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.

How To Stay Cool

Summer approaches and the heat is already getting to me.

This is the time when all I can think about is fresh fruit, chilled soups, salads, and lots and lots of sorbet pops.



I bought the first saturn peaches of the season a few days ago. They are nature's candy, if you ask me. (I seem to say that about all fruit, don't I?). Soft, full of water, and sweet. We have been enjoying them sliced for breakfast every morning.

"Let's make an orange and peach smoothie" Jon asked. It hit the spot after we came back from a swim.




It has been so hot that I barely turn on the oven at home. We grilled outside and I made a few salads with ingredients from the farm.

The kids and I went to pick tomatoes at the farm early in the morning. I guided them on which ones to pick and they quickly got the hang of it. Even as early as nine in the morning, it was unbearable to stand out in the sun, and we left quickly, just after saying hello to the baby goats and chickens.



Back at home, we turned the tomatoes into a mid morning snack. Drizzle of olive oil, squeeze of lemon juice, and a touch of pink salt.

For lunch, a refreshing red lentil, salmon, radish, and fennel salad inspired by a recipe I had seen at Elle à Table.

"No dessert?" C. asked. "It's too hot to bake" I replied.

All I got was a look.



So I pulled out some mulberries from the freezer and made a quick batch of mulberry, millet and poppy seed cakes. And to take advantage that the oven was on, I ended up baking a galette with leftover tart dough from a recipe for the book, saturn peaches,and raspberries.



And summer is almost here.

Mulberry, Millet and Poppy Seed Cakes

Makes 18 cakes

1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/3 cup almond flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 Tbs tapioca starch
1 Tbs poppy seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/3 cup melted ghee
1/2 cup mulberries (mine were frozen)

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the first nine ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the rest of wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until incorporated. Fold in the mulberries.

Pour the batter into muffin molds lined with baking papers. bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Red Lentil, Salmon and Fennel Salad

Serves 4

1 cup red lentils, rinsed several times
8 ounces sockeye salmon
5 Tbs olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
Arugula
Watercress
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Place the lentils in a medium saucepan and cover them with cold water plus 1 inch. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover the pot, and cook the lentils for 8 minutes until they are al dente. Drain them and rinse them in cold water. Reserve.

In a medium saute pan, heat 1 Tbs of live oil over medium heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Place the salmon skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes. Turn it over and cook it for 1 to 2 minutes longer depending on the thickness. Turn onto a clean plate and let it cool. When cool enough to handle, flake it with a fork and reserve.

In a large bowl, toss together the red lentils, salmon, fennel, radishes and greens. Make a quick vinaigrette with the dijon, lemon juice and 1/4 cup olive oil. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well and serve in glass jars.

Roasted Tomato Tart, Rainier Cherries And Scenes From A Weekend

"The baby goats were born this morning" Robert texted me last Monday. We had just been to the farm with the kids a few days prior and we could see that the baby goat mamma Daisy was due any minute.

"We will stop by this weekend. I can't wait to see them" I texted back.



We had lots of plans for the weekend. It was C's 40th birthday after all and although he wanted to keep it quiet, we invited some friends over for dinner. We spent Sunday morning cooking and getting the house ready for our guests. C. even woke up at insane hours of the night to get his smoked brisket going. This man is obsessed with barbecue.



We planned a very relaxed summer menu. Just the way I like to eat. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Very similar to the summer parties we throw back home.

Our menus are always eclectic, but that seems to be what friends like about them. The unexpected, I suppose.

On my side I had planned to make a tortilla de patatas (a must have every time my friend Deena comes over). Also a fennel, zucchini and Rainier cherry salad, a roasted tomato and watercress tart, cherry and hazelnut gratin and chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. Not bad, I thought.



"I have to run to Robert and Paula's to get eggs for the tart and the tortilla before it's too late" I told C.

Jon was too busy playing with water balloons with the neighborhood kids, so I put Miren in the car and drove to the farm. I was excited for her to see the new babies, Peanut and Peabody.



It was early afternoon. The rain that had fallen the day before combined with the high temperatures made for a very humid day. The babies were hiding inside their crate while the rest of the animals found shelter under the trees. Not even the chickens wanted to come out. I didn't blame them.

Miren was mesmerized by the babies. Even at a week old they were playful around each other. What a beautiful sight.

