A Summer Lunch For Two

When I was a little girl, I loved day trips. Sometimes it was the beach, other times the countryside. I loved packing lunches and even then, I expected to have multiple courses and snacks to munch on throughout the day. In retrospect, I think food was actually the thing I looked forward to the most, more so than the destination itself.



A few days ago, as I was completely submerged in writing, I looked up at my computer screen. "It is 4 o'clock and I have not left the house all day!" I thought. Seems to happen often these days.

Kids arrived home shortly after. They craved my attention, but my mind was elsewhere. It is hard to come out of your head when you have been in it for so many hours, isn't it? I asked the babysitter to stay a bit longer and I decided to go for a run to clear my head.

I thought of those day trips and the outdoor lunches in the summer heat. Sometimes even on the side of the road, close to a stream, or under an oak tree. I remembered my dad cutting melon slices for all of us while my mom finished her lunch. An array of small plates and nibbles always followed by a tart or shortbread we took from our family's pastry shop.



The following day, I woke up knowing I still had lots of work to do, but thought it would be fun to prepare a quick meal Miren and I could eat outside. Partly for her, but mostly for me. Just to get a break and some fresh air.

We had ripe heirloom tomatoes that I blended into a gazpacho with cucumber, scallions, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of avocado oil. Toasted gluten-free bread, rubbed juicy tomato all over it, and topped it with shaved Idiazabal. Miren's favorite.

We also enjoyed a simple salad with greens, berries, and pan seared salmon. And for dessert, plum and currant crumble.

"One for you, one for me."





Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup

Serves 2

3 medium heirloom tomatoes, stem removed and diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
3 scallions, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
small bunch of oregano
2 sprigs thyme
salt pepper
avocado oil, to garnish
2 slices toasted bread
Idiazabal or Manchego cheese, shaved

Puree all ingredients in the blender and chill for 1 hour.

Serve with toasted bread rubbed with tomato and shaved Manchego cheese.

Salmon and Berry Salad

Serves 2

8 ounces wild-caught salmon (mine was Coho)
2 cup mixed greens (frisee, baby romaine, watercress, arugula, parsley...)
1/4 cup yellow raspberries
1/4 cup blackberries
1/4 cup red currants
1 scallion, sliced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for salmon
salt and pepper

In a small saute pan, cook the salmon for 2 minutes (depending on the thickness) with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Flip over and finish cooking for another 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a bowl, toss together the greens and all the berries.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Drizzle the vinaigrette over salad. Season with salt. Toss to combine and top with seared salmon pieces.

Red Plum, Currant, and Almond Crumble

Serves 4

1/2 cup (70 grams) superfine brown rice flour
3/4 cup (70 grams) almond meal
1/3 cup (70 grams) natural cane sugar
5 Tbs (70 grams) cold unsalted butter, diced
6 red plums, pit removed and sliced
1/4 cup red currants
1/4 cup white currants
1 Tbs natural cane sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400F (220C).

In the food processor, combine the first four ingredients and pulse until it forms a crumbly sand. Transfer to a bowl and chill until ready to use.

Toss the rest of ingredients in a bowl. Divide amongst 4 (8-ounce) bowls. Top with crumble.

Bake for 30 minutes until filling bubbling and crumble is golden.

The Colors of Summer with Tomato Crumble and White Peach, Lychee and Red Berry Pops

As I was saying...

I love summer. But mostly, I love the summers in cooler climates. I long for the crisp morning sun, afternoon naps with the windows wide open, just like I remember. I don't mind the heat, but I do need a break from it.

I am obsessed with all the reds, different ranges of blues, turquoise... The color of crushed berries and the ocean.



I took the day off from work one morning last week. I packed a picnic to take to the beach with the kids. Manchego and membrillo sandwiches, fresh cherries, and slices of olive oil cake. The beach was nearly empty and the skies threatened rain. Perfect really.

But it was also very, very hot. So hot that after an hour, Jon complained about it. "Can we go home now? It's just too hot amatxu!"

I couldn't agree more.



When we arrived home, we decided to just have our picnic under the tree behind our house. A quick one as the midday heat was still menacing.

I pulled out some savory crumble from the freezer and mixed it with black cherry tomatoes and sliced Brillat Savarin. Remember this heirloom tomato and almond crumble tart from last year? Something similar.

In 15 minutes we had tomato crumble, cheese sandwiches, and fresh cherries. As fast as we ate it, we were back inside.



The kids were running around in the kitchen. Restless. Jon chasing after Miren, always trying to get some kind of reaction from her. It was chaos and sometimes the only way I get to keep them quiet is by letting them help me cook.



