Fresh Tart

I hated applesauce as a kid.  (I realize how many blog posts I begin by mentioning a food I hated as a kid.  I do it to reassure you, and myself, that picky children often become enthusiastic cooks and eaters.  So hang in there if you're feeding the seemingly impossible.)

I hated its grainy, watery texture. I hated its unappetizing pinky-grey color.

I hated that it didn't taste like apple pie, which I loved.

And then I made homemade applesauce and like many things homemade, it blew my mind a little bit.  Smooth and almost creamy, thick and not-too sweet, scented with cinnamon and tasting fully of apples.  Like apple pie, in fact, warm and comforting.  Yes.

It's the only applesauce I'll eat.  Bonus: It's one of my son's favorite foods, especially alongside pork (in particular, no-fail barbecued ribs, tonight's din).

I feel like I'm cheating calling this a recipe, since it's nothing but apples, a splash of water, and cinnamon.

So I'll give you this rough outline, and then say this: Make some immediately.

For another twist on the pork & apple theme, check out the Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Apple Salsa recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago at the Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine blog.

Homemade Applesauce
Makes several cups

About 20 apples (I picked up two bags at the farmers market, one of Cortlands, one of Honey Crisps)
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Sugar (maybe, but you likely won't need it)

Peel, core, and slice apples, tossing them into a stock pot or Dutch oven as you go.  When all the apples are sliced, add water and cinnamon to pan and cover.  Bring to a simmer, turn heat to low, and stir occasionally, recovering, until apples break down into a thick sauce, about 20 minutes.  Taste applesauce and add 1-2 Tbsp. of sugar if needed (I didn't need to add sugar, but it does depend on 1) how sweet you like your applesauce, and 2) how sweet the apples are that you're using).  When the apples are dissolved, continue simmering over low heat, half-covered, sitrring occasionally, until sauce is quite thick, about 20-30 minutes.  Serve warm or cool.  Store remaining applesauce in the refrigerator for up to one week.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly.  It's no longer hot & humid in Minnesota - in fact, we turned on the heat this morning, brrr! - but there are still piles of fat, ripe tomatoes around, just perfect for making this addictive sauce.

Thanks to my seasonal pessimism, my counter-top is groaning with tomatoes.  Even as I complain about the humidity and grumble about watering parched flowers, I feel winter's death-grip closing in fast.  When you spend your formative winters in Grand Forks, North Dakota, you know of winter.  And you sure as heck appreciate summer tomatoes.

So if you, like I, have planted too many plants, or if you, like I, compulsively buy tomatoes from every produce stand you pass, then this sauce is for you.  I've never frozen it, because it's so good that we eat it all in one or two sittings.  If you make and freeze the sauce successfully, let me know.

This recipe is via the excellent blog Chez Pim.  It's a perfect tomato sauce, pared down to the essence of tomato.  It also takes only 15 minutes to make.  Roll up your sleeves and crush the tomatoes with your hands.  It's fun.

I tossed the sauce with pasta for the photo, which is completely delicious, but my truly favorite way to eat it is with good, crusty bread.  Tear off pieces, scoop up as much sauce as the bread will hold, close your eyes, and enjoy a huge bite of summer.  Or, take a note from Jamie Oliver and pour the sauce in a pan, nestle in mushroom caps filled with cheese, sprinkle with fresh herbs, and bake until the cheese melts.  However you eat the sauce - winter will just have to back off.

For a minute.

Fresh Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Chez Pim www.chezpim.com
Makes about 2 cups of sauce

2 lbs. fresh, ripe garden tomatoes
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped; or none at all
1/4 c. olive oil, you can use less or barely any at all
salt to taste
1/2 Tbsp. of balsamic or sherry vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

Put a large pot of water on to heat.  With a sharp knife, make a cross mark at the bottom of each tomato.  When water is hot, add the tomatoes and let sit for just a minute or so, until you can see the skin come a little loose at the cross mark.  Remove the tomatoes from the hot water and give them a quick rinse in cold water.  (You can leave the hot water in the pot if you're going to make pasta to go with the sauce.  Add salt, bring to a boil.)  With a small knife, peel the skins from the tomatoes - they should slide right off.  With the tip of the knife, cut around each green crown and remove it.

Over a medium bowl, squeeze the tomatoes, crushing the pulp with your fingers to break it up into small chunks.

Add olive oil and garlic to a large skillet.  Heat over medium heat until garlic just starts to sizzle, then add tomatoes (keep the bowl handy) and a big pinch of salt.  Cook for a few minutes, until you can see the pulp breaking down and releasing the juices.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the chunks of pulp and put it back in the bowl, leaving the juices in the pan.

