The Endless Summer

[ScoopKW]

Reading the topic about soft-shell crabs got me thinking about "The Endless Summer." Two surfers globetrot trying to avoid winter and see the best possible waves the world has to offer.

Sooooo.... how about a checklist for the discerning globetrotter. (If this takes off, I reserve the movie rights :-)

Late August, Hatch NM for the chilis

September, the Chesapeake Bay for the crabs

What would you add -- winter truffle harvest? Le beaujolais nouveau est arrivé! Oktoberfest? Napa cab release? Thanksgiving in Plymouth, England?

Could be a fun topic...

Edited September 19, 2011 by ScoopKW (log)

[Lisa Shock]

I live in Arizona, and I miss fresh apples, unwaxed ones, right off the tree -you can pick a region, there are too many to choose from. And so many kinds... Winesaps were always my favorites. Then there's always cider and cider jelly. Most of the places that made these things when I was a teenager in PA are gone, so I don't know what to say about a location. My HS brought into the cafeteria full sized barrels of cider in the fall, yes, huge real barrels, and sometimes it would be a bit hard....everyone was a bit happier that time of year....

I also miss really ripe peaches. My parents, when we moved to Maryland, used to buy overripe peaches for $1/bushel at an orchard and have us immediately freeze them in simple syrup. We had a taste of late summer all winter that way. Once again, I don't have an exact spot, but, a peach orchard someplace where they raise them the old-fashioned way and let them get really ripe on the tree.

I'd visit Santa Fe for apricots. People grow them in their yards and it's the only place I have ever been where they didn't have to be peeled to make pie. I know that other places have apricots, but, some of the older trees in Santa Fe were better than anything I have ever tasted.

I'd love to pull a vidalia out of the ground and eat it immediately, in the proper terrior.

I could do a whole world-wide tour of fresh local honeys, they are so individual!

[ScoopKW]

OK, so add a vidalia festival in Macon, GA -- and may as well throw in the Gilroy, CA garlic festival.

But I think the "Endless Food Summer" should basically include venues where it is generally agreed that one finds the absolute best of the best -- Hatch chilis, Alba truffles, Key West pink shrimp, Champagne, etc. And it doesn't have to be the most expensive best of the best. I'm down for a Cornwall pastie festival, if one exists.

[Yajna Patni]

Cherry festival in michigan.

[Mjx]

I'd add the annual prosciutto festival in Langhirano. I was there a couple of years ago, and definitely recommend it.

[BeeZee]

As a Jersey Girl, I'd be remiss in not nominating July in NJ for outstanding tomatoes...

[tanstaafl2]

OK, so add a vidalia festival in Macon, GA -- and may as well throw in the Gilroy, CA garlic festival.

But I think the "Endless Food Summer" should basically include venues where it is generally agreed that one finds the absolute best of the best -- Hatch chilis, Alba truffles, Key West pink shrimp, Champagne, etc. And it doesn't have to be the most expensive best of the best. I'm down for a Cornwall pastie festival, if one exists.

I expect you would find one or two folks down this way who would happily argue that a vidalia onion is indeed the best of the best! Macon would get you close but you would have to slide another 100 miles or so down the road to Vidalia, GA to go to the Vidalia Onion Festival each spring.

I believe one day I would like to have my own little festival in Spain featuring the very best and freshest jamón I can find to include at least a little bit of Jamón Iberico de Bellota before I die.

[ScoopKW]

OK, here's what we have so far

early-March, Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival, Fort Myers, FL

late-April, Vidalia Onion festival, Vidalia, GA

late-April, Port Royal Soft Shell Crab Festival, Port Royal, SC

early-May, Salón del Jamón Ibérico, Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain

late-June/early July, Aÿ Champagne Festival, Aÿ (near Reims), France (biannual event, even years)

late-July, Gilroy Garlic festival, Gilroy, CA

late-August, Tomatina, Valencia, Spain

early-September, Hatch Valley Chile Festival, Hatch NM

mid-September, Festival del Prosciutto di Parma, Langhirano, Italy

mid-to-late September, Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

November, Alba International White Truffle Festival, Alba, Italy

Keep 'em coming, even if they overlap. Someone might be allergic to shellfish, after all.

EDIT -- added the Salón del Jamón Ibérico de Jerez de los Caballeros for tanstaafl2

Edited September 19, 2011 by ScoopKW (log)

[djyee100]

June 24 (St John's Day) in Italy, to make nocino.

Gravenstein apple festival in Sonoma County, California, around mid-August. The best of the heirloom apples, IMO.

Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico, late Oct-early Nov. Feast foods at the markets, housewives lined up at mills to grind their special blends of mole. Go there for some great mole.

Dungeness crab season opens in San Francisco, sometime in November. Get the local crabs while you can, it's a short season.

[janeer]

As a Jersey Girl, I'd be remiss in not nominating July in NJ for outstanding tomatoes...

and corn. another native Jersey girl here, but as a long-time Rhode-Islander, stiff competition for both in RI.

Have to add: maple syrup in New England (VT, probably) in March, sugaring season, with doughnuts and pickles.

[barolo]

Spot Prawn Festival, May, Vancouver, Canada

Edited September 20, 2011 by barolo (log)

[baroness]

HERE is a list of festivals celebrating corn, rhubarb, sauerkraut, kolachy, wild rice, and countless others.