"Bring your chair Jon" I asked him. He stood next to me as I was peeling the white peaches and the lychees. "I will help you with those red ones" he said. I don't think he had ever seen a lychee until that day and by the look on his face as he tried to peel one, he was not a fan.

"It will be good, I promise" I assured him.

We blended the peaches, lychees and yogurt to make some faux ice cream pops.



I don't think we left the air-conditioned house the rest of the afternoon. Lots of crayons, sheets and sheets of paper, a game or two of Go Fish, and some popsicles.

I suppose we are creating summer memories as is.



On another note, I am super excited to tell you about our feature in the new special summer issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. A party we threw at our friends Lena and Ted's house with lots of food, some fishing, and pool time. I styled it and it was beautifully photographed by the amazing John Kernick. I hope you have a chance to pick it up. It is full of wondeful summer stories.

Thank you!

White Peach, Lychee, and Raspberry Pops

Makes 8 popsicles

1 cup (125 g) raspberries
1/4 cup (50 g) natural cane sugar
2 white peaches, peeled, pit removed, and diced
6 fresh lychees, peeled and pit removed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup (50 g) caster sugar
1 1/2 cups (175 g) full-fat, Greek-style yogurt

Start by placing your molds in the freezer.

Cook the raspberries and cane sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and let it cool completely. Once cooled, pour in the popsicle molds coating the sides. Return molds to freezer.

In a blender, puree the white peaches, lychees, lemon juice, caster sugar, and yogurt. Pour in the popsicle molds and freeze until solid.

To serve, run hot water on the sides of the mold to help release the pops.

Mulberry and Rhubarb Crumb Cake

"Can I come and get some eggs?" I asked Robert early one morning. "Sure. I will have something for you when you get here" he replied.

I drive to their farm at least once a week these days. So many new recipes to test that I never seem to have enough eggs. It is also a great excuse to say hi to the goats and the chickens, as well as watching how the garden is growing.

"It is getting too hot" he explained. The brussels sprouts didn't make it, nor did the tiny wild strawberries.



But as I was getting ready to leave, he reached in the cooler and brought out this basket full of ripe mulberries. Deep purple, soft, sweet and as large as I have ever seen them.

A "whoa" escaped me. I was so excited. Hand picked the day before.

When I came home, I pulled out some frozen rhubarb and made a quick crumb cake before Jon got home from school. A sweet afternoon treat.

I wish I had someone to photograph my hands right after. Purple as can be.




I also wanted to remind you that this Thursday will be the last day to vote for Saveur's 2011 Best Food Blog Awards where one of my images was nominated for Best Food Photo.

Saveur also posted a very interesting timeline of the history of food blogs, where I was listed among amazing food bloggers.

Also, next week I will be speaking at this year's BlogHer Food Conference in Atlanta. Will you be attending?

Mulberry and Rhubarb Crumb Cakes

adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Makes a 9"x9" tart pan

6 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup superfine brown rice flour
1/4 cup quinoa flour
2 Tbs almond flour
2 Tbs potato starch


1/2 cup unsalted butter, room tempertaure
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup superfine brown rice flour
1/3 cup quinoa flour
2 Tbs almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups ripe mulberries
1 cup diced rhubarb

Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl until it forms a crumble. Chill it for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar together. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix and scrape the bowl well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the batter comes together.

Grease a 9"x9" square tart pan. Spread the cake batter evenly. Top the batter with the mulberries and rhubarb. Top the fruit with the chilled crumble (there might be some leftover crumble that you can freeze for another time).

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool, then cut it into 2 inch squares.

Spring & Its Tutti Frutti Crumble

It was about two months ago when I received a phone call from Loren, my uncle in law. Loren and Jan live in Wenatchee, Washington where they are surrounded by cherry and apple orchards. "I am going to send you a few cherry blossom branches" he said. "Cherry blossom branches? But how?".

A few days later a package arrived in the mail. Tightly wrapped and with very specific instructions, there were four cherry branches. "Cut the ends and place them in water. They will bloom in a few days".

And indeed they did. Tiny little white flowers that reminded me of the blossoming trees back home.



This little gesture planted a seed in my mind. I got excited about the idea of being able to see these trees in person. "We should take a trip while my parents are here and visit cherry blossoms. It would be a wonderful family vacation before they leave" I suggested to C.

I knew the kids would love it.

I really wanted to go visit Loren and Jan in Wenatchee, but a trip to Washington state was just not practical considering it takes a whole day to get there and back. "How about Washington DC?". And so we found the National Cherry Blossom Festival.



We spent last weekend there. at "George Washington CD" as J calls it.

I welcomed the wintery cold.

Beautiful flowering trees all around the Tidal Basin. Dad and I walked around the entire basin by ourselves. He had his arm around my shoulder just as he used to do when we were kids. I cherished every second of it.



