Grilled seafood at Paggi House

Events, Featured, Restaurants 3 Responses »
Sep 022010

Paggi House Executive Chef Shane Stark holding a plate of just-off-the-grill Texas Gulf shrimp.

Last night I was invited to Paggi House for a preview of Executive Chef Shane Stark’s new patio night dinner series, Grillin’ & Chillin’. The idea is genius: taking advantage of undoubtedly one of the  best patios in the city, chef Shane will step out of the kitchen and fire up the grill instead. Diners can visit with him “grillside” as he prepares three-to-five course seafood-centered menus made with the freshest selection of fish, shrimp, and crab  from Roberto San Miguel of San Miguel Seafood, cold water oysters from the Eastern Seaboard, and seasonal fruits and vegetables sourced by Farm to Table.  Expect cold beer and wine on the warm nights, blankets and heaters on the cold ones. Best of all, these fun affairs will be offered for $25 to $35 per person.

Aside from being massively talented in the kitchen, Shane is an affable, laid-back kind of guy so this is perfectly suited for him. “Our Fall supper club series will celebrate cooler temperatures as the Austin community indulges in local fare,” he says. “We’ll share Gulf seafood at an approachable price and serve it straight off the grill. After weeks of over 100 degree weather, I’m looking forward to kicking back on the patio with the friends of Paggi House.”
Last night started with a cocktail from one of my favorite bar craftsman in town, Jeff Boley. Knowing my predilection for savory and spicy cocktails, he welcomed me up his latest creation, cachaça blended with pineapple juice, a dash of bitters and Sriracha sauce, served up with a salted rim.  I sipped on that while I watched Shane get ready for action. He served us some house-made pickles of carrot, green beans, summer squash, perfectly crunchy okra, and shishito peppers to nibble on. A man after my own heart.

Killer homemade pickles

Next came his new creation, fresh mozzarella grilled over cedar planks topped with marinated grape tomatoes. His inspiration was baked brie, and he was planning on grilling it, but “there are so many great tomatoes right now that I thought why not mozzarella instead,” he told me. It was incredible, just melted enough to smear on crostini, but firm and fresh textured. Hijole!

Cedar plank grilled mozzarella with marinated grape tomatoes

Next, oysters Rockefeller topped with Absinthe whipped cream, and freshly shucked with mignonette:

Mmmmmmm.....OOOOOOOYSTERS

Noticing the oysters on my plate, the most perceptive and knowledgeable Chris McFall, Paggi’s sommelier, came bearing an offering of 100% mourverdre rose from Bandol.  Sweet nectar!  He also had a nice selection of bubbles, and an Italian chardonnay and malvasia blend.  He also told me that in the afternoon he had tasted wines with Maynard James Kennan. I was sick.

Yes, please

The shrimp were cooked to absolute perfection, sweet and juicy with just the right amount of smoke. Dude…

Next, whole red snappers that must have been swimming that morning, I swear. Just drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with garlic, lemon, salt and pepper:

Here’s when I quit taking pictures and concentrated on eating.  The fish was incredible, served drizzled with a bit of smoked tomato vinaigrette. There was a grilled ratatouille and herbed potatoes as side dishes. After Shane got comfortable, more things came out of the kitchen and onto the grill: snow crab legs and peaches which he served with homemade ice cream.

Now that you are totally jealous and hungry, grab the phone and make reservations. The series starts on September 15th, and for your further reading, I have included the menus from the press release. Enjoy and see you there!

The Seafood Grill & Chill, September 15th from 6:30 to 9 p.m. will feature Cedar Plank Mozzarella Cheese with Grape Tomatoes; Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna, Gulf Shrimp and Red Snapper; a family Ratatouille recipe, Olathe Sweet Corn or Herbed Bliss Potatoes; and Grilled Peaches served with Buttermilk Ice Cream. Cost is $25 per person. Local brew features will include buckets of Real Ale’s seasonal selection, Fireman’s #4, Full Moon Pale Ale, Rio Blanco Pale Ale, and a selection of Independence’s best brews for an additional cost.

Cocktails & Crustaceans on October 20th, from 6:30pm to 9p.m. Menu will include Shishito Peppers and Prosciutto-wrapped Melon; Texas Gulf Shrimp, Gulf Blue [or Snow] Crab or Lobster Tails; Smoked Bacon Potato Salad, Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin or Brussels Sprouts; Arugula Salad; and individual Apple Tartines, hot off the grill. Cost is $35 per person.

