Last Sunday was a Northern Michigan PERFECT summer day, a warm and sunny Sunday. I spent the morning in the garden harvesting a bounty of fresh produce and the afternoon by the water reading a great book and jumping in the cool, blue lake. Truly, it couldn’t have been a more perfect day.
Heirloom tomatoes are beautiful, colorful gorgeous fruits. They make salads brighter and bolder. These heirloom varieties also have a historical context too, as their seeds have been passed down through several generations. Preserving their diverse varying colors and incredible flavor.
Summer is a beautiful time that I absolutely cherish, especially living in Northern Michigan. The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining and there is plenty of fresh produce to be found. My summer weekends are often packed with activity on the water and in the sun. Its the simple things that make my weekend special. A 9 Bean Rows croissant and Higher Grounds Coffee while at the Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. An early morning run with my dog when the weather is still cool and the sun is rising. The calm, fresh water on my skin… simple, yet it means everything.
Chocolate cravings are practically a daily occurrence in my household; replaced only by a craving for ice cream or fresh fruit pies, but nonetheless sugar. I can’t help it, the sweet tooth is simply deeply rooted in my bones and I can only ignore it when I having nothing in my pantry, freezer or refrigerator to relieve my craving. However this craving usually persists for a few days and then I head straight to a recipe book to bake up a sweet treat. I’m always looking for creative ways to bake “healthier” and when another GIANT zucchini grew up quickly in my backyard garden my first thought was Chocolate!..Zucchini!… Zucchini Brownies!
It doesn’t get much better than a Northern Michigan summer. In July and August there is no where else I’d rather be. The fresh water lakes, gorgeous beaches and plentiful barbecues keep me tied to the shoreline snacking on fresh fruit until my fingers (and inevitably my white skirt) are died a deep red or purplish hue. I cant get enough of the fresh fruit scene you’ll find at local farmers markets this time of year. From blackberries, tart cherries, peaches, blueberries, raspberries and more, I’ll stuff my belly and my freezer to the brim.
Its truly summertime and salads have been on my mind a lot lately. Its not just because this is swimsuit season, but rather the available local produce is growing and my salads are becoming more colorful and flavorful by the minute. In my opinion, salads (and most dishes for that matter) turn from good to better when you can keep these two factors in mind: Color & Texture.
If you haven’t jumped in the water yet this summer, do it. If your response is “but its too cold!”.. Suck it up. Seriously, and get your feet wet.
Simple.
After a long work day, I dream of the word simple. A dish with few ingredients and one that takes only minutes to prepare. Dinner, in this case, was a gathering of laid-back ladies; Myself, my boyfriends mother Susan and her dear friend Tracey. We spent the late afternoon drinking red wine and discussing how to make a new house into a new home. Both Tracey and I are recent new homeowners and thus the topics of discussion ranged from paint colors and shag carpets to our love of woodstoves.
I love blueberry muffins. To me blueberries have the perfect level of sweetness balanced by tart flavor. It makes my morning breakfast special and yet I’m not queasy afterward due to a nutrient-hollow, calorie-filled sugar bomb (however I do love a good frosted cinnamon roll every once in awhile). As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, baking is a skill and art form in which I am not particularly well versed. Its a form of edible chemistry that results in an incredibly delicious product, ONLY if you follow a very particular equation. Lately I’ve been very intrigued by these equations and I’ve enjoyed the trial and error, success and failure that comes along with it. This particular recipe, for blueberry lemon muffins was one of my latest successes.
’tis the sweet spring season for Wild Leeks! Their garlic scent and spring onion flavor are a true sign of the season, and I’ve been really looking forward to foraging some of my own now that the weather is beautiful. It truly takes every ounce of self-discipline I have, on days like these, to keep myself indoors and productive during the 9-5 work day. Luckily for me, my boss is a sweet, kind 70 year-old active man who loves and encourages an afternoon walk through the forests in our “backyard.” So on Monday afternoon during my beautiful afternoon excursion, I brought along a butterknife & went foraging.
