Apricots budding, change approaching

Mmm. I can almost feel the skin give way to soft, tart, sweet flesh. Or the juice that collects on the bottom of my mouth. Apricots are on the backyard tree, a sign that summer creeps closer. I await the day to collect the pale orange fruits and dream up ways to use them. Last year, they went into an *apricot pie and a chutney. We had plenty. They are well enough eaten out of hand. I actually like them raw. The interplay between sweet and tart is right on. They became very tart when baked in the pie. Ah, signs of spring and summer. The chives and sage look great. The thyme is doing just fine and my brother recently brought home an oregano plant. But will I be around to reap the apricot harvest?

I’m leaving in May for a three-month internship with America’s Test Kitchen (Boston Common Press Limited Press publishes Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines). Sounds like I’ll be doing half the internship on the kitchen side – prep, help with food styling, gathering equipment - and the other half on the research end (calling a company and finding out its Parmesan cheese, for instance). I’ve got a place to live, which is about a 20 minute walk from the internship. I won’t bring a car and will have to learn the ins and outs of the “T”, Boston’s subway system. It’s going to be a change – leaving the home I’ve known in Mission Viejo, my family, friends and church. While I am away physically, they are only a phone call away. This is the time to seize an opportunity; to be out on my own, gain a sense of independence, explore a new area and meet new people. All of which to say, the season’s change and I am about to make a change with them. Embrace what you have. Savor every last bite. Please save some apricots.

• Apricot pie is an adaptation of a recipe that appeared in Comfort Me With Apples by Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine.