Corn on the cob is one of summer’s joys. Growing up in the Midwest, my family and I would spend our summers at a lake in Indiana. The farmers near the lake grew delicious sweet corn in the sandy soil. I remember coming in off the lake towards the end of the day, getting in the car with my mom, and heading to a nearby farm stand to pick up corn for dinner. Delicious! Continue reading
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I love these simple cucumber pickles. Throughout the summer cucumber season I keep a jar in the fridge. Traditionally, in Southeast Asia they are most often eaten with grilled meat and steamed rice, but I also enjoy these pickles with fish or vegetables. For a quick lunch, try them with scrambled eggs and rice. Making tacos for dinner? Add some of these pickles. Be bold and creative. Believe me, they go with almost anything. Continue reading
An assortment of cucumbers from the garden and the market
It’s that time again: cucumber season! Usually, one cucumber plant produces a plethora of cucumbers. What to do with them all? First, I’ll show you how to prep them, and soon I’ll follow up with my favorite recipe for quick cucumber pickles. Continue reading
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I love watermelon. I wait all year for the middle of summer when I can once again enjoy the taste of fresh, ripe watermelon. A hot late July or August day and a big, thick slice of chilled watermelon is heaven! Better yet, add some good friends to the scene and you have an invitation to share laughter and good times.
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I remember waiting and waiting for the first strawberries of the summer when I was a child. It seemed like forever before they arrived. But once they did, joyfully, there was an abundance! I spent many a summer morning eating bowls and bowls of fresh, fragrant, sweet strawberries. Strawberry shortcake is a true summer treat. In this recipe I use sweetened cream biscuits for the base of the shortcake, but shortcake can be made using a variety of cake/biscuit bases: angel food cake, pound cake, lady fingers, or commercially available dessert cups.
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Cream can be whipped into chantilly cream (left) or until it’s stiff and firm (right).
Nothing can replace the taste of freshly whipped cream. The recipe is so easy and the results so luscious, there’s no reason not to try it yourself. Your family and friends will definitely thank you for it!
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These shortcake biscuits are simple, slightly sweetened, cream biscuits. Very easy to make, they are a perfect base for strawberry shortcake. They do a great job of soaking up the lovely strawberry juices yet manage to hold their shape.
Salsa verde is extremely simple to make. The end result is a sauce with a distinctly flavorful punch. This example of an Italian green sauce is but one of many versions. Green sauces can be found in cuisines around the world: Italian pesto, Indian cilantro mint chutney, Mexican salsa verde…the list goes on.
Poaching is a simple but underutilized, moist heat cooking technique. I love salmon and chicken breasts cooked this way. Poached foods are cooked in a court-bouillon, a briefly boiled, lightly flavored liquid. In this recipe I use white wine, but you could substitute the wine with another acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. Continue reading
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The taste of this simple sauce of slightly sweetened, fresh strawberries transports me back to my childhood summers. In my memories, the berries are just picked and still sandy, the air is warm and humid, and my friends and I are barefoot and laughing. Ah summer! Continue reading
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