Continue cooking the juices until they thicken and are no longer watery.  Add the pulp back to the pan, as well as the vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper (and a little more vinegar if you think it needs it).

It is so dark today (in Minnesota), I'm lucky I was able to take a recognizable photo.  Flash flood warnings abound, as apparently we're about to be deluged with days of cold, fall rain.

Good times.

To cheer myself up, I just add pork, to just about anything, and really, I feel better.  I made a big pan of Swiss chard for a dinner party last Friday night, with raisins, pine nuts, and...pancetta.  I bought an extra slice, knowing I could put it to good use somewhere this week.

Needless to say, when I started thinking about what to make for dinner tonight, all I could think about was that pancetta.  I decided that this round it would rock with roasted cauliflower.

I stirred in minced garlic, fresh thyme, and grated Parmesan cheese at the end for an extra boost of flavor.  I pretty much had this for dinner, crusty and rich, but it would be perfect tossed with pasta or alongside steaks or salmon as well.

I also enjoyed a glass of the lovely wine I received last night at the grand opening celebration for Surdyk's Wine Flights, a wine market & bar newly opened at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

Yes, John & I made our way out to the airport, and through security, to attend a party!  Really fun, especially to sample truly delicious food & wine (at an airport!) and to chat with food writers Crystal Grobe (Cafe Cyan, WCCO Bite of Minnesota), Maja Ingeman (Heavy Table), and Kate Sommers (Fork, Knife, and Spoon, Heavy Table, CityPages Foodography).

I arrived at the party several mintues later than John, stressing a bit that he wouldn't know anyone there...and discovered him happily chatting away, full plate of food and glass of wine in hand.

Next time you're at MSP, stop in for a pre- or post-flight glass of wine and snack.  Or even better - I'm a bit obsessed with this idea - buy yourself a baguette, gorgeous cheese, and a bottle of wine to enjoy on the plane.  A plane picnic!  How cool is that?

And oh, check out yet one more pork idea, the Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Apple Salsa I posted this week at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine.  The only thing better than pork is pork with apples.

Stay dry, friends!

Roasted Cauliflower with Pancetta, Garlic, & Parmesan
Serves 4

1 slice pancetta, 1/4-inch thick, cut into 1/4-inch dice (substitute bacon, if you like)
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a small skillet over medium-low heat, saute pancetta until evenly golden brown.  Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta to a paper towel, reserving drippings.

Place cauliflower florets in a large bowl.  Drizzle pancetta drippings over cauliflower, add olive oil, and toss to coat.  Add a generous sprinkle of coarse salt and toss again.  Spread cauliflower evenly on a baking sheet, making sure that all the cauliflower is touching the pan.  Place pan in oven and roast cauliflower for 15 minutes.  Turn florets and roast for another 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is nicely brown in spots.

While cauliflower roasts, stir together garlic, Parmesan cheese, and thyme in a small bowl. When cauliflower is done, sprinkle garlic/cheese mixture over cauliflower and stir.  Return to the oven for 2 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and cheese is just browning.  Season with additional salt if necessary, top with pancetta, and serve hot.

OK, I gave in, but just a teeny tiny bit.  I'm still grilling, but I was so chilly last night and today that somehow a chuck roast found its way into my grocery cart and lo, a pot roast was born.  We need some braising birth control around here stat - aka sunshine! warmth! - or I'm going completely over to the dark side of soups, stews, and all things slow-roasted.

In September.

This can't happen.

This honeymoon baby is pretty straightforward - browned, braised until falling apart, and finished with vegetables.  I added sherry to the pot, along with thyme, and finished the pan sauce with a little sour cream.  All completely recognizable, with perhaps a bit extra flavor.

There are three keys to a terrific pot roast: 1) season liberally with garlic and salt, 2) brown deeply and thoroughly before adding liquid, and 3) cook as low and slow as you can.

I've found that I can achieve the lowest, slowest braise in a 225 degree F oven, even with extra low burners on my cooktop.  I also like that it's out of sight, if not out of smell (what a fragrance!), and I tend to leave it alone for a solid three hours before I start poking at it.

When it's falling apart tender, it is not only irresistible...but also, of course, done.

Yes.

