A Gratitude Breakfast

When a friend who has known you forever brings you a gift of Bouley bread with pistachios and apricots inside.

When you've found Vermont Butter and Cheese Company butter on sale, yup, ON SALE, people!

When the jam lady at the Farmer's Market makes the best apricot jam ever.

What's a girl to do but give thanks.

The Last Drop of Summer Cocktail

Does anyone else feel summer slipping away?

I'm desperate to work in summer produce at every meal, loving all the "no oven" options the season brings. I'm counting the days until school starts...most days sadly. It's bittersweet.

I know there's nothing that says you can't sit on your porch or patio or stoop in the autumn enjoying a twilight cocktail. But it's just not the same. Try this lovely libation as we wring every last drop out of summer. It's light and refreshing with a whisper of herbal mystery and you could try it with a gin or vodka. And here's another thing: you may want to double the Rosemary Lemon Simple Syrup recipe as you can leave out the vodka and serve a wonderful non-alcoholic lemonade fizz to those who prefer that.

VODKA LEMONADE WITH ROSEMARY

1 cup Rosemary Lemon Simple Syrup (recipe below)

1/2 cup lemon vodka (can use gin instead)

1 litre soda water or seltzer

ROSEMARY LEMON SIMPLE SYRUP

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice

4 4-inch sprigs of rosemary

Bring sugar and lemon juice to a simmer in a sauce pan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat, add rosemary and cover. Let steep until syrup is cooled to room temperature. Remove rosemary and discard (strain if you have rosemary leaves in the syrup). Refrigerate.

For cocktail:

Mix 2 parts rosemary lemon syrup with 1 part vodka and top with soda water. (Start by using a tablespoon as measurement.) Serve over ice.

Tis The Season

That's right, it is fresh fig season! Fig season is so short (August-October) don't let it pass you by. If you happen by my house during fig season, you will very likely be served this luscious snack. This is a "no-recipe" recipe. The kind that you just throw together for friends or family and as their eyes roll back in their heads you say, "Oh, this? It's nothing..." But oh, is it something.

And if you enjoy this outside, early on a summer evening with a chilled glass of wine, you can thank me later.

FIGS WITH PROSCIUTTO, GOAT CHEESE AND HONEY

1 loaf of crusty French bread

spreadable goat cheese

fresh figs, sliced

Prosciutto

honey

Slice bread and spread with goat cheese. Pile on the prosciutto. Top with sliced figs and drizzle with honey.

Tips: Figs-take good care of these little babies. They don't last long so try to eat them the day you bring them home or refrigerate to avoid mold. I used Black Mission figs which have dark, purplish skin when ripe. Use any variety you can find. If you don't have goat cheese, you can use mascarpone cheese or even cream cheese. Want to gild the lily? Use an exotic honey like Truffle Honey.

Cantaloupe with Salsa Verde

Look what was in abundance at the Farmer's Market. Cantaloupe. Or do you call it muskmelon?

When I was a girl we used to eat wedges of these with a little salt sprinkled over them--a sweet, slurpy, salty, taste of summer. We ate this a lot and inevitably, by the end of August my stance on cantaloupe was, "OVER IT!

If that sounds like you, it's time to bring in some other ingredients and change it up a little. I had a lot of fresh herbs on hand, my Serrano peppers that finally were ready for picking and some lovely walnut oil. How about a salsa verde? Salsa verde literally means "green sauce" and contains fresh herbs, an acid (usually vinegar), aromatics (shallot, red onion, capers, chili flakes) and oil. It's delicious on grilled meats, fish, bread so why not fruit!

CANTALOUPE WITH SALSA VERDE

Serves 8

1 ripe cantaloupe, seeded and cubed

3 T minced red onion

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, tightly packed

1/4 cup Thai basil or regular basil leaves

1/3 cup of walnut oil

3 t grated ginger

1/8 t salt

2 T lime juice

Chop mint, cilantro and basil leaves. Combine with minced onion, ginger, walnut oil, salt and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour over cantaloupe. Chill and serve.

