A simple purslane salad recipe with smoky grilled corn and an avocado dressing.
now in season: tomatoes + a simple tabbouleh
I spent most of my childhood in suburban Virginia and I have a lot of vague and dreamy memories of my backyard–a strawberry patch, a plastic horse on springs, a crabapple tree, sweet plums, a swingset, and tomatoes. I don’t remember the tomato plants but I remember the tomatoes themselves–big red beauties, sliced and served with a pinch of salt at dinner. Perfect peak flavor, homegrown and picked at just the right moment; this was summer. [Read more…]
now in season: fennel
Also now in season: everything. But let’s begin humbly, with fennel.
The flavor and texture of fennel is like the perfect combination of a crisp, sweet apple, and celery. With a little anise thrown in. I like young fennel raw, sliced paper thin and tossed with nearly anything. We’ve served it shaved with Asiago and a lemony vinaigrette, as a light summer slaw, and it’s even added that je ne sais quoi to a summery potato salad. Fennel is fresh and fragrant, and even if you don’t showcase it in a summer side, it supports and carries flavor beautifully. [Read more…]
now in season: purslane
Purslane is a funny thing. Eating it feels a lot like munching the ground cover out of a southern California yard, and with good reason–purslane is a succulent. It’s also a weed, and rivals mint in its ability to take over a garden. Once you know what to look for, you’ll notice the stuff growing in cracks and crevices all over the urban landscape. And in spite of its strange genus and ubiquitous nature, purslane is sought-after for its light, lemony tang, and robust, nearly meaty, leaves (which happen to be an ideal vehicle for weightier summer favorites like tomatoes or stone fruits). It’s is the perfect base for a satisfying summer salad, and the hearty leaves can handle plenty of vinegar, salt, garlic, and even a quick saute or pickle. [Read more…]
blueberry slab pie
One Fourth of July long ago, I was holding a sparkler and running. Obviously, that was a bad idea, but I was five and kind of prone to bad ideas. As you might imagine, I tripped, fell on my face, and extinguished the sparkler with my torso. I was left with a sparkler-shaped scar on my lower abdomen, and not an ounce of remorse over the event. But, of my many nerdy pastimes, fire safety still looms large. That said, this Fourth––weather, humidity, and local laws permitting––I hope you will don some safety glasses, and set off some serious fireworks. It’s what George Washington would want you to do. Just please don’t run with anything actually aflame, OK? [Read more…]