Fresh Tart

Mmm, tomato soup, so comforting and so incredibly easy to make from scratch, blowing the condensed version away.  We eat it often, different variations.  I often make a quick, brothy version for lunch, stirring in spinach or broccoli or whatever veggies sound good.  There's always delicious pappa el pomodoro (tomato and bread soup), quick to make, yet thick and luscious.  And tonight's version, a Michael Chiarello classic, with lightly roasted tomatoes and aromatic vegetables, simmered together and pureed with a bit of cream.  I grilled bread to float in the soup and that, my friends, was dinner.  (Note: I find this recipe really serves two people, not four, especially if one of them is a hungry guy.  Named John.  I also skip the butter and use half the cream - or less - with great result.)

Baseball, steaks, naan, and um, Volkswagen? Not quite as catchy (or kitschy) as the old Chevrolet jingle but the sentiment, while not pure Americana, is the same - man, there is nothing like a sunny summer's day, ahhh. We caught some actual heat today, which meant real pool time for Nathan and John, a long, sweaty walk for me, and some grilled goodies for us all. And then, to cap off the day, an evening baseball game. What a perfect night for a game! And Nathan's team came from behind to win! Just a lovely, fun end to the weekend. I hear it's going to rain again this week so I'm extra thrilled to steal one of these beautiful days.

So, as for the steaks - I grilled a top sirloin, one of my favorite cuts. On the leaner side, but juicy and full of flavor, particularly good on the grill. Although in my mind it needs nothing more than a generous sprinkle of Kosher salt before hitting the heat, top sirloin takes nicely to a marinade or generous rub of crushed garlic and spices - steak tacos, anyone? Oh yeah!

And because grilled bread in any form is one of the most delicious things on the planet, I grabbed some naan at Whole Foods, rubbed it with a bit of olive oil, gave it a light sprinkle ofsalt, and grilled until smokin' hot and soft. Soooo good. Works great with pita as well. And of course thick slices of baguette or other crusty bread is The Kill. With soup, or salad, or alongside grilled steaks, chicken, or fish - makes the meal, and that's not an exaggeration.

Now...I'm beat, guess I'm not much used to the heat. The plan is to sleep like a rock and move on into Monday... Happy June! And oh, Happy 50th Anniversary to my in-laws Dot & John - 50 years, my friends, incredibly impressive. Can't wait to celebrate in just a few short weeks!

Here we are, Little League baseball season once again, the third time since I started this blog - time flies, eh?! I have to say, it feels good to be back in the fresh air and warm sun, eating a little dust, catching up with the Baseball Moms (outside of McCoys, ha), and watching my nephew Cooper Cuteness running all over the place, thinking he's ready to play some ball. "I want to go in there!" says Cooper, age just-2, pointing over the fence at the Big Boys, the cool ones, the ones hitting and throwing the ball as hard as they possibly can... Eeek!

We had a game yesterday too, an appetizer of sorts before the dinner I made for Dad, Susanna, Stacey, Cooper, John, and Nathan. We all ended up here by four or so, in time for Jake (my parents' dog) to take the inaugural '08 swim in the pool (splash!), while I pulled together some (real) appetizers and Cooper and Nathan ran around chasing Jake. We vegged out - literally - with sauteed artichokes and roasted asparagus, followed by a first course of thin fresh pasta with favas and morels (hey, what can I say, 'tis the season) and a dab of creme fraiche. Oh, don't worry, we beefed up plenty - a whole beef tenderloin roast, rubbed with minced garlic, herbs, olive oil, and coarse salt, grilled crusty and served over slices of grilled bread with sauteed cherry tomatoes, spring onions, and Brussels sprouts. With zabligione for dessert, oy we were stuffed, daring to ring in spring with a truly spring-y meal.

Today, due to a lovely, sunny visit with my friend Kathie, I actually achieved sun rash, itchy and bumpy and...completely welcome. Hey, I'll take any sun at this point, especially on Kathie's pretty patio, especially in comparison to gray clouds and snow. Rash on!

Moderate it: roasted vegetables make delicious - and not overly heavy - appetizers. The goal is to set out a nibble, not fill everyone up before dinner.

Two down, one to go! Woo hooooo, we are party central again this weekend! Friday night we were invited to dinner by a family at Nathan's new school. So fun - cool people, lovely home, great kids, and delicious wine and food. Salmon, fresh herbs and vegetables, a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil, all wrapped up in foil and passed over the grill. We opened up the individual packets to find perfectly moist and fragrant fish, with lovely juices that flowed handily over to the pile of rice waiting patiently on the other side of the plate. Yum. I baked and brought a Cherry Tart with Almond Crust, with fresh cherries as well as fresh peaches and blueberries. Good stuff.

