Quintessential New England Summer Treats

From the beach to the backyard, summer presents its own menu of seasonal treats; concoctions to keep us cool, seafood to savor, and gatherings focused on our love for food. Only in New England though will you be able to mention the likes of Del’s, Kelly’s, and maple creemees without having to further explain what each name references, or where it comes from. Here, then, are some quintessential New England summer treats that you’ll find from the coast of Maine to cornfields throughout the region.

Maine blueberries

While you can find blueberries throughout New England, no state in the country produces more of the fruit than Maine. According to the Cooperative Extension, “Maine’s 60,000 acres of wild blueberries grow naturally in fields and barrens that stretch along the Downeast coast to the state’s southwest corner. Adapted to Maine’s naturally acid, low fertility soils and challenging winters, wild blueberries are a low-input crop requiring minimal management.’’ The blueberry is celebrated in Vacationland every summer with apair of festivals, the Wilton Blueberry Festival (Aug. 1-2), when you can pick your own berries in addition to enjoying a wealth of blueberry baked goods, and the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival (Aug. 15-17) with contests, shopping, and of course, blueberries.

Del’s Frozen Lemonade

There are few things better in the hot summer sun than enjoying an ice cold Del’s Frozen Lemonade, the drink that began in Rhode Island, and can be found in select locations in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and southeastern Massachusetts. The lemon fruit ice was the creation of Italian immigrant Franco DeLucia, who brought his recipe to Rhode Island at the turn of the century. In 1948, Del’s began selling its frozen lemonade at a stand in Cranston, and today serves up its refreshments at dozens of locations throughout the Ocean State. Del’s also sells a mix you can make at home, and while it’s good, it’s nothing compared to spotting the yellow lemon on the way home after a hot day at the beach.

Lobster ice cream

Add this to the list of treats you’d never expect people to swear by. Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium, with locations in Falmouth, Northampton, Oak Bluffs, and Bar Harbor, Maine, claims to have created lobster ice cream in order to prove to the world that they do, in fact, make their own ice cream, a claim other ice cream destinations can certainly fake. The shop says it buys the lobster meat from a local pound, chop it up, butter it, and fold it into a butter-flavored ice cream. Simple enough. The taste? You’ll have to decide for yourself.

Iced coffee

Pull into any Dunkin’ Donuts drive through window during the summer and the phrase “large, iced, regular’’ is omnipresent. But the fast-food mecca or Starbucks aren’t the only places to grab an iced coffee. By cold-brewing the coffee, a number of Boston coffee shops have introduced a new era of the cold beverage. For instance, Chinatown’s New Dong Khanh (81 Harrison Ave., 617-426-9410) creates its Vietnamese version made individually to order. Be warned, it takes a lot longer than sauntering up to the drive-thru for the coffee to be prepared, but once you taste the difference, it’ll be difficult to go back.

Clam cakes

Seafood makes its first foray onto our list with the fried goodness of the clam cake, a mostly southern New England dish that will both fill your stomach and your soul. These deep-fried balls of dough and clams are best when served hot, preferably from a roadside stand or clam shack, where you’ll most often find the best, stuffed with the most clams. A trio of the best in Rhode Island can be found at Aunt Carrie’s (pictured), in Narragansett, Flo’s, in Middletown, and Evelyn’s Drive-In, in Tiverton.

Ben and Jerry’s ice cream

If one brand of ice cream is synonymous with New England, it has to be Ben and Jerry’s, the Vermont staple invented by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978. While you can pretty much find a Ben and Jerry’s scoop shop on any corner you may roam, visiting the factory, in Waterbury, Vt., is an experience unto itself. Visitors can take a tour and learn about the process that has delivered flavors such as “Chunky Monkey’’ and “Chubby Hubby.’’ Of course, there will be ice cream at the end of the tour.

Maple creemees

That’s not the only kind of ice cream Vermonters have on the brain during the summer – or winter for that matter. In the Green Mountains, a “creemee’’ refers to what we typically call soft-serve ice cream, and a maple creemee, is just what you think. This maple ice cream treat is a staple in Vermont, where residents and visitors alike clamor for them year-round where you can get them. Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, in Montpelier, is often mentioned as one of the best places to grab one.

Summer beer

What’s summer without a beer? It’s the time of the year when local brewers, including Boston’s Samuel Adams and Harpoon, Vermont’s Long Trail Ale, and New Hampshire’s Smuttynose come out with various concoctions ranging from wheat ales to a Kolsch-style ales. Kick back and relax. This is what summer is all about.

Hoodsie Cups

A New England staple since 1947, everybody has had one Hoodsie Cup in his or her life, right? Let’s just say, if you use a real spoon, you’re doing it wrong.

Strawberry-rhubarb pie

Strawberries and rhubarb intersect their seasons at the beginning of summer, which makes their combination in a strawberry-rhubarb pie all the sweeter. This New England classic “ushers in pie season,’’ according to this recipe from Boston.com.

Corn on the cob

You don’t have to rely on sugar and cold drinks to get a taste of summer, of course. Corn on the cob is in season, and few things say summer more than throwing a few ears on the grill and enjoying the sweet taste of the native vegetable. A little salt and a dab of butter is all you need – and frankly, some ears are so sweet you don’t even need that – to fully enjoy corn as fresh as it will be all year.

Kelly’s Roast Beef

You don’t go to Revere Beach without visiting Kelly’s Roast Beef. You just don’t.

Richie’s Italian Ice

Meanwhile, sticking in Revere, Richie’s Italian Ice has been in business since 1956, serving up various favors of slush. But you don’t have to go to Revere solely to grab a taste. Richie’s flavors are served in dozens of stores and scoop shops around New England. See website for information.

Farmer’s markets

Chances are, no matter where you live, there’s a farmer’s market open near you during the summer months. These gatherings are a perfect way to sample local flavors, purchase fresh produce, and simply meet with other members of your community. Many can be found by visiting www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets.

BBQ

The backyard BBQ. It’s something we can probably do year-round if we really felt like it, but during the summer, the process is perfected, is it not?

Lobster bake

Seriously, what is summer without at least one lobster bake or clam boil?