*Variations-add toasted pumpkin seeds and cubed feta cheese

TIP OF THE DAY

Buy a knob of ginger, which is cheap, cheap, cheap, by the way. Peel it with a spoon. Use the edges of the spoon to just scrape that skin off. Then use a microplane or grater on your ginger instead of a knife. The stringy fibers are hard to cut finely. Then put it in a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. The next time you need ginger, use it frozen. Peel it with the spoon and grate what you need and back in the freezer. Don't let it defrost before using, just use it frozen.

Make What The Good Lord Gave Ya...

I've been reading Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It's the story of her family's year long experiment of eating locally and seasonally. They ate only what they or their neighbors could grow or raise in their county.

Now given my shaded backyard and my serious lack of a green thumb, my people would starve if we attempted this. But some of her points really hit home. If you eat what is grown near you and you eat it when it naturally grows it will be a food at it's fullest potential. A pale, February grocery store tomato will never compare to the taste of a ripe, juicy August tomato.

There are social and eco-friendly reasons why this is a good thing too-supporting local farmers, not contributing to the fossil fuel consumption it takes to store and ship food nationally and internationally, etc. but those are bigger discussions. The bottom line is this: Food "here and now" will be some of the most delicious food you will experience.

So, if I may be of assistance...here is a list of some of what is

ripe in late July/early August:

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Blueberries

Plums

Peaches

Apricots

Corn

Eggplant

Summer Squash

Lettuces

Tomatoes

Beans

And here is a source to find a farm or farmer's market in your area: http://www.localharvest.org/

I double-dog dare you to go shopping without a list. See what looks ripe and fresh, buy it and then decide what you're cooking this week. I'll do it too and I'll share my recipes with you, because I'm a giver.

My Gift To You

You must make this salad. There, I said it. This is a great salad anytime of the year. It is especially great for summer because it contains no mayo, cream or dairy to decompose at the neighborhood picnic thereby poisoning your community and ruining your rep.

Another bonus, it holds up well in the fridge a day later.

WILD RICE SALAD

Serves 8-10

2 c wild rice

6 c water

3 T rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 t cardamom

1 1/2 t soy sauce

1 t ground pink peppercorns

1 t ground white peppercorns

3 T Maple Syrup

1/3 canola oil

3/4 c chopped celery

1 c dried cranberries

1/2 c finely chopped scallions

3/4 c chopped pecans (I like Trader Joe's Sweet & Spicy Pecans)

Bring water with a pinch of salt to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and let simmer about 30 minutes. Look for some of the grains to have opened but others should still have a bite. Drain and return to the pan. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Chill rice.

Combine rice vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ground peppercorns, cardamom, maple syrup & canola oil. Add to rice along with pecans, scallions, cranberries and celery. You can double the dressing recipe if you like it really saturated or save the rest of the dressing for salad.

*Variations: Instead of the cranberries, substitute a crisp apple like a Granny Smith or Fuji in the fall & winter. You can also try other nuts if you don't like pecans. Also, while the pink AND white peppercorns are not essential, they add so much to the dish and are worth seeking out!

Holy Grains, Batman!

I love buying things at the grocery store that I have no experience with. Ostrich egg, sea beans, dragon fruit, purslane. At a restaurant, I always order the most exotic/unusual thing on the menu. My husband orders the chicken.

For all of the "chicken" people out there let's demystify some of the whole grains that are available in most supermarkets. These little guys rock! They are whole grains which means healthy but they are similar enough to rice, pasta and orzo that your family will probably try these without a revolt.

Whole Wheat Couscous

Think of it as your training bra of whole grains. Why? Because it takes 5 minutes to make and is versatile enough to add any refrigerator or pantry ingredients to it and call it a one dish meal.

