“Choices for June Brides”

By

Gerry Niskern

          The delivery trucks are rolling.  The charge cards are burning up the wires; all in a mad frenzy to get the latest Cuisinarts, Keurig Brewing Systems and Ninja Blenders delivered before the big wedding.  This year’s new brides will have the latest tools at their fingertips to help prepare gourmet meals.

Today’s June brides also have the luxury of finding various fruits and veggies in the supermarket year round that normally were available only once a year.

No matter how many times I walk into a market here in our valley, I’ll never get used to the sight of summer fruit in winter. I’m hopelessly in the mind set that fruits should come in sequence of seasons.

The newlywed’s remaining challenge will be to combine two lifetime eating styles into one happy combination. Take strawberries for example.     New brides have the question of how to prepare the ruby morsels for finale consumption. The way her family enjoyed strawberries may not be at all similar to the dessert her new hubby is expecting when he picks up that strawberry scent in the kitchen. I remember my dismay when first married and we had dinner at my in-laws home. We had strawberries loaded with sugar over a white cake. “My goodness,” I thought, “Doesn’t that woman know the only way to serve strawberries is in a deep bowl, only slightly sweetened and heaped on top a biscuit type shortcake. Then pour cold milk over gently and dig in. Good to the last spoonful of milk turned pink and juicy crumbs.”

 When strawberry season is over we start getting the melons. When I served cantaloupe the first time as a new bride, I cut it in wedges and saved it for dessert, of course. Finally my new spouse said, “Aren’t you going to put the cantaloupe on the table?” It seems that in Texas, where he was from, a heaping platter of melon was sliced and served as part of the meal.

Later on we have golden peaches and plump apricots with a soft pink blush. This new bride made peach cobbler with a crust on the bottom and the top. This was served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. New hubby expected fruit only on the bottom, covered with biscuit type mounds on the top and served cold, in a bowl and covered with whipped cream.

On day I decided to cook pork chops. I baked them on a bed of fluffy rice. Wrong! He informed me that you are supposed to fry pork chops and ‘rice is a breakfast food, served with butter and sugar.’ And by the way, white bread goes with a meal, not whole wheat.

I baked a Devils food cake, elegantly iced; I couldn’t go wrong there. But guess what? Did you know plain Devils food cake is eaten crumbled up in a tall glass of buttermilk; ditto for cornbread? “No,” I retorted, “Everyone knows cornbread is served warm, cut in squares, with butter”.

At this point I was thinking, “At least the drink is not a problem. How could you possibly serve ice tea differently did my mother did, an ice cold pitcher full with lots of lemon and a little sugar?” It seems Texas style tea was thick and sweet as syrup, poured warm over a glass full of ice.

About this time I was thinking, “maybe we really aren’t compatible for marriage?” Then summer was over and Thanksgiving loomed ahead. “What kind of dressing should I make to stuff the turkey?” I mused.

Let’s don’t even go there!