Award winning Paggi mixologist Jeff Boley will shake things up with crustacean pairings including Austin Chronicle’s 2009 #1 pick, the Red Bud ($12) made with Tito’s Vodka and Paggi grown mariachi peppers; the Greenbelt ($8), with Veev Acai Liqueur, fresh grapefruit and agave; the classic French 76 ($8), with Citadelle Gin, St. Germain and bubbly; and the John Daly ($9), with Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka, fresh lemon and Topo Chico.

Paggi’s Champagne & Oysters Fest on November 17th, 6:30pm to 9 p.m. The evening’s offerings will include Pickled Vegetables, Pates and terrines; Oyster Stew; Romaine or Sesame Slaw; Oysters Rockefeller or Grilled Oysters with Sherry Vinegar Mignonette, House-made Cocktail Sauce and Champagne Granita; and S’mores. Cost is$35 per person. An enticing selection of sparkling wines and champagnes will be offered at an additional cost.

Space is limited. To reserve your seat for any of the Grillin’ & Chillin’ evenings, call 512.473.3700 or email events@paggihouse.com.

Posted by Claudia at 9:53 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

Garden freebies

Dining on a dime, Gardening in Austin, Mexican cuisine, Recipes 2 Responses »
Aug 302010

It’s true: one man’s weed can be another woman’s dinner. In this case, while waiting for the next fall crop to be seeded, the garden bed formerly occupied by potatoes has been covered by purslane, a wild herb known and eaten in Central Mexico as verdolagas. They have a slightly tangy green taste that is fresh and different. Before I was able to find them occasionally at Fiesta -or growing wild in my garden- I always asked my mom to make them whenever I traveled back home.

Wild purslane, known in Mexico as verdolagas, growing freely on my garden beds.

Now, I could be lazy and just turn the whole bed over giving the purslane back to the earth. After all, it is kind of a pain to clean, as the leaves must be separated from the stems keeping only the most tender tips. But, darn, they are tasty!  So what’s a little work in the sink in exchange for a childhood favorite that’s growing for free in my back yard? If you are not lucky to have this “weed” in your garden, you can sometimes find it at Boggy Creek Farm and at Fiesta and other Mexican groceries. This is how I learned to prepare them from my mom.

Verdolagas are a low-growing creeper that is close to the ground, so they need to be washed well. I usually like to fill the sink with cold water and let my greens “swim” in there for a few minutes. This helps remove all dirt and grit, plus critters that may be hiding in there. Drain in a colander and discard the bigger, tough stems.

Wash and clean the verdolagas, removing the thicker stems and leaving just the leaves and tender stems.

Blanch the verdolagas in boiling water for just a few minutes. The leaves are fleshy and slightly succulent, so they will release a bit of “slime” during the blanching. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Blanched verdolagas.

Prepare a tomatillo sauce: cook a pound of tomatillos and two or three chiles serranos in enough water to cover until they are soft and change color.  Blend with half of a white onion, two cloves of garlic, and salt to taste, using a cup or so of the cooking liquid. In a large casserole, brown the meat of your choice. Traditionally verdolagas are cooked with pork. Spare ribs or country-style ribs are great, but you can also use stewing pork. I had chicken legs on hand, so that’s what I used. Once the meat is browned, add the sauce and simmer until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Add the verdolagas and cook for about five more minutes until heated throughout and they have softened. It should look like a saucy stew. Serve in bowls with plenty of hot corn tortillas.

Pollo con verdolagas, a rustic traditional dish from Central Mexico.

Total time from garden to plate: about an hour.   Total cost of a meal for two:  $3   Transported-back-home factor: High

My mom also makes them in a salad she calls Mexican tabbouleh. She takes only the fresh leaves and combines them with minced red onion, tomatoes, and parsley, then seasons with fresh lime juice and olive oil, ground chile piquin, a pinch of ground cumin, and salt to taste. This is a killer side dish for anything from the grill, especially fish. Summery and fresh.

Go check your garden and see if you have these tasty greens growing in your beds. After all, they need to be removed to start planting the next fall crops!

