My favorite childhood summertime memories is without a doubt; picking fresh fruit from the trees in the neighborhood where I grew up. Every neighbor contributed to the community garden by growing fruits and vegetables. There was no organized systematic process to producing your own food source. Community gardens was the norm back then and we shared in the harvest of the land. We didn’t go to the market to buy produce; yet we had access to the most delicious fruit for free.
We grew a peach and plum tree, my aunts had an apple and pear tree, Ms. Kennebrew supplied the pomegranates, Ms. Evelyn was fancy with her apricot and persimmon trees and Ms. Ruby was the snow cone and candy lady. Blackberries were tucked away in nooks and crannies along the railroad tracks. We knew every neighbor for miles so it was nothing to roam the neighborhood in search of our summertime snacks. Those days are the memories I hold so dear and the reason why I love summer fruit. I forgot to mention the watermelon man who drove through the neighborhood with a truck load of black diamond watermelons for sale. He always had one plugged as a sample for us to taste before selecting our melon. The thumping process was always a tell tale sign that you had a delicious melon. Sometimes, the #wallamelonman would have yellow meat melons too. Oh so Yummy! Now that I’ve taken you down memory lane, I have a quick and easy salad for you to serve your family and friends.

Tip: Rinse and spin some fresh salad greens. Make the greens bite size.

Tip: Slice a few red onions and add to the salad.

Tip: Top the greens with melon, berries and homegrown tomatoes.

Tip: Serve with dressing.