We heard the sad news this week that Brian Wilson passed away. It of course was not totally unexpected. He battled a lot of health issues his whole life, including mental health issues and depression. He was a fragile, creative genius who fought so many demons , yet the power of his music is that even from despair, he spread such love and joy.
It got me to thinking of the power of music itself. I first heard the Beach Boys growing up in Rochester, New York, never having set foot on the California beaches that he talked about in his lyrics. Yet even in the middle of a Rochester, New York snowstorm, I could listen to his music and feel the sun on my face, the sand on my toes and dream of surfing… not even knowing how to swim.
His songs were mostly filled with optimism, fun and the promise of eternal summer. I sprinkled my teenage scrapbooks with images of California beaches, surfboards and boardwalks. I had never been on the West coast, but it did not matter, the music took me there. When I finally did step foot on Southern California sands , it was the Beach Boys’ soundtrack playing in my head that made it seem familiar and at home.
His songs were not always “Fun, Fun, Fun”. There were waves of loneliness and fear in such lyrics as “In my room…I do my dreaming and my scheming…lie awake and pray…do my crying and my sighing.” As a teen I could listen to those words and feel the powerful comfort that someone else understood .
But most of all the music transported me then and now to a happy place. Brian Wilson wrote many of his songs when he no doubt was not in a “happy place”at all. Yet even in the midst of his darkness , he gave the world joyous sounds of love, joy and sheer fun, leaving us with a smile no matter what the season. And that is his lasting brilliant musical gift to us…good vibrations always and endless summer.
Here it is already September and those words by Shakespeare ring true, even for me- a person who enjoys all four seasons (yes, even rain and snow). But I am always a bit sad to see summer end. It is my favorite season and no matter how long it is, it never seems long enough.
Not everyone shares my love of summertime. Some complain about the heat and have reason understandably to do so as temperatures escalate to an overwhelming three digits! Where I live it is a rare occurrence thankfully and temperatures stay more “normal” : in the 80s with 90s and even some 70s sprinkled into the mix. We rarely get the humidity some associate and loathe in summer.
But I am familiar with that sticky feeling where the air is heavy and thick. Growing up in Western NY that was just part of what we knew as “summer”. We just somehow as kids lived in it, seeking relief where we could find it: under a shady tree in my Grandfather’s backyard; riding in my Uncle’s convertible with the top down; going to the beach where we took our blow up rafts into the Lake and rode the waves; running through sprinklers on the lawn, sucking on Popsicles my Aunt would make in her rainbow colored Tupperware popsicle molds; sitting on the porch as a rain storm came in, listening for thunder- all the simple pleasures of summer.
Then there are the sounds and smells of the season that I think of this time of year. And summer does have its own distinct sounds and scents : sizzling hot dogs on the grill, the sound of ice cubes clinking in glasses of iced tea, the scent of roses, the sound of splashing in the pool; the ice cream man’s truck singing its enticing song; Coppertone lathered on thick. Coppertone still brings back summer to me in any season . As a teenager the sounds of summer were the endless transistor radios on beach blankets at the Lake that most sounded like summer. Inevitably the Beach Boys would be playing on more than one of them. It is why the Beach Boys’ music still brings back summer to me even in the coldest of months.
As September somehow has crept up on us ,stealing that new summer promise we felt back when June arrived, I still cling to the sweetness of the season. I revel in the kind of day that allows you to do maybe nothing at all but enjoy the sun on your face and that feeling of heat enveloping you when you go out the door. It’s the warm embrace of summer and its sounds, scents and memories that live on even when the calendar says autumn and pumpkin spice in EVERYTHING takes over all too soon.
Summer joys do stay with us year round and those joys include the taste of summer. And one of those distinctly summer tastes are Blueberries, which you can freeze and keep through winter . And to quote one of Robert Frost’s poems…”blueberries as big as the end of your thumb, Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum In the cavernous pail of the first one to come”
So here are two favorite and delicious blueberry desserts that can bring summer to the table in any season.
Blueberry Cream Pie was introduced to me by my brother Chuck, which I thank him for. But my friend Bonnie has made it far more times than either one of us, I think and it has become one of her signature desserts. The photo is courtesy of Bonnie.
The second recipe is from our friend Alison who I thank for sharing “Valerie Bertinelli’s Blueberry Cake.” The photo is courtesy of Alison.
Blueberry Cream Pie
1 unbaked pie shell
Filling:
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1 c. sour cream
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg beaten
Beat all ingredients except berries until smooth. Fold in berries and pour into pie shell. Bake 400 degrees for 25 mins.
Topping:
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 Tbsp butter (softened)
3 Tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans
Mix ingredients together. After the pie has cooked, sprinkle with topping and bake at 400 degrees for an additional 5 to 10 mins.
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for pan 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon table salt 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 cups fresh blueberries 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Powdered sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch springform pan.
2. Whisk together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat the granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
4. Combine the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, and the remaining 1 tablespoon flour; sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the batter.
5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes; run a thin knife around the edges of the cake. Remove the cake from the pan, and transfer to a platter. Dust the cake lightly with the powdered sugar. Serve warm or cool completely.
