i’m so sorry i’ve been away from the blog for so long. after a very merry birthday, a bout of illness and some technical difficulties, cooking has been the last thing on my mind for the past few weeks. it didn’t help that the produce at the market for the last few months has been dominated by dark leafy greens, root vegetables and oranges – lots and lots of oranges. i had lost total interest in cooking, let alone posting.
but yesterday at the market, everything changed. summer squash had made it’s first appearance the week before. and the peas, green garlic and spring onions have been around for about a month already, but what got me absolutely thrilled was to see the summer fruits starting to show themselves. i scurried over to sweet tree farms to get myself some stone fruits – white peaches, apriums and cherries – and with just a bite or two and perhaps a few whiffs of fresh mint and basil, i was totally revitalizes. my mind began racing with recipes for all this fresh produce. so stay tuned!
heirlooms are back…and so am i!
i haven’t been posting much lately, not because i haven’t been cooking – i’ve been cooking like crazy. and not because i’m not taking pictures – i finally figured out how to use my other lens and these summer hours lend me many more hours of favorable light. and not because i don’t have recipes – i’ve written and shot several recipes that i’ve just been too lazy to post.
it’s easy to get caught up between my three jobs and grad school, but if there is one thing that can get me excited enough to post, it’s heirloom tomatoes.
the mere sight of these juicy beauties made me literally jump for joy when they finally appeared a little late in the season, after a long winter. the farmers i work for grow a wide variety of heirlooms which become the focus of the whole stand, overshadowing any summer squash, broccoli, eggplant, peppers or corn – also currently at their peaks.
i have customers do double takes at the colors as they walk by. some admit they are making the purchase just to bring it home to show someone, others pile bags full – enamored by the selection and unphased by the $3.50/lb price tag.
and besides questions about the names and subtle differences in flavors, i find myself most often answering, “what is an heirloom?”
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