June Fruits and Veggies


I found a batch of wild poppies in an alley behind my house this weekend.
I never cease to be surprised by what's hiding in the neighborhood!


My Fruit CSA with Wayward Seed Farms has finally started (yay!), and my first delivery was 3 quarts of some of the most gorgeous strawberries I've ever seen:


I froze some, turned some into a strawberry vinaigrette (pureed strawberries, fig balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, a little sugar, garlic, and oil), and put some into a strawberry tart for my dad for Father's Day:

The pastry cream recipe is from the Cook's Illustrated New Best Recipe Cookbook. I received it as a gift for my birthday one year, and it is a staple in my kitchen. I find it's a great resource for ideas when you're looking at a random ingredient and not sure how you want to use it. Also, they've done tons of leg work and have figured out the best methods and ingredients for making almost every classic/basic dish out there.

Also, I harvested my first batch of Rainbow Swiss chard this weekend and chopped, blanched, and froze it for future use. Quite colorful for a "green," n'est ce pas?

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