Pot Roast with Sherry, Onions, Thyme, & Sour Cream
Serves 6

3-4 lb. chuck roast
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into slivers
coarse salt
1 Tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, peeled, trimmed, quartered
1/2 c. dry sherry
1/2 c. chicken or beef broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 2x1/2-inch sticks
4 medium red potatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp. sour cream
freshly ground black pepper
handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.  Poke chuck roast in several places with a small sharp knife and press slivers of garlic into the holes.  Sprinkle coarse salt generously over roast.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add oil to pan and brown the roast thoroughly on all sides.  Remove roast to a large plate.  Add onion to the pan, sprinkle lightly with salt, and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Settle roast on top of onion, pour any accumulated juices into the pan, then pour in sherry and broth and add thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven.

Bake roast for 3 hours (make sure it's gently simmering; if not, increase heat a bit), until falling-apart tender.  Add carrots and potatoes to the pan and cook for another 30 minutes, until vegetables are just tender.  Remove roast and vegetables to a serving platter, cover loosely with foil, and transfer to a warm oven.  Skim fat from pan juices, remove bay leaf, and whisk in sour cream.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Slice roast, top roast and vegetables with fresh parsley, and serve with pan sauce.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine, plus I've written about this dish here before too.  What can I say?  It's one of my favorites.  I thought I'd better put it out there one last time before lovely cherry tomatoes say good-bye until next summer...

If you like tomatoes and bread - which of course you do - then you'll love this simple summer gratin.  Cherry tomatoes and bread are tossed with garlic, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and olive oil, then baked until the bread is crusty and the tomatoes are tender and just starting to burst.  I could sit down with the pan and call it dinner, but that's not very friendly, so instead I make a big salad and split it with my family.  It makes a terrific, easy dinner party dish, especially alongside grilled lamb chops or a whole roasted chicken.

If you manage to save a smidge for leftovers - and that's no small feat - the gratin is fantastic the next day, reheated until hot and crunchy and topped with a poached egg.  Add a shower of more fresh herbs, plenty of salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a killer brunch.

Cherry Tomato & Bread Gratin
Jacques Pepin
Serves 4

One 6-oz piece of day-old French baguette with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (although fresh bread works nicely too)
1 1/2 lbs. small cherry tomatoes
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly oil a 10-inch ceramic quiche dish.  In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the tomatoes, olive oil garlic, parsley, 1/2 c. Parmesan, and salt and pepper.  Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the bread cubes are browned and crisp and the tomatoes are very tender.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

I'm supposed to be preparing for a dinner party we're hosting this evening, so this post is going to be short-n-sweet!  Which is fine, since these quiches are short-n-sweet too, and really, what's to say about quiche?  Eggs + cheese = heaven.  There you go.

Oh wait, I do have one note of explanation: I love pie crust as much as the next person, but one of many great things about quiche is that the filling alone is so delicious - and satisfying - that it's damn tasty without the crust.  What a nice way to enjoy something pretty and even celebratory without sweating the calories.

Of course if you can't imagine quiche without the crust, absolutely include it.  The filling below nicely fills a pie shell, or a pie plate if you want to bake it crustless in one dish, or as I wrote it below, baked in 6 4-oz. ramekins (cool leftovers and chill; micro reheat).  Really, whatever you like best.

These quiches come together in about 15 minutes, which means dinner (or brunch) on the table in less than an hour. Tonight's dinner, on the other hand, requires a bit more effort, so I'd best get chopping!  If you're interested, I'm making steaks with herb butter, Swiss chard sauteed with pancetta, raisins, & pine nuts, roasted new potatoes, and light (eggless) chocolate puddings.

Crustless Spinach & Leek Quiches
Makes 6 individual quiches

4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use Neufchatel/light cream cheese)
1/4 c. milk
3 eggs
freshly grated nutmeg
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1 leek, white & pale green part only, halved lengthwise & sliced thin
1 5 oz. package fresh spinach
1/2 c. grated cheddar
1/4 c. grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease 6 4-oz. ramekins and set them on a baking sheet.

Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Slowly beat in milk, then eggs.  Add a few gratings of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. of salt, and a few grinds of pepper.  Set aside.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add butter and when it melts, stir in leeks.  Add a sprinkle of salt and saute leeks for 5 minutes, until softened.  Add spinach all at once, another light sprinkle of salt, and cover.   Let spinach steam for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.  Saute for another 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated.

Divide leek-spinach mixture among the 6 ramekins.  Top each with cheddar cheese.  Top with egg mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until eggs are set and golden brown on top.  Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

I'll just cut to the chase - there is no better way to eat leftovers than atop a chickpea flour pancake.  The pancake itself is so flavorful, it could breathe new life into almost any topping.  It also takes 3 minutes to make - chickpea flour, stirred with some water, fried in a tiny bit of olive oil, done.

