tiny morsels of summer

this weekend i ran off to portland with one thing in mind: boysenberries.
well, mission accomplished. i came back with 17 pounds of berries. black-, marion- and boysenberries, not counting the three pints of black caps in tow too.

it couldn't have been better timing.
my memories of berry picking on Sauvie Island were of hands-and-knees, thorny, under-the-bush endeavors in the heat and sun. on saturday we walked out in to the cool portland weather with jackets on, out to the marionberry patch and the berries hung out from the bushes, just asking us to pick them. i secretly wondered how i could have remembered so poorly.

...then i found the boysenberries. oh yes, that's what i remember. how is it that boysenberries seem to want to hide their juicy goodness so much when the other berries are handing their candy out for free?

either way, i was smart enough and early enough in the season that their wiles didn't hold me back for long. and when the sun started to break through just after noon, i was mighty glad that it had been overcast and cool through most of my efforts.

(the farm and the hills)

on top of my berry delight, i also had the chance to pick up some cherry tomatoes, broccoli romanesco and bakery treats from my former employ—Baker & Spice. (if you live in the Portland area, or are planning a visit, i highly recommend stopping by the bakery. they make wonderfully fantastic treats.)

while in portland, a friend and i saw Food, Inc.—how devastating. it was of course, everything i already knew and have read, but this time coupled with visually compelling video footage.

no sooner had i thought to myself how i have been reading about the travesties of slaughterhouses since i was in grade school, then did the narrator mention Upton Sinclair's The Jungle—a book i read in fifth grade.

i'm glad i saw it. i would like to see Fresh too. it looks like it has a more uplifting vibe to it and i'm a sucker for seeing people excited about food.

now i am home, three two-gallon bags of berries in my freezer, and three bowls of fresh berries awaiting my attention and delight. renewed commitment to eating locally and in season.

not bad for my first mini-break in nine month.