Summer Kitchen
THE KITCHEN HAS BEEN QUIET in my house. The oven has kept cool, while the garden heats up. There has been no blog writing and not much time for creating due to a wonderful, but long, run of studio production. Dinners are fast and fresh from the garden. I have been able to pick a random cherry tomato or two so far, but the crop is still on the shy side of ripe. Give it a couple more weeks of sun and I’ll be tomato crazed and wondering why I planted so many plants yet again. The green beans have given the most with a large handful collected almost every day. They are so easy to use well in a cool kitchen. On the shadier side of the garden, the arugula, spinach and bok choy are in full swing. We will be eating well tonight.
We have the good fortune of enjoying some of the left over products I work with and prepare for photo shoots. Tonight, on the grill, is a generously cut and marbled rib eye steak that has been rubbed and stuffed with garlic, salt and pepper and drizzled with soy sauce. This steak is one such gift. I love my work! This single steak is generous enough to feed four of us. Roasting some vegetables alongside the steak will keep dinner simple and quick. Cut into thick pieces, and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and rosemary, the cooking should go quickly.
Taking advantage of the hot summer days and garden produce makes lunch or dinner easy. A simple combination of a starch or grain with tomatoes, basil, mint, olives, sheep’s milk feta, and chives works amazingly well. I have been cooking cannellini beans, French green lentils or pasta as a base and adding a good dose of olive oil, a dash of white balsamic vinegar, and cucumbers if it’s served cold or zucchini if served hot. Use what vegetables you have on hand to round out a full meal-sometimes I shred some of the arugula and spinach to serve the lentils on, or toss with the pasta. No rules, no fuss, just good clean eating.
After this awesome meal of steak and roasted vegetables, it was time for ice cream- In keeping with the “cold kitchen” theme, of course.
I had made a vanilla custard base, and added some curls of ganache I have in the freezer-from yet another job. Perhaps you’ll make a better decision than I, and portion out your finished ice cream into a small bowl instead of taking the entire unit and a spoon with you and finish it off with a good movie.
Cheers!
makes over 1 1/2 quarts
2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
Scald the milk and cream by bringing them to just under a simmer in a medium sized saucepan. Meanwhile whip the yolks with the sugar until looser and pale-this mixture will be very thick to start. Temper your egg yolks and sugar mixture by very slowly streaming in some of the hot milk and cream, whisking constantly. You’ll want to drizzle in about 2 cups total, whisking well, then pour that mixture back into the remaining milk and cream mixture, Whisk well as you pour and when blended, switch to a heatproof spatula to cook the custard slowly over low heat. You will be cooking the custard until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes or so.