Archive for 'summer'
SCRATCH SUPPER: PASTA WITH SUMMER SQUASHES, WALNUTS, AND PESTO
Hey, I don’t have much time this week, but I have to share this crate of zucchini and crookneck yellow summer squash with you because it made me laugh. The zucchini are fat, glossy, and complacent—one might think they’re well aware of their come-hither appeal. The crooknecks, on the other hand, look like they want […]
Posted: September 2nd, 2015 under cookbooks, people + places, recipes, scratch supper, summer.
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RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS: CREAMLESS CREAMY CORN WITH FRESH CHIVES
“People have tried and they have tried, but sex is not better than sweet corn.” —Garrison Keillor Sweet corn is one of America’s great icons of summer. Harvested when the ears are tightly jacketed in green leaves and the kernels are plump with milky-looking juice, it’s piled high at roadside farm stands, and odds are you’ll […]
Posted: August 5th, 2015 under cookbooks, Gourmet magazine, people + places, Recipe for Happiness, recipes, summer, vegetarian.
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BEACH EATS
Early in the morning, the water looks like a sheet of mercury glass. Being not exactly cool, but not hot, either, it’s an excellent time to walk the beach and think about—well, supper. It’s hours away, but still. Time rolls into itself when you are on vacation, and when a houseful of people need to be fed, […]
Posted: July 21st, 2015 under cooking, people + places, summer.
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HIP POCKET RECIPE: BLUEBERRY PUDDING CAKE
These days, my former Gourmet colleagues are spread far and wide, but no matter—when we connect, we always seem to pick up pretty much where we left off. We’re still family, in other words, sharing everything from life’s tragedies and triumphs to—no surprise here—recipes old and new. The other day, I was reminded of the […]
Posted: June 30th, 2015 under baking, Gourmet magazine, people + places, recipes, summer.
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HOT BISCUITS & BLACKBERRY BUTTER
Compound butters—butter creamed with different flavorings—may be old-fashioned, but they are versatile as all get out—think of them as instant sauces that add finesse and another layer of flavor to very simple food. A classic French maître d’hôtel butter (softened butter mashed with chopped parsley and a little lemon juice and zest) ennobles just about anything, especially a […]
Posted: August 19th, 2014 under baking, people + places, recipes, summer.
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STRAWBERRIES WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND BROWN SUGAR
They weren’t the most perfect-looking strawberries in the world, and truth is, some were a little overripe. Still, it was the end of the day, and I was amazed the farm stand had any left. Plus, after a few hot, sunny days in the field, they smelled like summer—and just what was needed after a supper that was going […]
Posted: July 8th, 2014 under people + places, recipes, summer.
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FAST-TRACKING CHICKEN SALAD
Aside from the “fiesta” or “Oriental” versions found at some chain restaurants, chicken salad has pretty much been relegated to the Nostalgia Department: suitable fare for tearooms (of the Woman’s Exchange variety and otherwise), drug-store lunch counters (here’s a marvelous Lewis Hine image), and southern porch suppers, circa 1955. I don’t know why. I suppose people […]
Posted: June 10th, 2014 under cooking, people + places, recipes, restaurants, summer.
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BLUEBERRY TIME
I never developed a true appreciation for blueberries until about 20 years ago, when I spent summer weekends knocking around the New England coast. It was there I had my first taste of the small, intensely flavored wild ones, and soon carried a small plastic pail tied to my knapsack as a matter of course. […]
Posted: August 6th, 2013 under cooking, people + places, recipes, summer.
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PIE CHERRIES
You can never go overboard when buying sour cherries—what my grandmothers would have called pie cherries. Their season is ephemeral, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. So this July, I’ve been buying quarts and quarts. (Quick market tip: Cherries are always sold ripe; green, pliable stems signify freshness.) We’ve enjoyed some of my haul in […]
Posted: July 30th, 2013 under baking, cooking, pantry, summer.
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ON THE ROAD, OFF THE GRID, IN THE SURF
And how. Happy Fourth, and see you in a few weeks. Meanwhile, poke around in the archives if so inclined. You will find summer squash, a Cool ‘o the Evening cocktail, the localest shrimp, what to do with an extravagance of sour cherries, and more. Personally, I am long overdue for a root-beer float and my first taste of […]
Posted: July 2nd, 2013 under food, summer.
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