Published August 1, 2023

If June was all about the five senses — July was focused on taste.

The first two weeks of July were a whirlwind of birthday parties and Fourth of July celebrations. Our family had a big BBQ and, despite some summer thunderstorms, hosted the extended family and neighbors.

The highlights: Beer-battered onion rings, caprese skewers with balsamic glaze, and dessert — custard chocolate cake with strawberries and buttercream icing, pineapple cheesecake bars (my Aunt’s amazing recipe), and Italian pastries.

Even recalling these party highlights makes my mouth water, and that’s as I have the smell of roasted garlic throughout the kitchen and a pile of fresh tomatoes from my garden ready to be devoured.

Like last month, I read many books — mostly fiction — with one exception; Stanley Tucci’s memoir Taste: My Life Through Food. If you’ve read it, you know it is chapter after chapter of recollections from restaurants, traveling, Italian-American traditions, and Stanley’s own family recipes.

This memoir is an example of how food holds memories. Imagine the kitchen table of your childhood home, your favorite mug, your preferred spoon. What joy do you recall when thinking about your most popular family recipes? What memories do you have dining with your favorite people? 

As I write my July recap and reflect on this past month, I do so through the lens of food – the amazing ingredients, delicious dishes, and summer memories.

A Week at the Beach

The main highlight of July was a week at the beach with family and friends. I loved working remotely and enjoying the beautiful ocean views and warm wind.

In the evenings, after the beachgoers cleared out — we walked through the rough water in search of seashells. Sailboats bobbed out on the horizon with fishermen and paddle-boarders closer to the beach. At night, fireworks and bonfires glowed in the distance.

Seaside Park Farmer’s Market

On Mondays and Fridays, a Farmer’s Market popped up in a field alongside the bay. We stopped by on Friday morning and unfortunately the field wasn’t as packed as it had been on Monday, given the storms we had in the early morning.

A tent for flower arrangements was the first table I noticed. What caught my eye was a box of softball-sized tomatoes next to fresh basil plants.

Diagonal the flower stand was Żabka Polish Deli — which had a wooden rack with a few pieces of kielbasa, plastic containers of stuffed cabbage, and one remaining container of chrusciki. We bought the chrusciki as the man behind the table said he was sold out of everything else (like the pierogi). Next time, I’d plan to arrive first thing in the morning, when the market first opens.

The only remaining stand in the field, given that the other vendors cancelled due to the weather, was a true farm stand. They had a large space of tables stacked with wooden crates and cardboard cartons overflowing with fresh produce, some with the roots still attached.

The long tables created a natural aisle to follow. We stepped around a large table of shiny tomatoes and over to the crates of fruit.

We stopped by the Farmer’s Market specifically for sugar plums — which I had for the first time and adored. I was tempted to buy a carton of grapes, they looked so bright and fresh.

I secured a carton of sugar plums as we walked down past the crates of peaches and around the corner to the vegetables and herbs.

I loved the displays of textured, vibrant veggies — like the oil-painted artichoke leaves and neon pink radishes. Around the bend as we made our way to pay, a table of peppers with their fingers sticking in the air called to be plucked.

I recommend next time you’re staying in the area to purchase your products from the Farmer’s Market for your vacation. The prices were reasonable and the fresh quality would be perfect for a variety of recipes.

Park Bakery

Our friends and family who stopped by during the week raved about the pastries and donuts from Park Bakery. We made a note to stop in on this trip to buy some pastries.

On our way back from the Farmer’s Market we stopped in for some baked goods.

Established in 1947, Park Bakery is a narrow brick building with neon signs and bright green awning. Two thick wooden benches sat outside the front windows, where I noted a for sale sign.

We were the only customers in the space, and three pre-teens worked behind the counter. We asked them if it was true that the business was for sale and they said yes. It seemed sad that a well-established bakery in the small town would be for sale. Hopefully a new owner keeps the business as a bakery. I worry with a new condo built alongside the bakery that the land will be used for rental properties.

I browsed the space as we thought about our pastry options. The room was small with the right-hand corner near the front window housing drinks and a strange whimsical tree with a fairy door and an animatronic moving moose. Fake shiny apples hung from strings (and a few Christmas ornaments), and I wondered why Park Bakery had such branding within their business.

The pastry counters formed an L-shape and behind them were racks of donuts with various unique fillings like PB&J. A few trays of bread and rolls sat on top of the counter. The list of baked offerings was printed in a small laminated sign in front of the pastry cases. A flyer advertising for pictures with Santa — Christmas in July, I imagined — was also hung near the front case.

The wall on the other side of the room had dozens of signed pictures of famous celebrities who visited Park Bakery over the years. I tried to note familiar faces but couldn’t pick out anyone specific from the long wall.

By now, families and couples joined us in the bakery and we squeezed around each other as we placed our orders. Children shrieked in delight at the moving moose, and stood in front of a ceramic donut character to take photos.

We bought donuts, crumb cake, and Linzer tarts. I had my Linzer tart the next day for breakfast and it was glorious. The cookie was huge and had tons of filling in the middle. The cookie was buttery, crumbly, and soft, even after waiting a day to eat it.

Home-cooked Seafood Dinner

Is there anything better than a seafood dinner when visiting the beach?

If you haven’t gathered, we’re a family who loves to eat. Cooking at home is a great way to have delicious meals, customized to your preference. So even though we were on vacation, we decided to buy fresh seafood from the market and cook our own seafood dinner for the last evening of the trip as a treat.

Shrimp Cocktail and Crab

My dad has a great recipe for shrimp cocktail and has perfected a way of cooking it that produces a flavorful, meaty shrimp with spicy cocktail sauce.

We don’t typically serve our shrimp cocktail over lettuce, but given that we added some crab meat to this appetizer it almost became a salad. I liked the crisp lettuce to help cut the spiciness of the cocktail sauce. Plus the fresh lemon made this a light appetizer to enjoy while the rest of dinner was prepared.

Zuppa di Clams

I learned how to cook from my dad, who continues to be one of the best cooks that I know. One of his other well-known dishes is Zuppa di Clams. Fresh little neck clams were added to the menu as a starter for dinner.

I helped to chop the tons of garlic for the broth, while assisting with the prep for the entrees.

We brought our own giant pot for cooking (who doesn’t?) to ensure we had enough room to steam the clams. It’s much easier to stir them to get them coated in the garlicky broth when you have a decent pot.

The finished product was served with seasoned crostini. It was so good I could drink the broth like soup.

Scallops Over Spinach

We wanted to stick with a light entree, so we had scallops over sautéed spinach. My dad and his friend made some type of sauce for this dish too. I have no idea what went in it, but the outcome was a crispy seared scallop, tender spinach, in a rich sauce.

It’s not surprising, as I look back on the week at the beach, that each day for me was tied to food. There were the lemon pound cake circles we had for breakfast from Costco, the grilled ribs that fell off the bone when Aunts and Uncles visited, the homemade pizza and boardwalk funnel cakes for the kids.

Cooking (and eating) are so interwoven in memories, traditions, and celebrations. In a year’s time, when I think back on this trip, I will remember each day as it is tied to a recipe or meal, and for me that makes me feel even more grateful for the time spent together and the memories we made over the week.

What is your July highlight?

July has sailed away and August has claimed its place, as the year winds down closer and closer to fall.

As you think back on July, what was your highlight? Did you have a fun trip or adventure? What was the best meal that you ate (or cooked) in July?

If you’re looking for more travel writing from my trips over the years you can check out my posts here.