I tossed and turned thinking about this post last night. There are so many things to share and so many stories to tell. The short version is, I spent the weekend at the Big Summer Potluck, met a million fantastic, warm, funny, inspiring and talented bloggers, had a great time (delighted to be away from my girls for a little bit), and got inspired. Also, today is my birthday.
Brooklyn Supper began as a way to share the food my husband Brian and I loved. We were connected to the food community, felt like we were a pretty big time deal in the kitchen, and wanted to immerse ourselves in the world of seasonal eating. Why seasonal? For this suburban girl who never had a garden and only a few times visited farms, it’s a revelation. At last I’m connected to the earth that nourishes my food, and the farmers who pick it. The food we eat is bursting with vibrant flavor. It’s sincere and real, and sometimes in life, those qualities are hard to come by.
And what about you? What do you think about all this? I’d start by wishing me a happy birthday–it’s the polite thing to do. But after that, I’d really like to know what you think about seasonal food. Is it difficult to pull off? Do I seem snobby with my vital flavors and all that? Let’s talk. Brooklyn Supper has opened the door to countless opportunities for me, from my writing on Babble, to other gigs, and even last week, my image was featured here. But I owe all this to you–for showing up, reading, trying recipes. So get in touch. I’d really like to hear from you.
And then, go get some stone fruit, drizzle with honey, and roast it up. Revel in the ease of late July–the fall will be here before we know it.
Roasted Nectarines with Cardamom-Infused Honey and Greek Yogurt
serves 3
3 perfectly ripe nectarines
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon finely-ground cardamom (I use just the seeds and pulverize them with my mortar and pestle–but you can use pre-ground or give them a spin in the coffee grinder)
1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Pulverize or grind the cardamom seeds to a fine powder, and stir into the honey. Set aside.
Wash and dry the fruit, halve, and remove the pit. Spread on a baking sheet (you may want to spray with a touch of cooking oil to prevent sticking). Drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of honey per half. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the honey is bubbling vigorously in the center of the fruit, and the edges have browned just a bit.
Serve warm, two halves per plate, with a big dollop of yogurt and a generous drizzle of honey.
Happy Birthday! I think cooking with local, seasonal ingredients is simple because truly fresh produce doesn’t need much to taste great. Getting to the farmers market every Saturday and resisting the urge to order pizza on a stressed out weeknight is a whole “nother” story. Congrats on Gourmet Live and these baked nectarines look gorgeous.
Hi Dorie, It’s so true about seasonal ingredients, they have so much more flavor. I feel like many of us have forgotten what things *should* taste like (tomatoes, I’m looking st you). And, that stressed out weeknight thing happens here too. I say, c’est la vie.
Happy, happy birthday! I agree with you about eating seasonally. I’ve paid closer attention to the seasons the last few years and I am a happier, healthier person for it. It might seem like “more work” to educate yourself, but a CSA is a wonderful way to support local farms and have in-season food. It also pushes me to be more creative in the kitchen. The roasted nectarines and spiced honey sound wonderful!
Thanks Nicole! I so agree – eating seasonally can force you out of your kitchen comfort zone in a big way.
First, happy birthday!
Second, I loved, loved, loved meeting you this weekend at BSP. You are a gem.
Thanks so much! And it was a pleasure to meet you too Merry Jennifer!
Yum! Absolutely mouthwatering…
Thanks Samantha!
Happy birthday! It was so so great to meet you! I’m totally down for future Brooklyn Potluck events.
Emily! It was wonderful to meet you too! And we need to have a Brooklyn brunch–that would be really fun.
Happy Birthday to you! We eat seasonally here. I am in love with my farmers market. During the summer months we buy all our vegetables and fruits from local farms and only by pantry stuff from the grocery. Love this recipe by the way, it looks fabulous!
Thanks Meri! I love your family’s summer routine, we try to stick to a similar regimen.
Happy birthday, somewhat late. Just did the Purslane with grilled corn and avocado dressing…yum. My family loved it. I didn’t have purslane, so I used greens from my garden. And I want to try these nectarines tonight yet.
Love your approach to eating. Fresh, seasonal and full of yum. That is what we aim for in this house, although seasonal is a challenge, as we live in northern British Columbia and anything worth eating seems to be available in only one and a half months during our short summer.
I came to this site through a search for sour cherry ice cream, my next project. And I immediately put you on my top ten favorite sites. Thanks for being here.
Hi Heather, Thanks so much for sharing your recipe feedback. I’m already grumpy about New York’s seemingly short growing season–your sounds like it would really make seasonal eating a challenge. We are so glad you like the blog–thanks for reading.
Happy birthday. We’re the nectarines “cake”? I found your site on Fine Cooking. I have made their mango lasso parfait and I’m crazy for cardamom. I am curious if I can infuse honey by cooking pods in it. Do you have any other favorites that use cardamom? I’m looking forward to reading your blog.
Hi Linda, For this recipe, we simply roasted fresh nectarines. For the honey you can grind the whole cardamom pods in a grinder or split them, remove the seeds and then grind those. As for cardamom recipes, I love it in this tea recipe: http://brooklynsupper.com/2013/01/keeping-warm-spiced-ginger-lemon-tea/ Thanks for commenting!
First, a belated (but sincere) Happy Birthday.
And, in answer to your query, you are absolutely right to “connect” with seasonal foods grown locally. First of all, don’t you sort of love the rush of anticipation, full enjoyment and then fond remembrance that comes with linking in to the availability of foods in their own good time? And doesn’t it also rather influence a nice “menu rotation” all by itself? We joined a CSA and I can tell you it’s like getting gifts all year round…..keeps us aware of the cycle of the seasons and inspires us to “make an effort” to get the most from this bounty – even if that means the simplest of preparations with the least alteration to what is so profoundly “good” about a particular ingredient. I hope the battering that Williamsburg has taken from Sandy and the recent blizzard will help all of us be more aware of our world and I hope, in particular, that you and your family are doing well….Thanks for your blog
Hi Vonna, Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I so agree that seasonal eating is a wonderful way to make our way through the year, and the simple eating that comes along with peak produce. Thanks also for your kind wishes for our family, we are all doing well this year – I hope the same goes for you and yours.