Summer Love

Lucky you! A bonus blog about Summer Love. And not just any kind of love story.  We all know opposites often attract and can guarantee fireworks. July 4th is long gone, but with summer at its peak, it’s time to take a look at the spice of summer love.

The story of Cathy and I started in the Summer of ‘72. Later, we carved our initial’s in a tree by a creek at her Grandmother’s farm in Alabama.  Back then, we thought we knew about love, but we were young, and what does youth know?

This is not that story.

What summer love am I talking about about? My love of fresh peaches. 

I enjoy slowly eating a peach, the juices dribbling down my chin, until I wipe it off. A peach cobbler is great, as are peaches and ice cream. Better yet, have peach cobbler AND ice cream.

 As for opposites attracting each other I’ve got just the story for you. A marriage made in heaven with Peach and Pork Sausage Quesadillas.

 Think about the great movie romances. The best stories are always about opposites finding each other, and create a chemistry where nobody cares if things get a little messy or bruised along the way – Anthony and Cleopatra; Hans and Leia; Sandy and Danny; Harry and Sally; Maverick and Charlie; and of course, Jessica and Roger (Rabbit).

 That is how it is with peaches and pork sausage. At first, your mind says, “What?!”, but then you think about it, and the possibilities. As romances go, you start to understand that this one has promise.

 Like any good love story, they need a common base, so we add some sautéed onions, basil, and cheese to the mix. But to keep things on edge, you need some surprises. In this case, it is the addition of cumin, soy sauce, and Chinese Five Spice Powder. 

 As the climax to our love story approaches, we keep things simple, and cook the quesadillas on medium heat. As with love making, there is no need to rush. We don’t want the quesadillas browning prematurely.

 The final result? With the first delicious bite, you realize the flavors don’t clash, but they also don’t blend seamlessly together. Instead, there are flashes of flavors popping in your mouth. They complement each other, while keeping their individuality. 

 As Kahlil Gibran said in his poem about Marriage, 

“… But let there be spaces in your togetherness,     

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you …”

 You will find the recipe for this summer love story in the Addendum. Enjoy, but enjoy it soon. It’s mid August, and fresh peaches are peaking in flavor right now. By mid September, like summer love, they will be gone.

 Addendum:

• If interested, you can read my ode to that summertime favorite, the BLT Sandwich here: https://maxnhall.com/2020/07/30/perfection-in-a-sandwich/
• I created the header sketch with Google Gemini AI. I really did carve our initials in a tree at her Grandmother’s home, but it wasn’t a peach tree. A decade or two later we went looking for the tree, but couldn’t find it.
• The recipe for the Peach and Pork Quesadillas is from the WaPo in 2017, back when they still had the Wednesday Food Section. A couple of notes: I use three 8-inch flour tortillas instead of the recommended 8 6-inch corn tortillas.  I fill them only on one side of the tortilla and then fold them in half prior to cooking. I tend to overstuff them, so they are thick.  I usually cook them at a slightly lower temperature for three minutes on each side. If you see smoke, you’d better flip them. This recipe works for four people with a side, three people just by themselves, or two people, with enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Also, both Cheddar and Feta are great as the cheese component.