I have a confession. I don’t like chocolate. I know, I know, it’s crazy. But really, I guess it’s not so much that I don’t like it, I just don’t care anything about it.
I will eat chocolate on occasion, and I do truly appreciate fine chocolate when developed with care and the best ingredients. I just don’t find myself ever craving chocolate.
Even as a little kid, I would only eat dark or Swiss chocolate, and my favorite ice cream was coffee-flavored.
I do love lemons, and it is hard for me to say “no” to a lemon dessert. While most people would probably say December is their most out-of-control dessert-eating month, mine tends to be July.
I love fruit desserts, iced desserts, lemon pie, lemon bars, lemon mousse…there I go again. I think the richness of chocolate just does not work perfectly for summertime desserts, so this is the time of year I like to play with sweets and enjoy them in a nice, cold, air-conditioned home.
Summertime desserts can be as simple as sliced pineapple, sprinkled with brown sugar and grilled for just one minute per side, served with ice cream.
I love a simple fruit salad or fresh summer berries dressed with a drizzle of honey, served in mini phyllo cups with fresh whipped cream.
And what summer grill party would be complete without a huge platter of ice-cold sliced watermelon?
At the end of a meal, I also love to serve sliced wedges of summer fruit with an assortment of two or three cheeses. This is a nice thing to enjoy with guests when everyone is full and ready just to enjoy the wine and company.
Here is my recipe for summertime- perfect easy lemon pie. Serve with real whipped cream and a few berries.
I bet, even if just for a moment, you will forget the word chocolate even exists!
