People are always asking me, “What’s your favorite food?” and give me that puzzled look when I tell them, “Berries, love them all!” Obviously this response isn’t as exotic or avant-garde, but I really, truly do love berries!

The season starts with our super sweet strawberries, and boy are they sweet with our high temperatures already this summer. The season is early so if you’re looking for a fun family or friend outing head this weekend to a local U-Pick field. If you like to preserve and are a jam maker like me, then try adding a few dried lavender flowers to your favorite strawberry jam recipe – super yummy!

As soon as our strawberry season passes by, then we move on to “caneberries:” raspberries and blackberries, and their cousins – tayberry, marionberry, boysenberry, and loganberry.

My favorite way to eat raspberries!

I have to say that raspberries are my absolute favorite and I am lucky to have an heirloom variety growing in my backyard. Juicy, dark red, and full of flavor, they may not look as perfect as some of the new “hybrids” but they exude flavor like you’ve never had before. A handful of these will make you fall over swooning with berry-delicious goodness, especially when piled up “shortcake fashion” over chocolate chip scones.

It’s easy. Grab a box of Fisher Scone Mix, stir it up, and add in some mini chocolate chips, dollop it out in rounds, sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake it up. Then toss fresh berries with some local honey or a sprinkle of sugar, or just naked is just fine too. Whip up some heavy cream with vanilla or a splash of liqueur like Grand Marnier or try some bourbon with brown sugar. Dollop it up your shortcake and you’re in for some serious berry yum!

So whether you comb the side streets in search of big, fat, wild blackberries, grow marionberries in your backyard or buy raspberries from your local farmers market – I hope you cook up some berry-licious dishes this summer. –Kathy