Hard to believe that it is already August.
Though we are not particularly social people to begin with, this summer has been even less social than usual; no COVID -19 house parties for us! I did host a lunch for several of my cousins, where we greeted each other wearing masks and ate outside at appropriate distances from each other which, surprisingly, did not deter from the pleasure of seeing them. Hopefully they felt the same. L.'s dad comes from time to time to check that I haven't murdered our teen yet, and set up the contraption illustrated above, which seats six with plenty of room left in which to to move around, to ward off bugs. Any time I sit in it at night, with the hanging light on and the mosquito netting closed, I feel that I am living in the times of British Colonialism where outside dining was always a majorly big endeavor if standards were to be upheld. Would that I had the associated scores of servants to take care of all of my catering and cleaning needs...One of my friends from college is coming to visit this week and we are looking forward to her company and to feeding her well. I even like her enough to be willing to let her have the hammock for the duration of her stay! Her departure may well mean the end of socializing for the summer.
Other than that, thank you to those who wrote and commented on the summer format that we implemented last week. As you may have noticed, I made most of the items that I said I would. I made the lemongrass Palomas as well for L.'s dad, but they were strong enough that I forgot to get a photo of them...And the ham and pickled peach dish may well surface for lunch tomorrow so, as always, check in often for recipes to inspire your summer cooking.
And, before I forget, I am trying out a CSA box from a service that buys vegetables from farmers' all around the US this week. It is set to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday so all bets are off once it does...
This week's contenders for now:
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Beet Salad with Lavender-Mustard Dressing
Pan Roasted Monkfish with Charred Tomatillo Chermoula
The Ultimate Lentil Salad
Mixed Tomato Panzanella with Basil-Shallot Dressing and Whipped Goat's Cheese
No Churn Peach Ice Cream
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