Time For Summer Treats

It has been a strange summer with restrictions on both coasts along with shark sightings off of New York's Long Island. Yet we can still celebrate summer with the foods and treats we love so well.

August is the time of so many harvests.Tomatoes are still in abundance. Nothing says summer than a tomato and mayo sandwich on white bread. You could give this classic a Mediterranean twist by replacing the mayonnaise with olive oil and a good sprinkle of oregano. Of course this calls for a heartier bread such as Italian or French.Another summer favorite is Neopolitan bread salad  or panzanella which calls for tomatoes , cucumbers and onions. Another summer favorite is corn. Grilled corn with seasoned butter is a summer staple and one of the best sides. Lemon or herbed butter works as does honey butter. Add some flaky seas salt and fresh ground pepper for bite. Unfortunately most of the peach orchards are closed to families right now. You can still buy baskets of them at local farms and your supermarket. A plain one is good just on it's own but you can also slice and peel them for crumbles and pies. You could also make a peach sundae by splitting one in half and pitting it.Add vanilla ice cream and top with honey and toasted oats.

Boardwalk foods have always been a summer must.Some are open and take advantage of what they have to offer. A typical favorite is fried clams. You can make these at home using corn flour and cayenne pepper.Sausage and pepper sandwiches are another seaside must eat, especially in New Jersey. Use fresh green peppers and any kind of sausage from sage to vegan and fry up together. Core and julienne the peppers and then saute in oil. Add the sausages along with salt and pepper. Generously heap onto hoagie rolls. Cotton candy and candy apples are what really make those Boardwalk trips memorable.If you can go just for those however you can easily get them at home. Amazon has the best array of them , ranging from $57.00 to $400 in price. Get the most affordable along with the flavored sugars and cones. If you have qualms about making it, watch the many YouTube how tos on how to use the machine and swirl the floss onto the cones. Candy apples can be bought on line at Nandy's Candy's  of Jacksonville ,Mississippi if you can't make it to your favorite boardwalk. You can also make the coating at home using light corn syrup, granulated sugar and red food coloring.It's boiling  all three into a syrup and then dipping the apples into them. You could add coconut flakes the way the boardwalk stands do.

It's the summer and despite it all , it's a time to enjoy hot weather favorites. Grab that buttery ear of corn or chomp into that candy apple. It's all part of the fun that's the season.