Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Food memories

yesterday was hot and humid so I decided on a simple salad for dinner. I boiled some baby new potatoes, bathed them in white wine and olive oil while still hot, and a little later sprinkled them with garlic chives and marjoram, an herb I keep potted on the deck. I think marjoram is underused, it's lovely in so many dishes. I then poached three small fillets of salmon -enough for lunch with a friend tomorrow. Next, fat spears of gorgeously green asparagus,peeled and cooked just till done. I had some sorrel in the herb bed that needed to be harvested, so I cut a bunch, plunged it into boiling water for thirty seconds, drained it thoroughly and blended it with some mayonnaise. The citrusy infusion was perfect over the salmon. I assembled this all on a white, oval plate and the pink of the salmon, the green vegetable and herb lavished potatoes made a most appealing presentation. I enjoyed my dinner on the deck just before the rainstorm, with fierce thunder and lightning, began.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

At last a weekend without rain - sunny and hot. Yesterday I got out to the garden early, harvested French Breakfast radishes and three heads of gorgeous, burgundy-leafed lettuce. I made up a bag of each for Scot, our mailman, a willing taster for anything I bake - I leave samples in the mailbox. He rang the bell and asked for ideas for the radishes, and I recommended spreading sweet, unsalted butter on thin slices of dark bread, and alternating bites of the bread and radishes. My pal. I weeded all morning, cut some roses and peonies from the lush garden which rain seems not to have harmed and Rachel, my daughter, called asking if I'd make pizza for dinner. An hour later she called again to say my grandson and his girlfriend wanted to come too, so that night I made two pizzas - I'd make the dough earlier and refrigerated it. The first pie was simply pained with olive oil, topped with thin slices of mozzarella and chevre and some grated Italian fontina, sprinkled it lightly with oregano and baked. Meanwhile I tossed some exquisite baby arugula I'd purchased from a local farmer with lemon juice and olive oil to put atop the slices. The next pie was topped with thin slices of red and yellow pepper and red onion and a few minutes before finishing I added a handful of butterflied shrimp and some roasted garlic slices. Too wonderful, not a crumb left. I hope the weather forecast is wrong, I find working in the garden an incredible stress reducer. Now, I'm going to settle down with a wonderful book, "Words In Air", the letters of Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop.