comfort

On an overcast, cool and windy night comfort food was required. I roasted a chicken on a bed of pineapple sage and lemon verbena leaves, surrounded it with black garlic with its wonderfully complex flavor, potatoes from my friend's garden, carrots, big shallots and turnips. I poured some white wine and chicken stock into the pan and roasted it till the skin was crisp, the flesh tender and the aromas wafted through the house. A simple green salad completed this utterly satisfying meal. And, a couple of nights ago I used up the last of my green figs. I toasted in a saute pan, in olive oil, some fresh bread crumbs and when they were browned and crisp I emptied them into a bowl and browned some pine nuts in the same pan, and they, too, went into the bowl. After adding more oil to the pan, I gently softened some chopped garlic, then added the quartered figs and cooked them on a low flame, turning them from time to time. Meanwhile I cooked some fettuccine, and when the pasta had finished cooking I drained it, saving some of the water to finish the dish. I strew some lemon zest and fresh rosemary over the figs, tossed them with the paste, added a bit of lemon juice, then topped the dish with the crumb-pine nut mix and a generous showering of parmesan. I ate this marvelous dish with enormous gusto and unseemly self-congratulations.

figs and dates

A trip to the mideastern grocery to buy from the new crop of walnuts, and then I was unable to resist the bin of soft, plump fresh dates. So, today I made a date chutney, very lightly spiced with curry and red pepper, and cooked with tawny port and red wine vinegar,brown sugar and salt and peppe. Absolutely delicious, it'll be perfect on a cheese platter or served with roasted fowl. As will the fresh fig conserve I cooked up, with fresh thyme and orange zest. Tomorrow I'll use the remaining green mission figs in a fettucine dish enhanced with cream and freshly grated parmesan. I also harvested the remaining tarragon in my herb garden and made a tarragon pesto, wonderful on salmon and most any baked,roasted or broiled fish.

bounty from a friends' garden

Gary, my food-obsessed friend and his wife, charlotte, dropped in with overflowing boxes of potatoes, tomatoes, baby leeks,corn and watermelon from their garden. As if that weren't enough Gary had been fishing in Florida,so that night I sauteed the freshest, most delicate mahi mahi I'd ever eaten.I prepared it simply, finishing it off with capers,white wine and, of course, butter. So good. The tomatoes made a lovely end-of -summer sauce and I have plans for a leek tart.Tonight my niece arrives from Texas, and we'll have chicken paprikash, buttered parsley and garlic egg noodles and broad beans cooked gently in tomatoes and onion. We'll begin the meal with a caesar salad - no dessert, we'll probably indulge in ice cream later in the evening.

chipotle chili

In the mood for a bowl of chili,I decided on one of my favorites, chili with chipotle and chocolate. I coated a saute pan lightly with vegetable oil and over medium-high heat sauteed diced onion, sweet red pepper, garlic and ground turkey until the turkey was browned and the vegetable tender. I added brown sugar,chile powder,cocoa,ground cumin,salt and pepper,diced tomatoes with their juices, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce low salt chicken broth. I simmered this till it thickened slightly then added some good unsweetened chocolate,stirring it to melt the chocolate. I enjoyed this hugely over rice and topped with sour cream. If only I'd had some cornbread!!

dishes for the freezer

humid,rainy weather with no possibility of working in the garden - a perfect opportunity to spend some time in the kitchen. Every year during peach season I make a favorite; curried chicken with peaches. I browned chicken pieces in a combination of vegetable oil and unsalted butter. When the chicken was crisp on the outside I removed the pieces and cooked till soft and tender thinly sliced onion and garlic,then added curry powder,cinnamon, ginger and flour. I cooked this briefly, then added chicken stock and brought it to the boil.stirring constantly. When it thickened I added salt and mango chutney. I returned the chicken to the pan, covered the pan and simmered for forty minutes. When done I added a bit of lemon juice and some thick slices of marvelously juicy and flavorful white peaches. When cooled I divided it into containers for the freezer to be served to friends a couple of weeks from now. I'll accompany the dish with white rice, chutney, cucumber raita and green beans with shallots. A gewurtztraniner or dry riesling will be perfect.

Monsoon Dinner

Last night, dining alone, I regaled myself with a surprising little salad - manageable chunks of a lare green tomato, two plump and succulent calimyrna figs, also chunked, a showering of the tiny leaves of piccolo mundo basil ,salt and pepper, some lovely meyer lemon olive oil and a bit of balsamic. Wow - gorgeous to look upon, refreshing and delicious, just the thing on a night of pounding rain and unrelenting wind.

a late-summer dinner

Dinner for five last evening.We started with drinks on the deck and a lazy susan serving up a selection of cheeses and clusters of red grapes. After an hour of easy conversation we proceeded to the dining room, where, on antique green glass plates perched piedmontese peppers - red pepper halves stuffed with coarsely chopped tomatoes, fresh from the garden. I added minced anchovies, baby basil leaves, paper thin slices of garlic and a generous grind of black pepper. A drizzle of olive oil and into the oven for a half hour. I then added some roasted red onion slices, a few black olives and a bit of a basil and olive oil emulsion. Beautiful to behold, and delicious. This was followed by tuscan chicken, the butterflied birds having marinated overnight in a heady mix of lemon zest, rosemary.garlic and olive oil. My daughter the grillmeister did a perfect job, and I served the succulent chicken with a creamy corn pudding and fat asparagus spears topped with nothing by gray salt. Dessert was a white peach tart, the peaches glistening and slightly caramelized with their brushing of home-made peach preserves.