Posted by chileylimon at 7:12 am Tagged with: , , ,

Fried smelt, Spanish style

Dining on a dime, Gourmet Finds, Recipes 6 Responses »
Aug 252010

Eating local is great, but I can’t do without ethnic markets. I really love browsing the aisles, discovering new produce, seasonings, and odd ingredients, or finding familiar things that are not usually available at regular grocery stores. A recent trip to Fiesta yielded such a find: fresh whole smelt for $0.99 a pound. Inspired by a tapa I have had in Mexico City’s Spanish cantinas, I made boquerones fritos, fried whole as an appetizer.

First you must wash them, cut the heads off and clean the insides. A small, sharp knife is ideal. Then rinse briefly in running water:

If you are strange like my husband, make a pile of fish heads and shoot them from different angles:

Rolly polly fish heads...

Next, place on paper towel and pat dry carefully. Let them sit there for a few minutes to dry thoroughly:

Meanwhile, season some flour with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (optional) and a hint of smoked paprika or Cayenne if you want them a bit spicy. Dredge the fish in the flour:

Get your cast iron skillet, add about an inch of olive oil and heat until almost smoking. Carefully drop them in the oil and stir gently to make sure they do not stick together or to the bottom:

Fry until golden and crisp perfection is achieved. Drain on paper towels for a minute, adding more seasonings if desired. Serve with lemon wedges (I had key limes) and a cold beer or a glass of Albariño or Vinho verde. Happy days.

Total cost: $0.99.   Total prep time from guts to plate: 30 minutes   Fun factor: high.    Taste: killer

Posted by chileylimon at 11:33 am Tagged with: ,

A sagra at Sagra in honor of pork!

Events, Restaurants 1 Response »
Aug 242010

A sagra is a local fair, usually a celebration of  food, as in a preparation (sagra dei gnocci) or a raw ingredient (sagra del pesce [fish]). Local customs, dancing, music, sporting events, and children’s activities are usually included as well. Think about our Wurstfest, or even the Chronicle’s Hot Sauce Festival, as a sagra. Last week we attended a sagra at Sagra Enoteca & Trattoria, the small neighborhood outpost for informal, simple, and inexpensive Italian dining. The owners, Gabriel and Sarwat Pellegrini, throw these parties on occasion as a way to thank their customers. All food is free, drink specials abound, and a great time is had by all. The food they celebrate every August is porchetta, the classic Italian boneless stuffed roasted pork.

Porky goodness!

We arrived at Sagra to find it already packed. Luckily I had reserved a table!  We started with my favorite summer cocktail of today, an Aperol spritz, made with Aperol bitters, dry prosecco, and fresh lemon and orange. Light in alcohol and super refreshing, I swear it’s the cure for summer. I could drink a pitcher of the stuff.

Our gracious hostess, Sarwat Pellegrini, always has a smile on her face. Must be all those Aperol spritzes!

The menu was served a la carte, starting with a salad of mixed greeens, oven-rosted grapes, pecans, and honey-gorgonzola vinaigrette. Then came the main attraction: a huge slice of porchetta stuffed with fennel, rosemary and garlic, served with homemade spaghetti tossed with fresh pesto, grape tomatoes, and canellini beans, and a zucchini and tomato layered casserole with cheese and fresh herbs:

Hard to believe, but I couldn’t resist ordering dessert. I usually stay away from sweets but lately I have been craving cake. So, it was a flourless bitter chocolate torte topped with homemade blood orange sorbet (I love chocolate and orange together!) and a drizzle of salty caramel sauce. On the side, a glass of Broadbent oporto. Oh man…

I suggest you visit Sagra sometime soon, you won’t be disappointed. And make sure you sign up for their newsletter so you can be in the know for their next sagra.

Posted by chileylimon at 8:52 am Tagged with: , , ,

Gardening in Austin in August...

Gardening in Austin 2 Responses »
Aug 202010

…is indeed a perilous affair. One must be ready for heartbreak, hard work, and ingenuity.
The first week after planting the tomatoes was brutal, and despite watering daily I lost my prized Black Krim tomato. To my deep despair, it was too late to replace it. So I will have to settle for Juliet Grape and Super Fantastic, that is if they survive. In  order to make sure we could pick tomatoes by October, Will and I constructed some inexpensive plant umbrellas made with commercially bought tomato cages and row cover:

Creating shade for the fragile tomato babies

This next solution requires a talented and creative metal artist with a welder on site…lucky for me I married one!
Will made this simple hoop frame, and we covered it with window screen fastened with clothes pins. It is light weight and easily moved around the garden as needed. The bell pepper and eggplant are much happier now, and the eggplant has even set tiny fruit!

