berry picking – The Sol Compass

In case you didn’t know, I love berries. I love the month of June, I love picking berries, I love cooking with berries, anything you could possibly think of involving berries I am 100% down with. To kick off berry season (which, by me, starts next week!) I’m sharing not only this adorable berry print from J.Crew, but also some of my favorite recipes for berry season!

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

This berry print is just to die for. You all know I have an undying love for midi skirts, but if that’s not your jam (we’ll get to jam recipes later), it also comes in heels and a shirt. I chose to keep it simple with classic navy accents, but it would look great paired with red or bold with stripes!

Outfit Details – Tee: Banana Republic | Skirt: J.Crew | Heels: Steve Madden (similar here)

My parents have been going to Tougas Family Farm since they moved to Massachusetts from New York City nearly 30 years ago. In my mind there is simply no comparable place for fruit picking. From strawberries in June to pumpkins in October, they have you covered. Strawberry season kicks off the second week of June, so you can bet I’ll be there at least once per week until October!

My dad and I have a strong bond over fruit based desserts. Most desserts, actually, but fruit based desserts are my favorite. My two favorite recipes are from old Bon Appétit Magazines from 20 years ago that he still holds on to! There are some real gems in there I found while leafing through to find these recipes so I’d definitely recommend a subscription to the magazine or digging through the archives from past years!

Strawberry shortcake is my favorite dessert of all time. If I had to narrow it down more, I would say this chocolate one takes the cake (I know guys, I’m sorry. The puns just keep getting sweeter. Okay okay last one.)

B and I went ahead and picked up some store bought strawberries so we could make it a little early – but I can’t even imagine how great it will taste with farm fresh berries!

My second favorite dessert is the Blueberry grunt. The recipe calls for frozen berries, but we have always used the fresh ones!

Central Massachusetts’ finest winery, Nashoba Valley Winery, has a blueberry merlot and a strawberry rhubarb to keep the berry party going! It’s worth a drive out to Bolton for lunch (picnic or restaurant style), wine tasting, and the beautiful scenery!