[SylviaLovegren]

Mid-end of July for raspberries and blackberries in Lynden, Washington.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

October 31-November 2 in Ambato, Ecuador, for the Day of the Dead and samples of the best Colada Morada and bread babies, and also for the Cuy Festival.

Holy Week (Easter) in Quito for Fanesca. Sweet, sweet, bacalaotastic Fanesca.

[LizD518]

Lobster Festival in Rockland, ME, which is usually in early-mid August.

[Alcuin]

OK, here's what we have so far

early-March, Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival, Fort Myers, FL

late-April, Vidalia Onion festival, Vidalia, GA

late-April, Port Royal Soft Shell Crab Festival, Port Royal, SC

early-May, Salón del Jamón Ibérico, Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain

late-June/early July, Aÿ Champagne Festival, Aÿ (near Reims), France (biannual event, even years)

late-July, Gilroy Garlic festival, Gilroy, CA

late-August, Tomatina, Valencia, Spain

early-September, Hatch Valley Chile Festival, Hatch NM

mid-September, Festival del Prosciutto di Parma, Langhirano, Italy

mid-to-late September, Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

November, Alba International White Truffle Festival, Alba, Italy

Keep 'em coming, even if they overlap. Someone might be allergic to shellfish, after all.

EDIT -- added the Salón del Jamón Ibérico de Jerez de los Caballeros for tanstaafl2

Cool list. It looks like there's some space there though to squeeze in

mid-August, Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison WI

It's a beer festival that's really one of a kind.

[ScoopKW]

I'll re-edit the list shortly (off to work a double shift, ugh). I'm getting too old for doubles.

Some of the ideas, I'm a little unsure of including. I can't add every state fair and food festival on Earth. So I want to stick with things that have broad, international appeal. (Oktoberfest) Or at least very strong regional appeal. (Hatch Chile Fest)

[annabelle]

I live 20 miles from teh self-proclaimed Huckleberry Capital of the World: Jay, OK. See you the first week of July for the county fair and huckleberry festival.

Edited September 23, 2011 by annabelle (log)

[heidih]

The local specialty that I dream about is spiny lobster. The commercial season opens October 5th this year (my birthday!!) and end mid March.

[barolo]

I'll re-edit the list shortly (off to work a double shift, ugh). I'm getting too old for doubles.

Some of the ideas, I'm a little unsure of including. I can't add every state fair and food festival on Earth. So I want to stick with things that have broad, international appeal. (Oktoberfest) Or at least very strong regional appeal. (Hatch Chile Fest)

Well it is your list so do what you want but it seems to me that you mmay have a hard time judging what has strong regional appeal outside of your jurisdiction. Maybe you should spell out some more specific groundrules.

[Mjx]

I'll re-edit the list shortly (off to work a double shift, ugh). I'm getting too old for doubles.

Some of the ideas, I'm a little unsure of including. I can't add every state fair and food festival on Earth. So I want to stick with things that have broad, international appeal. (Oktoberfest) Or at least very strong regional appeal. (Hatch Chile Fest)

Well it is your list so do what you want but it seems to me that you mmay have a hard time judging what has strong regional appeal outside of your jurisdiction. Maybe you should spell out some more specific groundrules.

Hm, I thought this was (essentially) just for fun?

Also, are there no special annual culinary events in Asia, Africa, Australia or New Zealand..? Someone must have something to recommend!

[kayb]

There's not a festival any more, to my knowledge (there was when I was in high school, a century or so ago), but you must add mid-October to early November, depending on the year and the weather, for "new sorghum" in the Tennessee River Valley of Western Tennessee and Kentucky. You can get "local" sorghum year-round, but "new" sorghum, with crackling cornbread, for the first two-three weeks after it's cut, cooked and canned, is just a spectacular taste that has no equal.

I might add that, to be enjoyed correctly, it must be accompanied by slab bacon and home-canned tomatos. Heaven!

Edited September 24, 2011 by kayb (log)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

And I entirely forgot the largest food event in my city! (insert forehead slap here).

Late January right up to the day of Lent - Festival of Fruit and Flowers, Ambato, Ecuador.

Specific days within this festival celebrate the harvest of the best of the black Claudias, Duraznos, Guaytambos, Naranjillas, Ambato Red Pears, Tisaleo Gold Apples. Near the middle is the Festival of Bread, celebrating the best in the traditional Ambato breads (we're known for having the best bread in the country), the Chocolate Festival, and sometimes (alternate years) the Cuy Festival. There are also typically about 5 times the number of street food vendors during this two month festival period.

[ScoopKW]

I'll re-edit the list shortly (off to work a double shift, ugh). I'm getting too old for doubles.

Some of the ideas, I'm a little unsure of including. I can't add every state fair and food festival on Earth. So I want to stick with things that have broad, international appeal. (Oktoberfest) Or at least very strong regional appeal. (Hatch Chile Fest)

Well it is your list so do what you want but it seems to me that you mmay have a hard time judging what has strong regional appeal outside of your jurisdiction. Maybe you should spell out some more specific groundrules.

Hm, I thought this was (essentially) just for fun?

Also, are there no special annual culinary events in Asia, Africa, Australia or New Zealand..? Someone must have something to recommend!

Of course this is just for fun -- but I've also already been to roughly one third of the events on the "official" list. As for ground rules, it's kind of like art. I can't define it, but I know it when I see it.

[agaronthefloor]

im going to go with razor clam digging in late October, also mushroom foraging in last august on the coast of Washington state.