Fresh Flavors of Summer

Cooking can be defined as:

"the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat"

(the Collaborative International Dictionary of English)

So I guess, then, that much of Summertime "cooking" isn't really cooking at all...a case in point...

A few simple ingredients can be coaxed into a tasty and satisfying dish without ever going near the stove...and isn't that great when it's over 90 or 100 degrees!

Here I started with a few tomatoes, one summer squash, some basil all from the garden as well as lemon vinaigrette and some burrata left from a small event I did over the weekend.

I like the results of treating squash this way...I slice it thin on a mandoline, lay it out flat and sprinkle on a small amount of kosher salt and wait about 15 minutes.  As it sits, the salt draws moisture from the squash that beads up on its surface...simply press paper towels onto the squash to remove it.  This accomplishes a few things...it seasons the squash all the way through, it gives it a pleasing texture that bends rather than snaps and it also concentrates the flavor by removing water.  This purging technique is an important step to some other preparations as well such as making pickles, raita (cucumber/yogurt sauce from India), eggplant (where it also extracts some of the inherent bitterness) etc...

The rest of this salad is simple...season everything (don't add any additonal salt to the squash) individually and assemble.

...the few early offerings from the garden...

...use a mandoline to slice the squash thinly and evenly...most professional cooks have a Benriner which is more practical and affordable than the larger more expensive French metal types...

...it doesn't take much salt do draw out a lot of moisture, and since the slices are so thin, any more than this would just amount to salty squash...no good...

...don't forget to season everything...here the cut tomatoes get salt, pepper and some good extra virgin olive oil...for this dish I prefer a fruitier version...nothing assertively peppery...

...the burrata gets the same salt/pepper/evoo treatment (be sure to remove the cheese from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature), then the assembled salad is drizzled with the lemon vinaigrette...

Now THAT is Summer on a plate!

Syrupy Goodness

I've been experimenting lately with desserts.  At the restaurant, there was the pastry chef, but now that I am out on my own, I'm working on my repertoire.  (I was lucky enough to have chef Yulanda Santos with me when I was at Calistoga Ranch...she is now pastry chef at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA...if you find yourself there, check out her desserts...they are as beautiful as they are delicious)


Here is a great technique that is equally at home in savory dishes (think foie gras, roast pork, duck confit...you get the idea) but here . . . a couple of sweet examples.


The basic technique flows like this...

• make a caramel
• add vinegar and reduce a bit to a syrup
• add spices, steep, remove
• add fruit and cook

Now, here are my variations for two fruits...

For the rhubarb, I made enough syrup so that the pieces could swim in it.  I cooked them on a super low flame, basically just wilting them, allowing them to cool in the syrup.  You can see how well they hold their shape.  As far as the spices, I used cinnamon stick, allspice and a cardomom pod.  For vinegar I used champagne vinegar.

I served the rhubarb with these "baby cakes" from Julia Child's "Baking with Julia".

For the cherries, I made just enough of the syrup to coat the bottom of the pan, and cooked them over a  higher flame, giving them a gentle, occasional toss.  As they cook, they add to the syrup by releasing their own natural juice.  Fresh cherries like these only need a couple of minutes...they will continue to soften as they cool, so err on the short side.  As for spices,  I think the cherries stand up to a more assertive mix and I went with cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves, star anise (VERY little) and black peppercorns.  I used red wine vinegar.

I served these cherries with panna cotta...I love Suzanne Goin's creme fraiche version from "Sunday Suppers at Lucques"

So obviously there are many variations on this idea as different fruits come into season.  Just think about how the spices and vinegars work with the fruit you are using (and the dish overall).   Also think about the balance of sugar to vinegar.  While a more acidic treatment might marry well with a fatty pork chop, it might be out of place in a dessert.  You could be tempted to omit the vinegar entirely for a dessert, but that can leave the dish cloyingly sweet...cooking is all about balance.


Soon santa rosa plums will be in the markets and I think I'll try those with lemon verbeena and champagne vinegar.