarts of freshly picked summer fruit went in the freezer. I pick a lot of peaches because they are versatile, relatively easy to freeze and I love them. I often make a peach smoothie in the morning and my new favorite is peaches, ground flax seed, soy milk and 2 tbls elderberry syrup. YUM!
I lived with intention this summer and picked all the summer fruits! My life flourished because I made something important to me a priority. Was it sometimes tiring and did I always want to pit cherries or slices peaches? No. Ripe fruit has a short window so it needs to be processed on the fruit’s schedule not yours. However, I maintained a high level of emotional well-being from living my life with intention. If you would like to learn how to increase your well-being and flourish through intentional living, reserve a spot in my flourishing workshop on 10/23 Saturday from 9-4pm in Saratoga NY. $85. I’ll be joined by Sarah Avery who will bring her experience as a physical therapist and yoga therapist. It will be a fun and informative growth experience. The workshop’s foundation is my book Stop Talking to Yourself and Start Listening. Email me at schneiderlarkin@yahoo.com or 518-982-9262 to reserve your spot and order a copy of the book.
Robin Schneider Larkin 