Few things look and taste like summer as much as freshly picked berries! Their deep purple, red, and blue coloring promises juicy sweetness, and the occasional sour cheek pucker. Going berry picking was one of my favorite things to do as a child growing up in New Hampshire. By the end of the day I'd have purple, red, and blue stains on my face, and shorts where I'd wiped my sticky fingers. We'd fill our buckets with blueberries, and I still remember the exact perfect sound the first few would make as they landed on the tin pail's bottom. Strawberries we'd pick to the point of exhaustion, bent over in the sun until we climbed into the car quickly falling asleep cradling our bounty. The following days would be spent watching my mother make jar after jar of homemade jam, or sneaky handfuls from the refrigerator every chance I got and sprinkling the already sweet berries with a pinch of sugar.

I've created a limited collection of Berry Bowls to share with you, which I hope will become a part of your favorite berry-centered memories. The interiors are glazed with a selection of colors which I believe fully celebrate the natural beauty of these delicious fruits. The exteriors remain unglazed and are sanded to a smooth finish, which creates a nonslip surface for holding while rinsing the berries. Each bowl fits perfectly on a Textured Dessert Plate, but any small plate will do. Try pairing this bowl with your favorite piece of vintage china for a distinctive look that's all you.

Berries and Fresh Whipped Cream:

(Cream serves at least 4, very generously. Berry servings are entirely up to you!)

What you'll need:

Your choice of berries

8 ounces of Whipping Cream (or Heavy Cream, just be sure the fat content is greater than 30% to get a nice, thick, fluffy texture. For more details, read this.)

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 tablespoons Sugar

Pour cold Whipping or Heavy Cream into a medium bowl. You'll want to be sure the bowl has about three times the capacity needed to hold the 8 ounces of cream. As the cream thickens it will more than double in volume, and you'll need room for whisking.

Add the Vanilla and Sugar to the cream.

Using a large whisk create circular motions by flicking your wrist, scooping beneath the cream with each twist and lifting it up. Adding air to the cream is exactly what will give it the light, airy texture, so keep your motions loose and be sure you're pulling air into the mixture as you scoop the cream with the whisk by rotating your wrist. This will take several (mildly agonizing) minutes, and if you're like me at this point you'll be glaring at the stand mixer sitting on your counter that you forgot to use. So yes, you can use your Kitchen Aid if you'd rather. Place the mixer on a low-medium setting and watch closely for stiff peaks to form. Turn off immediately and do not over mix. If you're still whipping by hand kudos to you! Be sure you also stop at the formation of stiff peaks just like the cheaters-- just kidding guys, I'd be cheating too if I ever remembered to use my mixer to do this!

That's it! You're ready to enjoy the simplest, sweetest, most summertime perfect treat ever!