In A Vermont Kitchen With California Berries

i am so IN LOVE with my cookbooks...i got this one out this morning...IN A VERMONT KITCHEN... i have so many summer berries and was wondering what to do with all of them... i am loving all of the mid july fruit so much right now...last night i ate my weight in Rainer cherries...

i went to the market yesterday and bought this wine because i loved the bottle...i had to put it in my kitchen window...

look at that label...so pretty

i got out my little vintage corn salt and pepper shakers..i have lots of these...each person at the cookout gets their own...

i got a beautiful bouquet of yellow sunflowers yesterday to put by Buddy's memorial box on the piano... i miss you Buddy !!! And I Love you !

we loaded up Teddy and took a ride to our local strawberry stand called Okui's...it is out in Grover Beach.... they had MEYER LEMONS which are wonderful and kind of hard to find...

the first of the season white peaches and nectarines...

these avocados are THE BEST. the California Hass...just like butter...we left with a BIG bag of these...

i am not to sure why it seems to be Mickey Mouse themed... but those are all the berries

the kitty and doggy themed portion of the fruit stand....

the offerings of the day...that ALBION variety which is literally as SWEET AS SUGAR....

and that is right out the back door...if you look closely you can see 3 pickers in the field...the big white spot in the sky is THE FOG. California gets alot of fog in the summer if you live near the ocean... so after looking through all my recipes...i have decided to make a STRAWBERRY FOOL...just berries and cream. Simple...and THE BEST !

Strawberry Fool

Strawberries and fresh whipped cream with a bit of sugar and vanilla

Top with crushed amaretti cookies.

A Gift From A Friend And Cherry Pie

this is my kitchen window today...a little vase of soft pink snapdragons... and in the back ...through the screen is my window box filled with CANDY BOX impatiens...

do you see that there ? if the house was on fire i would grab that...right along with TEDDY and my kitty's...it's a gift from my dear friend, Julie of http://juliewhitmorepottery.blogspot.com..... YEP...she made that with TEDDY on it !!! I ADORE it !!!

and if you were staying for dessert...tonight it's CHERRY PIE... my favorite !

My Favorite Cookbook

"No one who cooks cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers." --- Laurie Colwin

A Treasury Of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price

Really ? Really.

we took Teddy for a ride to the beach yesterday afternoon for a snowcone and LOOK what we found......

Lemonade Stand

She sets up every year after school is out in front of her house in San Luis Obispo and all her profits go to the local animal shelter.... what a great kid !!!!!

She reminded me of the words out of "SIMPLE ABUNDANCE" by Sarah Ban Breathnach

Perhaps, if one is lucky, the days ahead will unfold as a "never-to-be-forgotten summer - one of those summers which comes seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going- one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doings, come as near to perfection as anything can come in the world."

May this potent Midsummer spell never be broken for you and those you love.

Happy Summer, my friends

Blueberry Upsidedown Cake Served At 3 This Afternoon

I made a blueberry upsidedown cake and am serving it in my garden this afternoon... would you like to come for tea and cake ? we would love to have you my friend...

yesterday i went to The Avila Barn Farmstand and got blueberries....

raspberries....

and some nectarines called SNOW WHITE....

last evening we took a stroll through our garden...the delphiniums are almost gone....

but my INDIAN SUMMER sunflowers are just starting to open...

some of my elderberries have blossomed...

and some have already turned to berries....

my berries and cream rose is slowing down.....

the other day i was at the Farm Supply and an elderly lady had a flat of these...i asked what they were and she said, "oh, honey...these are my peach spice snapdragons that i plant every year "....well, back into the nursery i went...how could i pass up peach spice snapdragons????

my beautiful sweet peas...they are almost gone now...they have been blooming on my fence all Spring greeting me with a SMILE everytime i walked in the gate...

they will soon be gone...and missed... like a long lost friend. Good Bye, my sweet peas...you've made me HAPPY.

and so it goes......

Butter Bean Soup

i am a little under the weather today... how i got a cold in June i will never know....

so i decided to make some BUTTER BEAN SOUP... i wanted dried beans but i couldn't find any...

diced some leeks...

diced celery... and just sauteed it all together with a little olive oil and a knob of butter... then added the stock.... and let it simmer on the stove slowly for about an hour...

i am going to add some spinach at the very end right before serving so it just slightly melts...

i have anadama bread rising on the counter out of my Bread Baker's Apprentice cookbook...and don't know if it's going to be baked or not...moving pretty slow...



Butter Bean Soup

2 ribs of celery

2 leeks

one can of butter beans, rinsed and drained

a couple of handfuls of spinach

about 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup pastina

chopped italian parsley to garnish

saute the celery and leek together in a little olive oil and butter till soft

add the chicken or vegetable stock

let simmer slowly about an hour

just before serving add a couple handfuls of spinach

add the drained butter beans

about 1/2 cup of pastina and cook till the pasta is cooked, about 5 minutes

add some chopped fresh italian parsley

sprinkle with parmesan if desired

i did a little taste test ...and it's good. o,k, here i go...i am going to go and bake the bread.