watermelon pops!

As August creeps it’s way onto the calendar so does the humid, hot weather. Along with the heat, August also ushers melons. I saw the first ones this weekend at the market and immediately scooped one up to make some refreshing popsicles. These watermelon pops which are jazzed up with a little mint and coconut water make even the hottest day feel cool and refreshing, if only for a few minutes.

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Filed under eat and snacks by kelly. August 5th, 2009 . 5 Comments

have you tried: husk cherries

One of the many reasons I love going to the farmers’ market is there’s always something to discover and someone to explain it. I saw these little pods this weekend and was instantly curious. I asked the vendor what they were and she said husk cherries. She then picked one up, peeled back the husk and handed it to me. Delicious! The flavor is fairly mild and slightly pineappley, the texture is similar to tomatoes but there’s no seed or pit. I asked what she recommended doing with them and she said you can just eat them as is or they’re excellent dipped in chocolate. Whoa. I walked away with a basket and about half were gone by the time we got home. So if you see husk cherries (or ground cherries or cape gooseberries) pick them up and enjoy!

Filed under eat and restaurants/shops and snacks by kelly. August 4th, 2009 . 9 Comments

blue hill at stone barns

A few weeks ago Aaron and I made a trip up to Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a restaurant, farm and research center started by Dan, David and Laureen Barber. If you’re unfamiliar, Dan Barber is at the forefront of the locavore movement. This year he was named one of Time magazines most 100 influential people and won the Outstanding Chef Award by the James Beard Foundation. Basically he’s awesome and after visiting Blue Hill at Stone Barns, I’m ready for him to adopt me.

Blue Hill is a working farm, with trails and paths wound throughout the property, allowing visitors to view the gardens, animals and incredible scenery. We stayed pretty close to the barns, but saw baby turkeys, garlic being dried, sheep, a few farmers, bees and a whole lot of chickens among other things. It was a dreamy day, even with a quick rain shower. Beyond wandering the property, we were really there for the food, specifically an unforgettable dinner. Oh boy did we get one.

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Filed under eat and restaurants/shops and travel by kelly. August 4th, 2009 . 7 Comments

101 salads: #14 (moroccan carrots)

When I saw this bunch of carrots at the market, their deep red color lured me in and pretty soon I was lugging around a whole lot of carrots. It wasn’t long after bringing them home that I read Mark Bittman’s article and saw there was a salad that claims “there is no better way to use raw carrots”, well, sign me up. So I made them, and yup, he’s pretty spot on, these carrots kept me coming back for more.

When I peeled my carrots I was a little disappointed to see they weren’t red on the inside but I got over it. I used the chopping attachment for the first time on my food processor and my carrots came out in nice slivers, but cut them any way you’d like, they’re still going to be good. Instead of cumin seeds I used a pinch of ground cumin along witha dash of olive oil, lemon juice from one lemon and chunk of cilantro. Try it out and you’ll be happy.

Filed under eat and sides by kelly. August 3rd, 2009 . 6 Comments