Then back home, I dreamt of the wild poppies that grew in the field next to our school and blossoming apple trees.

I received my copy of Heidi's "Super Natural Cooking". I had been waiting so anxiously since I had pre-ordered it months ago. Beautiful as I expected and filled with recipes I want to cook and eat.

"Look at that crumble" I said to my mom as we were flipping through the book. Heidi's tutti frutti crumble filled with berries, oats and poppy seeds. I made a gluten and dairy free version on Saturday for our last dinner with my parents. It was delicious, light and the perfect way to put an end to a wonderful visit. I miss them already.



And then, I have to thank all of you for your kind words and excitement over the workshop in France this upcoming October. Stephanie is working on some additional details as we speak (she is in France at the moment!), and then, we will post a brief notice a few days prior to opening registration to the public.

Thank you and stay tuned!

Tutti Frutti Crumble

adapted from Heidi Swanson's "Super Natural Everyday"

1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 Tbs potato starch
2 Tbs poppy seeds
1/2 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted coconut oil (do not microwave it, melt it over water bath)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until it comes together. Divide the dough into three parts and form patties. Freeze them for 10 minutes.

1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
1 1/2 cups golden raspberries
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/3 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup Beaujolais

Toss the first five ingredients together in a bowl. Let the fruit macerate for 10 minutes. Add the wine and gently mix.

Transfer the filling to a 10" pie plate or divide it amongst individual ramekins. remove the crumble patties from the freezer and break them over the fruit leaving some chunkier pieces.

Bake at 375F until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Scenes From A Weekend With Pennyroyal, Purple Cauliflower and a Lemonade Stand

This was a warm, Spring-like weekend, filled with all sorts of eclectic food and outdoor activities.

I suppose you could say our weekends are always eclectic when it comes to food. A mix bag of styles and tastes, which was very apparent last Saturday night when we hosted a dinner party for some friends.



I like coherence in a meal. I look for flow and harmony of ingredients and courses, but it is not always easy when sharing a kitchen with others. I have come to accept that C. and I just have completely different backgrounds, palates and food references. I come from the land where spices are rarely used, where vegetables make an entree and whole fish is simply roasted with salt, garlic and olive oil. He, on the other hand, loves bold flavors, hearty meats, anything smothered and fried. Smothered seems a good way to describe it.

So eclectic it is.

But our friends love it. They love coming over and having tortilla, pisto and ensalada mixta followed by gooey ribs and jalapeno poppers. They just do. And so Saturday night we had all that.



And then we found pennyroyal.

I believe I had pennyroyal tea once as a teenager in London. Minty and pleasant, but I never even knew what it looked like until this weekend. My mom and I walked around the West Palm Beach farmers' market. Got our eggs, purple cauliflower, pink turnips, watercress, heirloom tomatoes and before leaving, we stopped by the herb guy to see if there was anything new. And there it was, a pennyroyal plant.

"It's used as an insect repellant", he said. "Really?", I replied remembering the tea I had drunk years earlier. As soon as we left his stand, I started researching this mysterious plant and its uses. As it turns out, he was right. Pennyroyal can be used as an insect repellant, prepared as an herbal tea, as well as a delicious ice cream. So exciting.




Mom and I decided to make a light purple cauliflower soup for lunch after the over-indulgent dinner party the night before. Leeks, garlic, pink turnips and purple cauliflower cooked in vegetable broth. Perfectly soothing.

For dessert, an apple, almond and pennyroyal-scented crumble with some of the apples our friend Hilda had brought the night before as a hostess gift. She never comes empty handed.



And so there it was. A weekend of superbowl food, some Basque fare, a new ingredient and the lemonade stand.

Oh yes, the lemonade stand. The one that our neighbor Stella runs on the weekends in front of our home. She is quite the entrepreneur and J. loves helping out.

Aren't they the cutest? We might be biased.

Apple, Almond and Pennyroyal Crumble

makes 4 servings

1/2 cup (70 grams) superfine brown rice flour
3/4 cup (70 grams) almond meal
1/3 cup (70 grams) natural cane sugar
1 Tbs pennyroyal or mint, chopped
5 Tbs (70 grams) cold unsalted butter diced
4 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 Tbs coconut palm sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp candied ginger, diced
1/4 cup apple juice
1 Tbs tsp pennyroyal or mint, chopped

In the food processor, combine the first five ingredients and pulse until it forms a crumbly sand. Transfer to a bowl and chill until ready to use.

Combine the rest of ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook for 5 minutes. Divide into 4 oven proof bowls and top with the crumble. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes until filling is bubbling and the crumble is golden.