Summer bounty

Apparently summer is nearly over, but I'm not buying it because the stuff at the farmers market is abundant and overflowing. Perhaps in a few years when I have to buy The Boss some awful princess backpack for the first day of school, summer will feel like it's nearly over, but until then, I'm going to enjoy my princess free bliss. On Wednesday, my husband came home from work, took one look in the kitchen at me shucking corn and said "Oh! It's farmers market day!" We like Wednesdays. When I tell The Boss we're going to the farmers market she says "Blueberries!" and "peach!" with gusto. Can you tell what we get every week for her fruit crack addictions?

On Thursday, we had friends over for dinner, dessert ,and naturally, the Olympics. Nothing makes me happier than being able to serve (and eat!) a meal that is almost entirely made from local ingredients and share it. The food just seems to look prettier when it's fresh from the farm. And when food is attractive, you're more likely to eat the healthy stuff!

I never really thought of putting green beans and tomatoes together in a salad until I saw this recipe (by now you probably know where it came from), but damn were they pretty and tasty together! I changed the dressing a little bit because I tend to like more vinegar (I added an additional TBSP) to the ratio of oil and even still, I thought it needed a little more tang. So I added some dijon mustard (probably about 2-3 tsp) which helped emulsify the dressing and it was exactly what I was after. I also added a chiffonade of my basil and it was a delicious side dish. Did I mention how pretty it was? Here the beans and tomatoes think about mixing together.
I wanted to make the peaches the gold medal star of dessert. I remember the first day I brought these peaches home, my husband bit into one and said "Wow, it actually tastes like a peach!" as the juices ran down his arm. I've been buying them every week they are available. The farm that sells these actually has a bowl of peaches and plums either cut up or whole to sample before you buy, too. That's why I went for the yellow peaches over the white ones this week, they were juicier and sweeter. The recipe for this beauty is here (I know, I know, it's getting a little ridiculous, but what can I say, the site inspires me) and obviously I used peaches instead of the nectarines called for. I didn't add the candied ginger to the filling either since the gingersnaps in the crust had some pieces in them, and I pressed the crust a little too tightly so it was slightly bulletproof when trying to get your fork through, but the combination of the gingerbread crust, creamy filling with a hint of lemon, and those juicy peaches was definitely a summer dessert winner. I didn't have a fluted tart pan so mine is a little rustic looking around the edges. I'm beginning to think that rustic crusts are my thing.

Counting down the days til next Wednesday where you'll find me here.