Peaches 'n Cream...I mean Buttermilk

I can get overly zealous at the farmer's market, buying more than I need. Lately, I end up home with more stone fruit that I can handle...and I need a bit of a break from crisps and cobblers. This weekend's solution was a healthy buttermilk peach ice cream. The peaches and a touch of brown sugar are all the sweetness you need and the tanginess of the buttermilk is the perfect balance.

the method

6 ripe peaches

2 T. honey

1/4 C brown sugar

juice of half a lemon

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. almond extract

dash of cinnamon

2 C. buttermilk

peel and chop peaches. add everything except the buttermilk and puree. stir in buttermilk and put into ice cream machine. if you have a sweeter tooth, increase brown sugar to 1/2 C. and add up to 1/4 C. white sugar, as well.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Growing up the fourth was all about the Oregon coast: sandcastles, cracked crab, my brother's illegal fireworks and smores. Being the tradition purist that I am, it's curious that I don't head to the beach for a sandy picnic. But there's a difference between the Oregon and California coasts...a little thing called traffic. So last night we started a new tradition, staying in the canyon, for a 'picnic' on the porch. Amy gave in (thanks Amy) and used flags on the table as well as enough candles to mirror a fireworks display. She cleverly placed matches at each place setting so that we could keep our 'bonfire' lit in the breeze. I made a southern themed picnic featuring buttermilk fried chicken from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc cookbook. Ummm...kind of insane. And smores took the form of a pie. While tasty, my purist heart continues to prefer the classic. Why mess with perfection?

The Menu

moscow mules

cheddar penny crackers - spicy pickled green beans

oven baked potato chips

the buffet

ad hoc's buttermilk fried chicken

tomato and roasted corn salad with cornbread croutons

macaroni salad with pickles, peas and dill

vinegar coleslaw

peach cobbler

smores pie

Mexican Fiesta

My friend Courtney's recent visit was a great excuse to throw a Mexican dinner party and an easy solution to celebrating her new lifestyle: vegetarianism. I was so happy to finally have a reason to bust out my mismatched set of fiesta ware that I inherited from my grandma. Instant tables-scape (I hate to use a word coined by Sandra Lee, but is there an alternative?)! All of the elements were easy to prep ahead, and who doesn't like a taco bar, but I want to brag about a few especially impressive dishes. 1. Inspired by Rick Bayless, I made a jalapeno ginger Mexican Mojito. When isn't tequila better than rum? Special thanks to my stylish friend Chloe for helping me squeeze all of those limes! 2. Using a $9 bag of heirloom tomatoes, I made an especially delicious salsa. Worth it! And...drumroll please...3. I made cheese! This is a first for me, couldn't have been simpler and it's an excellent bragging right so try the recipe. Plus, fresh Mexican cheese isn't readily found everywhere (I'm not talking about here in LA but when traveling to lakes and what not) and this is a really easy solution. All in all, a very festive reunion!

The Menu

sizzling mexican ginger mojitos

heirloom tomato salsa - herby guacamole

tortilla, cucumber and radish chips

family style

grilled chipotle ceaser salad

chili relleno souffle

grilled corn on the cob with chili and lime

taco bar

drunken spicy black and pinto beans

roasted summer squash with oregano, caramelized red onion

fingerling potatoes with roasted anaheim peppers

fresh cheese

fresh mint tomatillo salsa - roasted tomato salsa - roasted tomatillo salsa

blue and corn tortillas

cinnamon flans

Welcome Home

Last night we had Amy and David over to celebrate David and Greg's return from a month in South Africa. Their trip was heavy on meat with a real lack of veggies so I focused on all things fresh and summery. I broke my rule that I always have a chocolate dessert for David Jones in order to conduct a cobbler experiment. Cobblers seem to be the dessert of choice for summer dinner parties so I tried two new recipes from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson. We were split on the verdict. Luckily, David brought me a stack of his chocolate chip cookies to satisfy my own chocolate cravings.

The Menu

sheep's cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes with basil

zucchini polenta cakes with creme fraiche and zucchini blossoms

saute of bacon, corn, cabbage, spring onions and porcini mushrooms

with sea scallops and brown butter vinaigrette

spicy mixed greens with cucumber and lemon vinaigrette

mixed berry cobbler with cornmeal biscuits

vs.

mixed berry slurry with buttermilk biscuits

Grilled Pizza Party

This really is heaven. Grilled pizzas are just sooooo good and they are another super easy summer entertaining idea. I kind of want it every night! I assembled all of my toppings and sauces ahead of time and grilled different combinations throughout the evening. I think I invented a new classic. My mom's go-to winter appetizer is roasted garlic with blue brie. We all go nuts for it. So for Father's Day I grilled a pizza topped with roasted garlic, brie, Rogue River blue cheese and caramelized red onions. Amazing. It couldn't be simpler. Roll out your dough to whatever size and shape you like, and throw it on the grill at around 350. Close the lid for a few minutes until the bottom of the dough turns a light golden brown. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil and flip the dough. Now you can put whatever sauce, toppings and cheese you want on the dough. Close the lid again and check in a few minutes until cheese melts and toppings are heated through. So easy and delicious. Next time I want to do a Nutella pizza for dessert.

The Menu

grilled asparagus

tomato, mozzarella, basil, vodka sauce pizza

morel mushrooms, thyme, ricotta, parmesan, pesto pizza

fennel salumi, mozzarella, basil, tomato sauce pizza

roasted garlic, caramelized red onion, brie, rogue river blue cheese pizza

tuscan melon with extra virgin olive oil and cracked pepper

affogatos with chocolate chip cookies