Table Notes: July
Peaches on the counter, roses in bloom, tea tables, and the recipes I'm carrying into August.
As a new month begins, we’re looking forward to late-summer foods, more reasons to gather, and plenty of seasonal recipe ideas to explore. But first, let’s recap the best of July!
It was quite a month, from celebrating America’s 250th to stretches of hot weather, beach visits, picnics, summer days at the lake, and juicy berries to turn into delicious treats for mid-summer.
As we inch our way into August, you will find a bowl of peaches, almost always on my kitchen counter.
Some peaches are firm, and not quite ready; others are so juicy they’re classified as eat-over-the-kitchen-sink peaches at my house. And it’s on those warm and lingering days, with juicy fruit in a bowl, that summer feels as if it’s reaching its sweetest point.
Summer fruit seems to announce itself as the season progresses. Blueberries arrive and are folded into morning breads, scones, and simple cakes. And tomatoes finally arrive with their bursts of summer flavors.
But peaches make their presence known before the first slice is ever enjoyed. Late summer fragrance fills the kitchen with the first bowlful. It’s a generous, unhurried season filled with delicious possibilities, new recipes to try, and old favorites to preserve.
Happy August, dear friend!
This month was filled with ice cream inspiration for warm, summer days, blueberries, lavender, tomatoes, and quick-fix dinners. Here are the highlights:
In case you missed any of them, here are the July posts from At the Table:
Easy Napkin Folds for a 4th of July Table (a simple tutorial easily used in all seasons or any gathering)
A Blueberry Muffin Bread for Breakfast, Snacks, and Desserts
July was a month of settling into summer. Here are a few highlights from my month, including familiar Saturday rituals, summer produce, evenings with family, roses in bloom, and tables set for both tea and picnics.
Saturday Morning at the Market
Visits to our local farmers’ market are a July ritual and one I look forward to all week. There is something about walking by tables brimming with peaches, cherries, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, and fresh greens in every shade of summer. It’s that feeling of fleeting abundance.
A Summer Must: Visiting Family
One of the sweetest parts of summer is a slower schedule that allows for family visits to stretch into the golden hours of evening.
Making Summer Last
Farmers market visits always bring extra chores in the kitchen, but ones that connect me to generations of family members who preserved what they grew and harvested, or what they knew would provide sustenance in the coming winter. As they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Tea and Roses
July was also a month of tea, both the kind poured into favorite teacups for a lull in the day, or the kind that begins with flowers, linens, and gatherings. It was also the month my David Austin roses began blooming beautifully, filling the garden with color and fragrance.
Picnics, Peaches, and a New Tea Table
Creatively, July was a busy month of prepping, testing, and getting ready for August. I gathered flowers, tested teatime savories and treats, carried floral arrangements in and out of summer rainstorms in preparation for an August Peaches and Lavender Tea, and took a few moments to enjoy a nearby lakeside picnic editorial meeting (with latte in hand).
At The Table is Growing
Last month I introduced paid subscriptions to provide a quieter space for exclusive recipes, seasonal menus, and behind-the-scenes notes like this post. I’ve been so thrilled at the response, so thank you!
You will find that some of the linked posts above are available to paid subscribers. Free subscribers will continue to receive at least one post each week, and often two, including links to new recipes at 31Daily.
If you would like more from At The Table, I warmly invite you and would be honored to have you join us as a paid or free subscriber.
Welcoming August
The tomatoes are ripening daily, zucchini is growing faster than we can use it, and corn, blackberries, fresh herbs, and peaches are at their seasonal best. Welcome to August!
This month I’m looking toward simple suppers to make the most of these late summer days, seasonal baking, garden vegetables, and a little time to enjoy the season.
On Sunday, I’ll be back with a new Sunday at the Table, featuring a collection of easy meal ideas for the first week of August and the still long golden-hour evenings ahead.
Until then, thank you for joining me At The Table!
Stephanie
At The Table | 31Daily