This nifty frame works as protection from the sun, frost, and marauding doggies!

But not everything is bad news in the Austin summer garden. Here’s how our first attempt at corn is going:

Hurray corn!

The Persian Baby cucumbers and the Scarlett Runner beans that I planted in starter pots are ready to be set in the garden, so they will go in tonight so they can settle in overnight before the shock from the August sun. More sunscreens will be needed…

Posted by chileylimon at 8:40 am Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Re-purposing food

Dining on a dime, Featured, From the pantry, Recipes 8 Responses »
Aug 112010

Way before reduce, reuse, and recycle was a catch phrase, I learned to do all that from a frugal mother trying to raise a family on a shoestring budget in Mexico City. My dad had been working as sales manager at a tile factory, a job that took him on trips around the country which I loved because he always came back with neat stories and strange goodies from wherever he went. Then the workers went on strike. The strike lasted for years, and in the end my dad ended up with a strike stipend, assistance from the Salvation Army, and no job.  Mom had to step to the plate…

She had a degree in pharmaco-chemistry, but unlike her peers, she did not get a fancy job with the government or a foreign laboratory: she and dad decided her time would be best spent raising a couple of hellions. So suddenly she finds herself doing whatever she could to make ends meet: selling homemade toiletries (herbal shampoo, almond lotion, citronella insect repellent), teaching arts and crafts, and the oddest job of all, traveling to Laredo, Texas, to buy trinkets to sell to her friends and acquaintances. Trust me when I say we went through hard times. However, she did her best to shield me and my brother from the reality of our situation, and this specially came through at the table. I always say that they raised me with the palate of a millionaire on a poor man’s budget.

I learned to cook at an early age, knowing that wasting food is wrong. The milk went sour? No problem, we’ll make flavored boursin! You see stale tortillas, I see chilaquiles or tortilla soup!  She would mix leftover rice with a beaten egg and shredded cheese and fry patties that would later float in a simple tomato broth, one of my favorite comfort foods. On weekends we might have something special, like store-bought roast chicken served the traditional Mexican way with chiles en escabeche and commercial potato chips. But she always saved the carcass to go in a pot of water with onion, garlic, and yerba buena to make caldo de pollo. None of these frugal resources went past me, especially because when mamá was away for work I had to cook for my brother and father, starting at around 11 years old.

So now that I am going on a year without a steady income and our budget is more than tight, Will has enthusiastically noticed the dinners I make “out of nothing.”  On occasions when we are pressed for time and buy a grocery-store roast chicken I always make broth from the carcass, cleaning out the meaty bits to give the dogs a treat, and freezing it for later use. Why spend the extra money to buy it canned? I never throw out the drippings, either. I put them in a small container in the fridge and use them as a base for sauces or soups. Shrimp shells go in the freezer for future broth-making. I save bacon drippings to refry beans, and when I cook chicken (commercial chicken, since my budget right now does not permit organic) I first render all the fat (US chickens are fatty) and save it to flavor just about anything. The freezer is full of containers with various broths, lime juice cubes, jars of pesto and stewed tomatoes from the garden. Dinner out of nothing is usually just about putting together the pieces of the puzzle with some creative thinking.

Stewed and frozen garden tomatoes, pesto, chicken broth, chiles pasilla, shrimp shells and blue corn tortillas are the current tenants in the freezer. Oh yeah, and the tequila, too.

People that refuse to eat leftovers drive me to drinking. Perhaps they’ve never thought about re-purposing food.  Last night we had country-style pork ribs which we grilled on Saturday (I know, I ate all I could then, believe me!) but rather than lather them in BBQ sauce and microwave them, I seared them quickly in the cast iron skillet and braised them in beer for about an hour. The taste was completely different from what we had over the weekend and it was actually delicious. Today, the remaining rib will again be re-purposed: sliced and seasoned with black pepper and fish sauce it will make the filling for homemade Bánh mì for lunch.

As much as I wish I had had a comfortable childhood (heck, a comfortable adulthood would be nice!), I am quite grateful for my humble upbringing as it has come in handy. Need begets initiative alright. With all this talk about greening in the kitchen, who knew my mother was a trendsetter back in 1974?

