Colliding into August’s orgiastic bounty of tomatoes, figs, grapes, cucumbers, plums, peaches, basil, and shelling beans is its apogee, and herald of the new season ahead. The Pink Pearl. My first bite was unfathomably sweet, tart, juicy, crisp, and rosy florid. Yum.

I suppose the flag carries different levels of meaning for everyone. For me, it always hearkens back to my youth, where the “Made in America” labels were prominently displayed on packages of tube socks or steel outdoor furniture.

For my ultra-patriotic neighbor, it probably carries several meanings, but in his [...]