Joy of Sharing Food

We get to experience unusually long, extended summers here in Southern California.  And one of the biggest joys (at least for me), is to share whatever harvest results from these hottest days, with close friends and family.  This summer, though, proved particularly difficult, with several tomato plants decimated by bugs and pests, and elements failing to come together just in time. Still, as with anything, you just pick back up again, and plant more seeds!

In the midst of the next growth period, I decided to have some friends over, with the intention of featuring at least 2 fresh ingredients from the garden.  With 2 baby watermelons already ripened I assembled a little appetizer using feta cheese, watermelon, and mint.  I paired this up with a vodka I infused overnight, with watermelon and mint (To tease the palate).  To follow the theme, I created "Caprese" skewers, (mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil), and paired these up with a citrus/basil infused vodka, again, as a palate-opener.

Garden herbs were also highlighted in my Mediterranean-inspired salads. I was able to harvest a couple handfuls of mature long green beans, and created a green bean, potato, and egg salad, with a Dijon grain mustard dressing.  I did a similar dressing (but using regular dijon mustard), in my lentil and garbanzo salad, which featured fresh thyme.

The centerpiece course (not photographed here), was a baked, herbed salmon, using chopped garlic, diced tomatoes, and bunches upon bunches of chopped cilantro.

Vodkas infused with fruits and herbs, prepared a day ahead (the longer they infuse, the stronger the essences)

Green bean, potato, and egg salad with grain Dijon dressing.

Orzo salad, with feta, sun dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives.

No middle-eastern girl's party is complete without a hummus!

Everyone enjoying a good time!

Delusions and Infusions

In the past week alone, we have experienced record breaking heat in Southern California, with temps hitting upwards of 108F in the valleys and inland areas. Short of losing one's mind, laughter becomes essential, whether delusional or not. And new forms of experimentation strike, like fresh new uses for your garden herbs.

Here I was at once inspired by using vodka as my base, and various combinations of herbs and produce, to create 3 different kinds of infused vodka. The taste test, however,

will need to wait till the weekend!

Stay cool, my friends....

Small Sunday Harvest

Sometimes we get so caught up in quantity, living in a world of bottom lines, that we forget the beauty involved in how things grow, and quality of what is harvested. Here is a small but lovely yield on a hot Southern California Sunday.

Green beans, okra, bell pepper, and some thyme.