I got excited to see actual tomatoes grown by a producteur at my market in Paris last week. They were beautiful and although they didn't taste quite as perfect as they looked, it gave me hope for the next few months that I'll be enjoying delicious summer produce - berries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, and more tomatoes - in the coming weeks.

Took a jump-start with some strawberry jam and pickled strawberry preserves, saving some of the spring/summer flavors for the fall and perhaps the winter. But I don't want to get ahead of myself: my brain is firmly focused on the lovely summer ahead!

I had a great time with my Paris-Lausanne tour group in June. We spent a few days in Paris, visiting some of my favorite chocolate shops, like Jean-Charles Rochoux and Fouquet, had a perfect wine tasting at Ô-Chateau, and spent the morning with the bakers at Poilâne, as we saw how they make their world-famous breads, and other treats. I never like to force people to buy things when I am leading them around, although a few years back, a group bought me one of the Poilâne bread knives as a gift, and it's become one of my favorite things. So I now (gently) suggest that people pick one up when they come to Paris. It's a great souvenir and I use mine every day. It's still as sharp as the day I got it.

I also had a great dinner at Chameleon with my friend Miranda, who owns Paris Property Group and is a Californian as well. So we ended up talking about the two favorite subjects in both Paris and San Francisco, 1) Real estate, and 2) Food. The name of this hidden gem of a restaurant refers to the fact that the menu and foods change daily and we had a super meal. My first course was salt cod with fresh peas and salicornes (sea beans), and then I went on to a noix de veau (veal) with a perky rhubarb chutney and a bowl of the best polenta I've had in Paris, accented with sharp tarragon.

It's one of those places that's slightly off the beaten path, located on a charming side street near Place de la République, and is worth a try if you're in Paris, for sure. The owner is also a very nice guy and speak great English, having spent time in the U.S. So be sure to say bonjour - or hi!

I plan to be out-and-about this summer, doing the French thing and taking time off in August for some r & r. I might be eating lobster, corn on the cob, and fresh garden tomatoes (and not just in my dreams!), or I may lounge around drinking icy rosé and nibbling on buttered French radishes, olive tapenade, and perhaps une tomate, or deux.

Happy summer everyone! - David

A lot of people come to Paris in the summer, which is exactly when a lot of Parisians leave! While the temperature can soar - in fact, we're currently in the middle of a canicule (heatwave) - and air-conditioners are rarer than drinks with more than one cube of ice (and the métro can feel like a sauna...), it's a great time to come to the city in spite of it all. In fact, August is my favorite time of year in Paris.

True, many shops and restaurants close, but you'll have most of the city to yourself. But if you want to be around people, the road next to the Seine is shut down as Paris Plages makes it annual appearance, which makes for a nice place to stroll and relax by the flowing river. And all the outdoor markets are open, although many of the vendors take off for some, or most, of August, too.

My advice is to not worry about getting into the hottest restaurant in town, or what chocolate shops will be open (because of the heat, most close), although internationally known places like La Maison du Chocolat stay open. If you take a walk on the rue de Bac, which has become a haven for pastry and chocolate-lovers, you can see what's open and what's not. The nearby Le Grande Épicerie for sure will be, and it's got AC!

And even though the famed Berthillon closes in August (the owner once famously said something along the lines of - "We don't want people eating our ice cream just because they want to cool down"), a lot of other places around the Île-Saint-Louis serve it, as do some cafés in Paris. But there's most to the ice cream scene in Paris than Berthillon. Check out the list on my site of Paris ice cream shops.

Here are a few links to help you find things to do this summer in Paris:

Summer Festivals in Paris. (Secrets of Paris)

List of Outdoor Paris Markets (Paris.fr)

What's Open in August: List from 2014 but likely to be updated and probably the same restaurants will be open in 2015. (Paris by Mouth)

Top Events to Look Out for in Paris 2015 (Paris Visitors Bureau)

Omg. How fortunate was I to visit the Le Creuset factory? Amazing to see how their enameled cookware is made, in France.

I got the recipe for Ballymaloe Brown Yeast Bread, which has become a favorite at my house for breakfast.

Yes, it's pesto season. I made a huge batch recently, and updated my pesto recipe. (Yup, I'm not longer a mortar and pestle dictator, and made my last batch in the food processor.)

I visited the Ballymaloe LitFest and ate and drank, and even visited the lovely Midleton Farmers' Market.

A spring picnic at Versailles? Don't mind if I do...

As cherries started to tumble forth, I made a delicious Cherry Leaf Wine from their leaves.

Dwindling strawberry supplies? Put up a few jars of Pickled Strawberry Preserves, a tart-sweet condiment that'll perk up everything from fresh goat cheese to a scoop of ice cream.

And in case you are looking for more summer fruit recipes, check out my Upside Down Cake, Apricot Jam, Strawberry Frozen Yogurt,

See you next month! - dl