Who doesn’t love a good farmer’s market haul? I recently stocked up on the best summer fruit: berries! I came home with pints of blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, mulberries, and strawberries.

Boysenberries are so good, and fun to have. And mulberries are my absolute favorite. This is the time of year that all of these delicious berries are growing locally for us in California. It’s also time for nectarines, cherries, and apricots.

I love to make berry stew. I used raspberries, blackberries, and some brown rice syrup. If you’ve never made a dish like this before, try out the Plum Soup from my book (page 280). It’s in the Superhero section, and it’s delicious. You can use any seasonal, local fruit that speaks to you.

I grew all these berries in my garden!

I love how every year I wait for gorgeous summer fruits to come in season. I wait and wait and then suddenly, one day I go to the farmers market and there they are, all ready for me….so exciting. It’s so great to get them when they are in season. This is when they are supposed to be eaten. They are better for you, they taste better and cost less.

It’s a great time for superheroes to indulge in nature’s sweet treat. Don’t let grocery stores pull a fast one on you and make you think that summer fruits are in season all year long. They are usually shipped from far away places, enjoy summer fruit while it’s summertime. It’s like a special gift, this precious window of time.

Eating an excessive amount of fruit can cause breakouts, loose stool, and weakened intestines. That said, if you are prone to go for the Häagen-Dazs instead and this is your replacement, have as much as you want!

And you can always freeze the summer fruit that you may have bought in bulk for super cheap at the farmer’s market, so you will have a secret stash of it if you get desperate for an out-of-season fruit pie or a smoothie.

If you don’t live somewhere that has a local farmers market, then of course do the best you can at the store. Some stores have labels saying where the produce was grown. Try to choose fruit that traveled the shortest distance and that is organic. Do the best you can, making the best choices under whatever circumstances you’re dealing with. Otherwise, enjoy the fruit while it’s here!

Seasons are beautiful… Enjoy them!!! And happy Summer!