When you think of summer what food comes to mind? Watermelon? Ripe tomatoes? Sweet corn? Mostly I think of fresh, ripe fruit and vegetables. I also think of wandering around the Farmers’ Markets and seeing all the fresh fruit and veggies. Ah…summer.
Summer also reminds me of heat. I do not do well in the heat. That is why I spend most of the summer and into late fall in Lake Tahoe. Obie T. Dogg does not like the heat either…again, I have the perfect canine companion.
The other day, Yes!Chef! and I wanted to take Obie on another new trail, but when we got there there was a “NO DOGS on trail between May and July” sign. So, we decided to walk around on another trail that we were familiar with. I had a few reservations about this trail because there is not a lot of shade and it is about 1 mile to the lake. Ordinarily, it would not be a problem, but Obie is getting up there in age and his gimpy leg is getting a bit gimpier. Also, because he is a black dog (mostly), he absorbs quite a bit of heat through the sun.
It is an easy walk, but it is far for an oldish black dog. And because the lake is down quite a bit due to several years of drought, we needed to walk all the way down to the beach and then out quite a ways before we came into contact with water.
We stopped by to check out the Tahoe Keys Marina, which as you can see, is empty of boats. Usually, this is a bustling little marina with all kinds of boats going in and out. However, the lake is so low, that no boat can get in or out of this marina, so it is closed.
It was not possible for Obie to reach the water because of the rocky shoreline and also the water looked pretty brackish.
So, even when we got to the beach, the waterline was quite a bit away. The shoreline, during normal years, usually starts right about where the rock and branch is in the foreground. (Those are Yes!Chef!’s hands on the side.)
The dog was a trooper and made it out to the new shoreline.
But, then he promptly sat down in the water, which had a great cooling effect. (See above photo.)
The shoreline looks much further away in these photos because I used a very wide angle lens on my little Polaroid cube to take these photo. I love that little camera. Here’s a little video I took while we were sitting in some shade to give Obie a little rest before heading back.
(A good photog needs more than one camera, right?)
Suffice it to say, that we all made it back safely and Obie slept very well that night.
When we got home, Yes!Chef! made the Salmon with Lemon, Basil and Caper Sauce, that was posted a few days ago. I made the above Blueberry dessert, which was delicious, easy and fresh. All kinds of flavors going on here and it’s perfect for a warm summer day. Also, it is relatively low carb, for those that are interested.
Here’s the recipe (adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe.)
Blueberries with Real Maple Syrup Whipped Cream
serves 4
Ingredients:
- 3 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup packed Splenda Brown Sugar (or regular brown sugar if sugar is not a concern)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1/4 cup sour cream, chilled
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- Lemon peel strips for garnish
Directions
- In a medium bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and juice; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on high speed, whip heavy cream and sour cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. While continuing to whip, add maple syrup in a steady stream. Keep whipping until cream is thick and smooth…1 minute more or so.
- Divide berries among serving bowls; top with maple cream and lemon peel curls.
- Put left over whipped cream in a little bowl on the side in case anyone wants a touch more.
This could not be easier to make. The original recipe had 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice rather than 2, but I found the lemon slightly overwhelmed the blueberry flavor, so I cut it down a bit. Feel free to add more to taste.
So, after our adventure and an excellent meal (which I hope you try), I leave you with a little bluish flower that is blooming all over Lake Tahoe right now. Enjoy the summer’s bounty!
We Call Him Yes!Chef! 
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