Directions:

-Use a 1 to 2 ratio, i.e. 1 cup of couscous to 2 cups of water or stock or fruit juice + 1/2 teaspoon salt = 3 cup yield

Bring liquid to a boil, put in a pinch of salt and add couscous. Stir once, cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for one minute. Turn the heat off and leave covered until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Then, FLUFF WITH A FORK. Do not stir with a spoon. Trust me.

TRICK IT OUT...

Add a vinaigrette, broccoli, grape tomatoes & rotisserie chicken

Add olive oil & lemon juice, feta cheese, cucumber & tomatoes

Add walnut oil, orange juice, toasted walnuts, celery & shrimp

Add dried cranberries, orange zest, raisins & pine nuts

Bulgur

A little heartier than couscous, best known for it's appearance in tabbouleh. It comes in 4 different sizes/grinds from fine and medium to coarse. The following directions are for fine and medium bulgur identified on packages as grind #1 or grind #2.

Directions:

-Use a ratio of 1 cup of bulgur to 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of water or stock or fruit juice + 1/2 teaspoon of salt = 3 cup yield

Bring liquid to a boil, put in a pinch of salt and add bulgur. Cover and turn off heat. Let steam for 10 minutes. Fluff up and serve. If serving cold, spread on baking sheet to cool.

TRICK IT OUT...

-Add chopped tomato, red onion, olive oil & lemon juice, mint and parsley

-Molds well using bowls or ramekins for a nifty presentation (yes, I said nifty).

-The course grinds (#3 and #4) make great pilafs but need a grain to liquid ratio of 1 to 2 and need to cook for 10 and 20 minutes, respectively.

Farro

Farro is hot right now. Everyone wants to date her. I've seen a number of farro recipes in food mags in the last 2 months. Why? It's has a nice chew, a nutty taste and it's easy to prepare. Are we sensing a theme here? It also holds in the fridge well without getting hard or gluey.

Directions:

-Use a ratio of 1 cup farro to 1 3/4 cup water + a pinch of salt = 2 1/2 cup yield

Bring water to a boil in a kettle. In a dutch oven or saucepan toast the farro over dry heat for 3 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Add boiling water gradually, then add salt. Return to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat 20-30 minutes until tender. Check doneness by cutting a grain in half. It should be one color throughout the grain. Turn off heat and keep covered for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water. Fluff and serve.

TRICK IT OUT...

-Try it with apples, dried cranberries, and an apple cider vinaigrette

-Add chickpeas, green peas, salami & a Dijon vinaigrette

Quinoa

Quinoa is the superhero of grains. It is a complete food with twice the protein, less carbs then other cereal grains with a bonus gift of the right amount of healthy fats. Boo-yah!

Directions:

-Ignore what the packages say. Cook quinoa like a pasta, in a large amount of water, i.e. 1 cup of quinoa in 2 1/2 quarts of water = 3 cup yield. Add salt to taste after cooking.

Put quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until water runs clear, not cloudy. Quinoa has saponin which can leave a bitter, soapy taste if not rinsed first. Bring water to a boil. Add quinoa to boiling water and boil uncovered until there is no longer a white "dot" in the center of the grains, about 10-15 minutes. Taste for doneness. There should be a little crunch to it. Look to see if the little white comma-like threads have unfurled--a sign of doneness. Drain and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve warm or spread on baking sheet to cool for cold salads.

TRICK IT OUT...

-add dried blueberries, feta, arugula, red onion & almonds with olive oil and lemon juice

-add cilantro, corn, black beans, mango & avocado with lime juice and olive oil

-add currants, roasted butternut squash & pine nuts

Try a new grain this week, let me know if the two of you hit it off and in the comments share your ideas on how to trick them out.

For more recipes and info on whole grains, I highly recommend Lorna Sass' book Whole Grains: Everyday Every Way.

And by the way, all of these grains go with chicken.

Quinoa with pear-braised chicken, scallions & chile