Posted by chileylimon at 2:24 pm Tagged with: ,

Gourmet Finds

Featured, Gourmet Finds 2 Responses »
Aug 092010

In this new blog category I will write about delicious “gourmet finds” – foods and products that I discover along the way which I deem worthy of mention.  Today’s find: ‘Cocoa Cardona’, a goat’s milk cheese from Wisconsin’s Carr Valley Cheese, aged but semi-soft with a creamy texture and a tangy taste complemented by a rind rubbed with cocoa and black pepper.

Photo from Carr Valley Cheese.com

This amazing cheese took 1st Place at the 2004 and 2nd in 2006 American Cheese Society Competition and Best of Class & Overall Second Runner-Up out of 1,000 entries in the 2005 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.  It’s wonderful by itself, on buttery crackers, or as dessert with a glass of a medium-bodied red wine.  I found it at the HEB on Slaughter, so it is likely available at some of the better HEBs around as well as Central Market. Go get you some!

Posted by Claudia at 12:48 pm Tagged with:

Despite temperatures in the 100s, fall garden is in!

Gardening in Austin 1 Response »
Aug 042010

Of course I had to wait until the weather turned scorching to plant the fall garden. It’s taken daily watering and lots of babying, but everyone seems to be doing OK so far. My tomato cuttings didn’t make it, so I had to buy plants. I found Super Fantastic again, and got a Juliet grape tomato also since I hadn’t grown those in a while. And since I’ve decided black tomatoes are God’s gift to tenacious gardeners, I planted a new one, Black Krim, a cross between a Green Zebra and a Russian Black. Kokopelli Seed Foundation has this to say: “The fruits ripen from deep mahogany to black-brown. The color develops best when the weather is sunny. The 350-500 g. fruits have a deep reddish brown flesh with green tint and a green gel around the seeds. They are richly flavored with a hint of saltiness and smokiness.”

'Black Krim' tomatoes, photo from from Kokopelli Seed Foundation

From the last of the garden tomatoes I made a fresh tomato vinaigrette. I wanted tomato flavor in our salads but didn’t have enough to go around, so this is what I did:

2 ripe tomatoes, peeled
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Fresh herbs (basil, thyme, oregano)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Blend everything together in the blender. Store in glass jar in fridge for up to a week.

I also cleaned the herb bed that had been taken over by mint. We put a strip of plastic edging on one corner to keep the mint there, then planted lemongrass (mine died completely in the freeze) and an impressively blue Black + Blue Salvia guaranitica, a gorgeous hummingbird magnet.

Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' in full bloom. Can't wait til mine gets this big.

Baby cucumber and scarlet runner bean seeds went in, and so did starters of Fairy Tale eggplant and Blushing Beauty bell peppers. I am still looking for organic potatoes to plant (somehow, Central Market has decided to not carry any organic or special variety potatoes, at least at West Gate. What are they thinking????) I will have to fight with the Parking Gods at Whole Foods this afternoon.

Posted by Claudia at 9:30 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

From the (almost) dead to the fall garden

Featured, Gardening in Austin 1 Response »
Jul 302010

Dear fans,

I am so sorry I have been AWOL from writing for a while. I ended up getting a nasty intestinal virus/bacteria, likely foster doggy induced, that has kept me from doing much of anything since last weekend. I haven’t been able to eat much other than bananas, boiled potatoes, clear broth, and saltines, none of which make for exciting blogging. I am on medication now and woke up feeling better after almost a week of pain, lack of sleep and bathroom visits.

Today, on my first day back in full action, I will head out to the Natural Gardener to pick up weekend supplies. It’s time to start the fall garden layout and planting!  Last weekend Will and I pulled all the tomatoes and I took cuttings of the best plants: Green Zebra, Superfantastic, and JD’s Black. Unfortunately the latter is beginning to wilt, the others are forming roots so they will go into gallon pots so I can keep them slightly shaded over the weekend which is supposed to hit 100 degrees. I also pulled the Armenian cucumber since it has been infected by aphids and mold, so I’ll try it again, and  perhaps a squash, too.

My 5 corn plants growing quickly next to the huge basil and Hungarian wax peppers!