Depending on what I'm topping it with, I might stir in a dash of seasoning, say curry powder or cumin.  But I often don't even bother.

Today's topping was a spoonful of leftover spaghetti meat sauce, sauteed with a handful of spinach.  After it landed on the pancake, I added a crumble of feta cheese.  It was, hands down, one of the best meals I've had all week.

You could add a spot of last night's pork roast, sliced thin and quickly sauteed with the two florets of stir-fried cauliflower sitting next to the milk.  That dash of curry might be really nice.  Include a spoonful of chutney and you'll forget your name for a minute.

Of course you don't need leftovers to enjoy a chickpea flour pancake.  Stir one up, fill it with cheese and a sprinkle of fresh thyme, fold it over quesadilla-style.  Nice.

Or - you know what I'm going to say next, because it's what I always say - top it with a fried egg.  Fry your egg in olive oil with a dash of smoked paprika.  Nestle the egg gently on the pancake, drizzle the reddish oil from the pan over the top, sprinkle with coarse salt.

I'm so having that for lunch tomorrow.

Chickpea Flour Pancake
Makes 1 pancake

Chickpea flour is gluten-free and low carbohydrate.  Find it in many grocery stores or online at Nuts Online or Amazon.

1 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. chickpea flour
2 Tbsp. water (perhaps a bit more)
pinch of salt

Heat olive oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.  While the pan heats, stir together the chickpea flour, water, and salt - the batter should be the consistency of thin pancake (or crepe) batter.  When the pan is hot, add the batter.  Swirl the pan so the batter covers the bottom of the pan.  Cook until set and a little browned at the edges, about 2 minutes.  Flip pancake and cook for another minute.  Serve hot.

This post was supposed to be about the lovely-sounding spinach custard that I made the other day...except that it failed miserably.  I had a feeling, as I put it in a 400-degree oven (as directed), that bad things were about to happen.  Custard and high heat usually mean a weeping, watery mess...

...and that's what I got.

It smelled divine.  It was gorgeously green as I cut into it.  And it was as wet as if I'd dumped water on it - or coffee, because that was the color of its tears, or my tears, who cares.  I ate a few bites and sadly threw the mess away.

So onward and upward and back to good ol'...eggplants!  Darling eggplants, the stars of summer 2010, as it's turning out.

I've been crazily buying eggplants at the farmers market these last few weeks.  Fresh eggplants are so tender and sweet, they pretty much blow away their grocery store counterparts (you know what I mean - dry and loaded with bitter seeds).  If you see them at the market, grab them while you still can.

You already know how much I love Eggplant Caviar, a staple in this house.  And simply grilled eggplant slices are perfectly delicious (brush slices with oil, sprinkle with salt, grill until tender, finish with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice).  But if cooler evenings have you in the mood for something a bit more substantial (clearly I am in this camp), check out the Ratatouille with a Poached Egg I posted at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly last week.

Or this version of Grilled Eggplant Parmesan.

A note of explanation: Traditional eggplant Parmesan is one of the most caloric dishes on the planet.  It's not the eggplant that's fattening - eggplant itself has very few calories.   It's the fact that eggplant is an oil-sucking sponge that makes it such a calorie bomb.  It helps enormously to salt and drain the eggplant first, eliminating some of its asborbency, but even still, you'd be amazed at how fast a few slices can drain a saute pan of oil.  Add breading, and cheese, and just watch...there it goes, jumping out of the casserole and onto the outside of one's thighs, quick as one can say, "Butt wait!"

Unless you grill the eggplant instead of frying it!  Grilled eggplant needs only a brush of oil and turns out just as deliciously as the fried version (see above).  And anyhow - the greatness of eggplant Parmesan is not in the frying of the eggplant, it's in the melting of (a modest amount of) cheese over tomato sauce, banishing all thoughts of that weeping green custard.  Right?

See if you agree.

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 6

2 lbs. eggplant, trimmed, peeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 24-oz. can Italian whole tomatoes
12 fresh sage leaves
1/2 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat grill.  Spread out 2 3-sheet sections of paper towels on the counter, layered on top of each other.  Lay eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle both sides of the eggplant lightly with salt.  Let sit for 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, set a a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add olive oil, then garlic, and saute until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add dried oregano and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Using your hands, crush tomatoes one at a time into the garlic.  When all of the tomatoes are crushed, add the remaining tomato sauce from the can as well.  Add 1 tsp. of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, then turn the heat down and simmer the sauce over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring a few times.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the sage leaves in an even layer.  Fry for about 30 seconds per side, turning with tongs, until lightly crisp.  Drain on a paper towel, reserving oil.

