Summer Goals Achieved!

I've never been a huge fan of cold soups.  But I live in Florida now.  I want to have lunch options in the dog days of summer that 1) don't involve heat from the oven or stovetop and 2) are icy cold.  (I'm choosing not to talk about the fact that I might be experiencing some temperature fluctuations due to my stage of womanhood.)

I studied a few gazpacho recipes and decided to try one.  I loaded up my blender with tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, jalapeno, red onion, basil, some sherry vinegar and crossed my fingers.

I loved it!  I added a bit more jalapeno for some heat and topped it with diced cucumber and more basil.  It was summer in a bowl and so refreshing for someone who desperately needed a cool down.

Speaking of basil, I bought a few bouquets of it and made big batches of pesto this summer.  I loved being able dip into it whenever I needed to pep up a dish.  I drizzled it on my morning eggs.  I stirred it into my lunchtime orzo along with some peas and parmesan.  I dropped it by the spoonful on pizza and tossed it with green beans or spinach.

Yes, two photos of pesto.  It just makes me so happy.  I'm going to have to make more after I finish writing this post.

Another new dish I tried was a stovetop shrimp boil.  All I had to buy was the shrimp.  Cobs of corn are a given in the summertime and I always have potatoes, lemons, garlic, and Old Bay on hand.  This version of a shrimp boil was a one pot meal with easy prep that we devoured.

I halved the shrimp boil recipe in case it didn't work or we didn't love it, so I had more shrimp for another dinner.  I cooked a few pieces of bacon in a skillet, added corn kernels straight from the cob, a tiny bit of jalapeno pepper, and the shrimp.  I garnished it with basil and scallions.  Another big hit!

Summer Food Goals

Does anyone else get summer fever at the supermarket this time of year?

I admire the photos my gardening friends share on social media.  June, July, August, they proudly share the bounty they've grown in their backyards or in community gardens.

When I had a yard, the most I could manage was herbs.  Born without a green thumb, I was fiercely proud of those herbs.  During the Michigan summers and falls, I could grab my kitchen shears and walk outside to gather fresh herbs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  In October, I'd try to harvest sage, rosemary, and thyme to use at Thanksgiving, just in case an early frost decided to land.

My culinary life bloomed in Michigan.  That's where I met and married G.  My mom lived an hour away on five acres of land.  For the first time in her life, she had raised bed gardens where she grew tomatoes, peppers, lettuces.  Those lettuces!  I'd never seen so many different kinds.  That was my favorite crop to to collect and take home with me.  I loved the tender leaves of oakleaf and red sails, the different colors of loose leaf baby lettuce.  All of a sudden, my salads had character!  Mom even grew kohlrabi, a vegetable that's still kind of a mystery to me now.

In Michigan, I started taking cooking classes.  I earned my culinary degree and worked at a farm-to-table kitchen.  Visiting farmers' markets became a frequent pastime.

We moved to San Francisco where I was lucky to be able to walk to the farmers' market at the Ferry Building on Saturday's.  I volunteered there and helped pick and prep vegetables and herbs for cooking demos.  After my work was done, I'd visit the stalls to do some grocery shopping and pick a pastry for my walk home by the bay.

The farmers' markets in Chicago were small, but mighty.  Now that I think about it, I could walk to the markets there too.  Was that a subconscious prerequisite for choosing a neighborhood?  The Chicago markets had excellent produce, a lot of it grown in Michigan, a stand or two with donuts or artisan bread, and great coffee.

Nowadays, I find my summer produce at the grocery store.  I'm still learning the in's and out's of Florida farmers' markets.  I look forward to the dishes that have become tradition in the summer months.  I have my usual stand-by's.  A stellar BLT when tomatoes arrive.  Daily Caprese salads when tomatoes arrive.  Summer fruit for ice cream and homemade popsicles.

Drum roll, please for this year's summer food goals:

• Attempt gazpacho.
• Make copious amounts of pesto.
• Try a stovetop shrimp boil.
• Choose something nostalgic to make from our childhoods.
• Use tomatoes galore!

Pandemic Birthday

Well, we've all had at least one of these by now, right?

G spoiled me this year as I turned, ahem, well, let's just keep that to myself.

He ordered a cake from a local bakery that knocked my socks off.  Here's a little sample.