Then yesterday, another pool-and-wine party with Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius (Rudy and Ana are in the Hamptons, poor souls, ha). Sooooo fun, a gorgeous, hot day, perfect for floating and sipping. And eating! Stu and Debbie brought two Turley wines, in honor of our Napa trip (and stay at Larry Turley's home), both delicious. In the pool we drank the white, a 2003 The White Coat, a rich blend, quite golden and delicious. With dinner we drank a 2004 Lodi Zinfandel, from the Dogtown Vineyard (not the one we overlooked), fantastic. Tasted just like Napa, sigh.

After a quick shower, it was time to get some food on! I started by grilling bread for a quick appetizer, served alongside hard salami, roasted peppers, and olive tapenade from the deli. For a first course I made a red cabbage salad - red cabbage sauteed until wilted and then tossed with crispy bacon and a warm shallot dressing and topped with a warm, breaded goat-cheese medallion. Crunchy, creamy, salty, gorgeous - all the good stuff (recipe in comments, below). And for dinner I grilled a couple racks of lamb chops, cut into two-chop pieces before smearing them with a mixture of minced garlic, mint, oregano, rosemary, and tarragon (the herbs on my deck) bound with a bit of olive oil. Alongside I grilled Potatoes on the Grill, or more accurately, La Finca Veggies and Potatoes on the Grill, because I threw in carrots, fennel, green pepper, and onion, all from my veggie share this week. For dessert I had baked a Lemon Picnic Cake (lemon cake soaked in lemon icing, yum; recipe in comments, below), withwhipped cream and raspberry sauce. Uff, we were stuffed as we chatted in the dark, watching the pool lights shimmer eerily off the trees, while Nathan took a pre-bedtime dip.

So! Now it's Sun-day, and time for a Baseball Moms and Players Swimming Party! Another hot sunny day, perfect for grillin' some 'dogs, eating lots of salty chips and appetizers, drinking ice cold beer, munching on cookies and bars, and chatting the afternoon/evening away while the boys raise hell in the pool. Yeah, baby!

I try to make fish or seafood at least once a week. Good to get those Omega 3s, plus the variety of choices offers delicious meals that are light on calories. The kids love shrimp...but not much else. Sigh. So if I've got a hankering for un-shrimp, I'll make it on a night when it's just John and me for dinner. Like tonight. I bought a lovely piece of halibut today, thinking I'd make a quick brothy soup. Something French-ish, with tarragon, and little cubes of potato, and a handful of peas. Which would have been great, but when I set out to actually prepare it I changed my mind and went for some lusty Italian heat, baby, to match today's weather. White wine, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and lots of garlic. Ladled over a slice of crusty grilled bread - absolutely delicious, light yet filling, and on the table in 15 minutes. Good combo, huh? (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Here's a lovely, simple summer's "meal," fresh and light and perfect for eating outside. Grilled bread. Yep, grilled bread, warm, crusty/chewy, a little garlicky/salty, ready to be topped with any number of tasties, or served floating in a bowl of simple soup. Or with nothing at all, of course, it's that good.

Buy a loaf of good Italian country bread, one with a thick crust and dense, chewy interior. Slice it 3/4-inch thick and lay the slices out on a baking sheet. Brush (or drizzle) both sides of each slice lightly with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill on a medium-hot grill for a few minutes on each side, enough to toast it a bit but not dry it out. As soon as the slices come off the grill, rub each with a halved garlic clove. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and voila, heavenly grilled bread. Serve alongside a simple salad of arugula tossed with shaved parm, vinaigrette, and a little salt and pepper, and a plate of deli goodies like thin slices of imported salami, roasted red peppers, cheeses, and olive tapenade. (Insert any other favorite spreads/vegetables/meats, they'd all be delicious accompaniments.) Thread a few skewers of cherry tomatoes to grill alongside the bread - brush them with a bit of the same olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, and grill until starting to brown and pop open. Killer on warm bread, yeah. Or, even easier, if they're in season, go for slices of perfectly ripe garden tomato - it'll put the stale, over-played bruschetta we've all had a million times to shame. Summer on a plate, my friends, summer on a plate. Absolutely enjoy outside, with a glass of wine - toast me as you say ahhhhh... Cheers!