Lay another two layers of paper towels over the eggplant and press firmly to absorb the eggplant liquid.  Using the fried-sage oil, brush both sides of each eggplant slice with the oil, laying slices on a plate as you.  Grill the olive oil slices for 3-4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and tender.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To assemble the dish, spoon about 1 c. of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 10-inch tart pan (enough to cover the bottom).  Lay one layer eggplant slices in the sauce.  Top slices with a bit more sauce, then sprinkle half of the cheeses over the eggplant.  Distribute the sage leaves over the cheese.  Repeat with the remaining eggplant, more sauce, and the remaining cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and browning a bit in spots.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Serve hot.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine.  Tomato season is slowly winding down - enjoy this sandwich soon!

You probably don't need a recipe to make a club sandwich - toast, tomato, lettuce, turkey, bacon, mayo, done.  And yet...  Perhaps you haven't made a club sandwich on a grilled bun, smeared with creamy avocado instead of mayo, and let me say that if you haven't, you will be blown away when you take your first bite.  It's a bit magical how the hot/crispy bun and cool/creamy avocado play off each other while elevating the tomato, bacon, and turkey from tasty to sublime.

High praise for a simple little sandwich, I know, but if you don't trust me, trust my sister Stacey, who completely agreed with me.  We each bit into the two sandwiches you see pictured, simultaneously said, "Oh my God!" and then "Jinx!" and then wolfed the sandwiches down, raving the entire time.

So in the end, this is more of a suggestion than a recipe, as well as a reminder that this is a sandwich for right now, when tomatoes and avocadoes are at their best.  Make sure to use excellent hamburger buns (I picked up these beauties at Wuollet Bakery), and while you're at it, good turkey and bacon as well.  As is always true, the simpler the food, the better the ingredients need to be.

Crispy Club Sandwiches with Avocado
Makes 2 sandwiches

4 strips of thick-cut bacon
2 hamburger buns, split
olive oil
1/2 ripe avocado
2 oz. shaved turkey breast
1 garden-ripe tomato, sliced in thick slices
salt & freshly ground pepper

Cook the bacon however you like, but I have a suggestion if you're interested: Baking bacon on a rack lets the the bacon cook slowly while the fat drips away, resulting in the most evenly crisp and delicious bacon you've ever made.  It's also an easy, hands off way to make bacon for crowd, so keep it mind for when you have breakfast guests.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up).  Set two metal cookie racks on the baking sheet.  Lay the strips of bacon on the cookie racks and bake the bacon for 20-25 minutes, until bacon is crisp.  Carefully remove the pan from the oven.  You don't need to drain the bacon when it's done.

While the bacon cooks, lightly mash the avocado with a pinch of salt.

When the bacon is done, film a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Set the buns, cut side down, in the oil and toast until nicely golden brown.  While they're still hot, spread the bottom buns generously with avocado.  Lay slices of tomato on the avocado and sprinkle with a little salt and a grind of pepper.  Add the bacon strips, then the shaved turkey.  Finish with the top buns and serve immediately.

Happy Labor Day!  Are you stopping by for a little last-minute holiday cooking inspiration?  I have to confess that this day rather snuck up on me too - denial that summer is ending, I suppose.  If you're running to the market today, wanting to pull something festive together for later this evening, here are some quick-to-make ideas:

Pork Tenderloin Tacos, easy to pull together, fun to eat, great for a crowd
Souvlaki, more pork (as you know, I do love pork), packed with flavor and everyone's favorite, especially with copious amounts of grilled naan or pita bread
Perfect Burgers, topped with whatever your heart desires, nothing more to say
Summer Tomato Soup, since it's a bit chilly out there, alongside Grilled Corn - a meatless meal, straight from the farmers market
Grilled Steaks with Herb Butter feel decadent and celebratory, but are really easy and fast to make (shhh!)
Farmer's Market Potato Salad, substitute green beans for asparagus, enjoy the delicious basil vinaigrette for weeks on everything
Gazpacho with Poached Eggs Over Potato-Green Pepper Pancakes, my personal fave lazy-day meal of the season

And for dessert, Blueberry Kuchen, baby, The Dessert of Summer 2010! It's my dear friend Susie's recipe, and won the Kingfield Market Berry Bake-Off when I submitted it earlier this summer.  Substitute other fruit for blueberries (as my friend Kelli at I Had A Delicious Time beautifully did) if you like.  Plums, peaches, apples...just don't forget the whipped or ice cream to melt over the top, mmm.

No matter what you make or eat, enjoy the end of summer, friends. Here's to a lovely fall!