When classes are in session and paper grading is at its height, it’s the slow pace of summer, with its sense of adventure and sunny disposition, that I crave. Here in the heat of July, there’s nothing more refreshing as the sweat rolling down from my gin and tonic; the mix of tomatoes, onions, olive oil, vinegar, and herbs marinating on the counter; and the honk of guests arriving from or departing for road trips.

 

As with most issues of From Plate to Palate, these food-focused contributors are on my wavelength.

 

Cal Freeman’s poem “Outside the Deconstructed Twelve Pack” is a melodic meditation on myth, language, and a beloved summer drink, which merits many reads.

 

Sarah Lenz stays busy, even during these lazy days of summer, in her piece that shows how cooking is a form of making.

 

In a campfire while on the road in her absolutely adorable Scamp, Karen Babine cooks up some intoxicating pies with a side of family memories.

 

Arlan Hess, who just returned from Greece, recreates for readers the life-changing dishes that became “paradigm-shifting culinary surprises.”

 

So take your laptop out in the sun, put on your shades, and find your favorite summer drink to sip while enjoying this stellar July issue of From Plate to Palate.