Summer

tomatogratin.jpgWhile looking for recipes for this week I kept getting drawn back to old cookbook from the 50s and 60s that I have in my collection. It seemed that baked and broiled tomatoes were all the rage but thinking of putting a beautiful heirloom into the oven and baking it until soft and mushy seemed to border on blasphemy. Oh no!

At the same time I cannot count the number of tomatoes I've eaten raw since June. I needed something different, something that was hearty enough to be a side or main dish.

This recipe, a tomato and zucchini gratin, seems to be the most basic thing ever. In fact, I made it from a conversation with Adam who actually created the same dish a few weeks ago during a packaging shoot. And it's right up my alley — a few ingredients, cheese, substantial enough to be an easy supper, and cheese. Did I say that already?

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cucumberavocadosoup.jpg Last Summer I spent my birthday up in the Napa valley. I stayed at a spa, went wine tasting and ate out, of course. It was sunny and relaxing and just a little bit indulgent. I had a terrific time and especially terrific meals, the highlight of which was a cool creamy soup at chef Douglas Keane's restaurant Market, in St. Helena.

Frankly the soup ingredients sounded like a spa treatment--yogurt, cucumber, avocado, was it a soup or a facial? Inspired to create my own version I gathered a whole bunch of fresh green ingredients and started experimenting. If your cold soup repertoire consists of gazpacho, try this one on for size. It's a great solution for dinner on a hot night, especially since it can be made in minutes and without heating up the kitchen. 

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sweetcornFresh corn on the cob just seems to be a summer tradition for most people. It’s so simple to do, but everyone I know seems to use a different method – grilled, steamed, boiled, microwaved.

When I was growing up, we picked fresh corn from the garden and it was thrown into a pot of boiling water, cooked briefly, stacked on a large platter, slathered with butter and placed in the center of the table.

It’s still my favorite method, although grilling is a close second. This recipe is pretty fool proof and brings out the natural sweetness of fresh corn.

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strawberryrhubarb1.jpgYou can’t eat rhubarb without strawberries. Sorry. That’s just the way it is. I don’t make the rules; somebody else does. In fact, June 9th has been designated National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day. Check your office calendar; you might actually have the day off.

Growing up on the East Coast, I remember going over my great aunt Pauline’s, where she grew rhubarb along the side of her house. I also remember eating it raw, and scrunching my face up in satisfaction at its impossibly tart flavor. I loved it as a kid, and I still love it as an adult (but not raw, thanks). Just writing about eating raw rhubarb makes my teeth ache (of course it might just be my new whitening toothpaste).

I also remember carrying home bundles of rhubarb that my mom would transform into mouth-watering desserts, of which my family’s favorite was strawberry-rhubarb pie.

 

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watermelondaiquiriLast weekend we found ourselves sipping on these. It's not like the weather was nice enough in any way, that it would have warranted having such a cool and refreshing cocktail. But the watermelon has been so sweet and I bought so many of those baby seedless ones at the store, I had to do something with them!

I've also always associated the daiquiri as being a frozen drink. However, after a little research, it's really the name for a family of cocktails whose main ingredients include rum, lime and sugar. Maybe I'm just feeling like I'm still on vacation in Florida, close to where the daiquiri became well known.

Story has it the daiquiri was invented by an American mining engineer who was in Cuba during the Spanish-American war. There is an iron mine in Cuba named daiquiri as well as a beach....hmmm, sounds like we have a connection. Miner...working in an iron mine...needs a drink after work...has only these ingredients in the pantry...proclaims it the daiquiri...shares it with all his friends...gains worldwide popularity? Are you feeling the connection?

Anyway, enjoy this drink, it was no nice to sip on!! This could also be made without the alcohol if you choose, making it a great option for any guests who might not be drinking. It would still taste great.

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