We picked some tomatoes and purple peppers for the party. "They smell like they have already been roasted!" I told Robert.

Have you ever smelled purple pepper? So intense and smoky. I made the best salad with them the following day.



We came back home to finish cooking. Luckily the kids got to nap and rest before friends arrived, which always helps.

I managed to take a photo of the table with my phone.

A feast, no?



Roasted Tomato and Watercress Tart

Roasted Tomatoes

3 medium tomatoes (about 1 lb 4 oz or 560 g), sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
bunch of fresh thyme

Pre-heat oven to 300F.

Drizzle the bottom of a sheet pan with 1 Tbs of olive oil. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper on top. Lay the tomato slices on the pan. Drizzle the remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.

Bake the tomatoes for 1 1/2 hours or until soft but still hold their shape. Reserve.

Tart Crust

2/3 cup (90 g) superfine brown rice flour
1/3 cup (45 g) quinoa flour
1/4 cup (40 g) potato starch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp thyme leaves
8 Tbs (110 g) cold unsalted butter, diced (I used non hydrogenated shortening)
5-6 Tbs ice water

Combine the first six ingredients in the food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the diced and cold butter and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour into pea size pieces. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough comes together. It will not form a ball, just press it to see if it holds together. Add 1 Tbs of ice water if needed.

Transfer the dough t your work surface and press it together into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Dust your surface with superfine brown rice flour. Roll the dough to 1/8" thickness. Fill a 9" tart mold with the dough. Cut off excess dough. Chill the tart for another 30 minutes while preparing the filling.

Roasted Tomato and Watercress Filling

Bunch of fresh watercress, stems removed
Roasted tomatoes
2 eggs
1 Tbs plus 2 tsp cornstarch (12 g)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 oz mozzarella (I used the cheese substitute Daiya)


Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Fill the bottom of the chilled tart with the roasted tomatoes. Add the watercress on top.

In a bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the tomatoes.

Bake for 30 minutes or until tope is golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

What Basque Cooking Is About

It has been hot in South Florida this past few days, reminding us that the cool weather that I love so much is leaving us soon. Mornings are still cool, but temperatures soared into mid to high 80s during the day.

This is the peak of growing season. It was really noticeable when I visited Robert and Paula at their farm Sunday afternoon. I had to get my weekly eggs and say hello to the baby goats and chickens.

Their tomatoes were ripening, the squash were also ready to be harvested and all the herbs were flowering. All this warmth and abundance of produce put us in the summer spirit.



"What do you want to have for lunch?" mom asked after breakfast. You see, this is how it goes in our family. We finish one meal, clean up, and start thinking about the next one. Is this normal?

"Let's stop at Whole Foods after the farmers' market and see what kind of fish they have today" I told her.

When we arrived, we picked up a whole yellow-eyed snapper. Fresh as can be. "Why don't we make your fish soup? I would love that". We smiled and proceeded with local clams, mussels, and Key West pink shrimp. I was anxious to get home and start cooking.




While my mom was busy in the kitchen making the fish stock, prepping all the vegetables, and also cooking a batch of arroz con leche, Miren and I ate a bowl of heirloom cherry tomatoes with olive oil and sea salt.

We went outside to look at the flowering herbs and our wild strawberry plant. There is one ripe strawberry at the moment. I think I will wait one more day to pick it. There are some more ripening and there is such anticipation in the family. They are nature's candy for sure.




When we came back inside, dad took over baby watching duties. By the time I walked into the kitchen, mom had the arroz con leche cooling and the fish soup ready. "I'm waiting for you to take photos so I can add the fish into it!". She's amazing. So efficient. And well, me?... procrastinating.



But I did manage to make a quick galette with leftover dough from the book shoot. Tossed together strawberries, rhubarb, apple, sugar, and chamomile leaves to make a super simple filling. By the time I photographed the soup, the galette was ready.

"Mahaire!" I shouted to get my dad's attention who was still bird watching with Miren. Lunch was served.

And so when people ask me what Basque cooking is all about I say, "taking what is available and fresh, and preparing it as simply as possible". No big fuss. Knowing how to pick the best ingredients, how to smell the fish and look into their eyes to see how old it is... That is what Basque cooking is about.



All the credit for these dishes goes out to my mom who keeps us nourished and well fed during this crazy time for me. I'm not sure what I would do without her.

Eskerrik asko amatxu.