All this outdoor adventuring is punctuated by summery deliciousness: blackberries, cherries, peaches, melons, sweet corn, green beans, and vine-ripe tomatoes. July, you wake up that sleepy chef in us, the one who’s been hiding behind the microwave for far too long. Your colorful bounty has inspired fresh cravings to get outside, fire up the grill, and see what we’re capable of—and we suspect it’s more than we may sometimes let on. Just give us a basketful of organic produce, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised meat and cheeses, or the best in plant-based, and let the culinary adventuring begin.

None of this is meant to say that you’ve taken all our cares away, July; we still carry the weight of our everyday responsibilities and individual burdens. The world around us still feels defined by upheaval and polarization, and so we have a simple wish for all our friends and neighbors. May this season bring us an abundance of moments to breathe deeply, lift our faces to the sun, watch it sink into the horizon more often, and wrap ourselves in the starlit warmth of a summer night. May we make more time to enjoy the delicious, nutritious bounty of the season and those moments that nourish our mental well-being too—a little bit of conversation, a little bit of understanding. Because these are the things we can choose every day, despite the chaos around us—food that sustains and regenerates our bodies and the planet, time well spent, and love, the only way love can be known, by sharing it.

The Isely Family