I will plant more corn (the last sowing produced only 5 plants) and get some organic potatoes from Central Market to give them a shot since my last crop was so rewarding. I’ll mingle some pole beans in there too.  After I trim the basil massively I will “let it swim” in the sink with cold water while I take a well deserved dip myself. I will then make a big batch of pesto for the freezer and make sambal with all the ripe red chiles that are hanging from my plants. For dinner, I will likely have to take it easy, so maybe some grilled fish in hoja santa, grilled garden eggplant, and cucumber sorbet?

In a couple of weeks it will be time to plant beets, carrots, and radishes. Off to the plant store!

Posted by Claudia at 7:54 am Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,

Great summer food from the garden!

Featured, Gardening in Austin, Recipes, Restaurants, Wine 1 Response »
Jul 202010

This weekend I caved in to the urge and bought some Texas peaches. On Saturday I made a fresh peach cake for our friend’s birthday which turned out incredible. I adapted this recipe from a strawberry cake that my friend Dana sent:

Fresh peach cake

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups turbinado sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup mashed peaches
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and the turbinado sugar. Add the eggs, and beat for 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and the baking soda until the baking soda has dissolved. Add the sour cream mixture and the flour to the egg mixture. Beat well, then stir in the mashed peaches.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched.

This would be nice with a cream cheese frosting and fresh peach slices on top. I served it just plain, topped with sweetened mashed peaches, with fresh blueberries and plain frozen yogurt (my favorite new grocery store discovery!) on the side.

On Sunday we got chefy and made some great stuff. I found some super fresh red snapper and I just had to have some. I came home to make ceviche but the fish was so beautiful that it inspired me to make something else. So I summoned my best Tyson Cole and came up with a version of tiradito, a Peruvian dish that is a cross between sashimi and ceviche (Peru boasts a large Japanese community, so it’s no wonder the cuisine has permeated the culture). I sliced the fish in thin, diagonal slices and tossed them lightly with key lime juice, a bit of rind, extra-virgin olive oil, a dash of Thai fish sauce, chopped red serranos from the garden, thinly sliced radishes,cilantro, and Green Zebra tomato slices. I fried the fish skin crisp and used it to garnish, along with avocado slices, a sprinkling of hawaiian orange volcanic salt, and a spoonful of lumpfish roe.  It didn’t look Uchi pretty (my knives and knife skills are not on par with Tyson’s…) but it tasted pretty darned good with a cold beer on a hot afternoon!

Red snapper tiradito with key lime, olive oil, radish, serrano, fish sauce, cilantro, and green zebra tomatoes, topped with Hawaiian volcanic salt and lumpfish roe.

Will finally bought us a grill, so we were eager to use it this weekend. Willy got the coals going for the country-style pork ribs. I bought.  We also grilled an acorn squash that somehow ended up in my kitchen, and the rest of the peaches leftover from making the cake. I seasoned them with lime juice, olive oil, fresh rosemary & thyme, sea salt and pepper. The squash just had olive oil and salt, and the ribs were basted with Original Thomas’ Sauce which our friends Roy and Karen brought from North Carolina.

A killer summer dinner from the grill!

This dinner cost about $5 for the two of us and it was amazing. The peaches, which were a bit tart, were perfect as a foil for the savory ribs, matching just a bit of sweetness with that from the sauce. The squash was creamy and earthy.We drank a slightly chilled MacRostie 06 Pinot Noir, which was just heavenly and the right companion for this summer feast.

Now it’s that time in the garden when the summer crops start moving out to make way for new fall crops. The tomatoes have been leggy lately, not to mention invaded by those nasty leaf foot bugs which suck on the fruit and make them spoil quickly. So the last few days I’ve been harvesting, weeding, and pruning to make way for new planting this coming weekend. I picked all the red jalapenos and serranos and ground them with salt to make a fresh chile paste. This keeps in a jar in the fridge and can be used on anything. I also saved a few for wrapping with shrimp and bacon for last night’s dinner.

Tonight I will take cuttings from two of my favorite tomatoes, Green Zebra and JT’s Early Blacks, to try and root them for fall transplants. If they don’t work I still have a week or so to buy them. I will be pruning the basil, too, to make some pesto to freeze. Tomorrow I am off to buying seeds for the fall, so I’ll report on what’s going in the ground this weekend.

Posted by Claudia at 2:25 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,
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