One Last Bite of Summer

I can’t believe summer is quickly coming to an end! I’m not ready for it to be over. Living in California, I have delicious strawberries readily available year round, but for most of the year they are not the same deep red, juicy little nuggets of nectar they are during the summertime. To capitalize on the sweetness of summer before it is too late, I spent a lovely Sunday at my favorite farmers market and of course bought not one sweet basket of red jewels, but a big three-pack of them; I just could not help myself. I had strawberries on pancakes, I had strawberries with cream, and I had strawberries in my salad. With a ton of delicious berries left I thought what better way to say au revoir to summer than with strawberry ice cream!

I recently got R an ice cream maker for his birthday. Being fanatic connoisseurs of everyone’s favorite frozen dessert I thought it only fitting that we be fully equipped to whip up our favorite treat in the comfort of our own kitchen. Once the machine was out of the box we jumped at the opportunity to make ice cream. Our first attempt was to make a coconut ice cream. We prudently followed each step of the recipe, but the end result of our efforts was an icy mess. Never ones to give up, we soon tried again and this time with strawberry. Step by step, we precisely cut and stirred and mixed each ingredient. Alas, our frozen dessert again was less that perfect. Our first strawberry ice cream was too icy and the strawberry pieces too big. Weary and defeated we took a break from our ice cream making endeavors. We researched the process of ice cream making, comparing recipe after recipe. We questioned why something seemingly so simple could go so awry.

This time we did it right. The step that we missed before was letting the mixture cool overnight in the fridge before placing it into the ice cream machine. From the ice cream maker we let our cold confection rest for a few hours in the freezer, and voila! It was ready.

The ice cream was creamy, firm, and sweet. It was perfection. One last bite of sweetness and the summer is over. Now I’m ready to celebrate the beginning of September and the coming of fall.

Perfect Strawberry:

1 1/2 lbs. fresh ripe strawberries (washed, dried, stemmed, and quartered)

1 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Toss the strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar and let them macerate for 1 hour.

Then, put the strawberries and their juices into a food processor and puree.

In a medium bowl add the cream, milk, remaining sugar, and strawberry puree and blend.

Let the mix chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Pour the mix into an ice cream maker, add the lemon juice and process according to your machines instructions.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Enjoy!

Weekend By The Sea

We decided to escape the sweltering LA heat and drive up the beautiful California coast for the weekend. Our destination: the cool breezes and pristine vistas of the Monterey Peninsula. It was a weekend full of walks on the beach, crashing waves, leisurely drives, and heirloom tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes somehow found their way into many of our meals. They were sweet, firm and memorable.

On our first night in Carmel, we stumbled upon La Bicyclette, a small, quaint, and charming French bistro. The restaurant had a prefix menu that was seasonal, simple and affordable. Our first course was a local heirloom tomato salad with arugula, garlic confit and a balsamic reduction. It was so good I almost forgot to take a picture of it. The tomatoes were fresh and lightly kissed by the balsamic reduction. The garlic confit was so tender it almost melted with each bite. A perfect start to an all-together inspiring meal.

The following night we dined in Monterey at Passionfish Restaurant. While studying our menu for a starter we were immediately drawn to the heirloom salad with fried mozzarella. We questioned having heirloom tomatoes two nights in a row but could not resist. These heirlooms were not as sweet and laid under a bed of tender field greens. They were different in their presentation, but just as appetizing.

Before leaving our weekend oasis we purchased some local heirloom tomatoes. When we got back home to our LA apartment we made our own heirloom tomato salad: the tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt and touch of balsamic vinegar. Heirloom tomatoes and a trip to the sea- two reasons why I love summer!

Picnic City

It seems that everyone in Los Angeles is packing a picnic this summer. There is a plethora of picnic friendly places and events popping up all over town. Los Angeles has become a venerable picnic city.

I used to only associate packing a picnic in the summertime with the Hollywood Bowl. Being a native Angeleno, when summer rolls around I have always frequented the Bowl. I love the novelty of packing up delectable treats for my friends and I to slowly savor at our seats while enjoying the performances and the sun setting overhead. This year I am venturing out and packing more picnics, but not just for the Hollywood Bowl.

Yesterday I enjoyed a perfect evening of indulgence at Barnsdall Park. Each Friday during the summer, Silverlake Wine holds a tasting. On this particular Friday, the place was packed. The wine was crisp and refreshing, the picnic perfection, and the sun sparkling off the Hollyhock House enchanting.

For my picnic at Barnsdall Park I made a roasted shrimp and orzo salad, a minty cucumber yogurt dip with crunchy pita chips and a fresh fruit salad. Packed carefully in my tote and spread across our little blanket we enjoyed a brilliant summer evening.

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo (serving for 3):

* recipe modified from Barefoot Contessa

• Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• Olive Oil
• 1/2 pound of orzo pasta
• 1/2 cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cups minced scallions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cups chopped flat leaf parsley
• 3 persian cucumbers, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• small wedge of fresh feta, diced

Diced onion, dill, parsley, cucmbers and set aside. Mix lemon juice with a pince of salt pepper and a tablespoon of oliveoil.

Cook orzo in a pot of salted boiling water 9-11 minutes. While the orzo is cooking toss shrimp in EVOO, salt and pepper and place on a baking dish and roast for 5-6 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees.

When the orzo is cooked and strained pour lemon juice with EVOO over pasta. Toss the hot pasta with the roasted shrimp and the diced onion, dill, parsley and cucumbers. Allow the flavors combine for an hour. Salt and pepper the dish to taste. Add feta before serving.

For picnics at the Hollywood Bowl I usually turn to Joan’s on Third to do the work for me. The daily selection of fresh deli salads and entrees are always the ideal picnic food. My favorites are the lightly breaded chicken Milanese or the poached salmon topped with toybox tomatoes, garlic, and basil. I usually accompany an entrée with either Israeli couscous with mushrooms and parsley, crunchy sweet Szechwan green beans, or baby beets with goat cheese and walnuts. Any choice from Joan’s many salad offerings is always delicious. Also not to be missed is the selection of cupcakes, cookies, and bars. My favorites are the chocolate coconut cupcake and the strawberry cream puff – a light pillow of sweetness! Joan’s on Third is a one-stop shop for a perfectly packed picnic.

Where to go when you pack a picnic:

• Hollywood Bowl (any night of the week)
• Hollywood Forever Cemetary (saturday night screenings)
• LACMA (friday night jazz)
• Barnsdall Park (friday night Silverlake wine tasting/ fri & sat free Shakespeare in the park)
• Griffith Park (any leisurly daytime)
• Grand Performances, California Plaza Downtown (fri & sat evenings, sun afternoons)
• Pershing Square Downtown (wed-sun evening live music, films, events)
• Descanso Gardens Pasadena (check calendar for dates, evening of symphonies)
• Warner Center Park Woodland Hills (family friendly sat evenings movie screenings and concerts sun evenings)