Weekend Reading and Weekend BBQ

Summer is officially here. It was very humid this past weekend, and I promised myself I was not going to complain about it this year, because we have been waiting for this warm weather way too long this year!!!!

I have been really lagging behind in updating this blog, but we have been spending way more time outside these days and I try to take as much advantage of it as I can. We have been working in the garden. I planted lots of herbs- basil, oregano, thyme, sage, tarragon, dill, chives, cilantro, lavender, melissa, mint, jalapenos and radishes and some flowers. This past weekend we built a deck and a pergola and it looks so beautiful! 

Also, I have been reading a lot which kept me away from writing. I just finished reading the biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera and I have been really enjoying this book. It is much more interesting to look at the paintings knowing the story behind it. I admire Frida for her courage and her passion for life, she was never afraid of anything or anyone. That is something that I was not taught. You have to be careful and cautious of what you do. I love how my daughter is not afraid of anything so I must be doing something right ;) I think it is the Mexican part of her. 

I definitely fell in love with Mexico even more after reading this book. Frida was a Mexicanista in the deepest sense of this word, with her outfits, style, home decor and painting. And what is so amazing about her work is the fact that it is so Mexican and even in that her artwork is universal, anyone can identify in being alone in pain and suffering. Even her still life was not that still. It usually depicted Mexican flowers or fruit, prickly and coarse on the outside but so sweet, juicy and tender on the inside. Mexico is rough, the life and some of the land, but people there have big and warm hearts and passion for life, love and family.  I can also see why she is so cherished by her fellow Mexicans. She loved Mexico with her whole heart. She showed it in her artwork, fashion. She was not afraid to live and laugh at life even if life brought her suffering after suffering. I love how passionately Frida talks about Mexico during her days in the United States and how she shows' Gringolandia' as a heartless, machine based place with no roots and no connections. Of course as an immigrant myself, I can identify with these feelings but only knowing Mexico and its people I can slightly understand what she must have felt.



Finally lets go back to some food which will not be Mexican this time. Last weekend was the first time I ventured out to the local farmer’s market this year. I came back with local strawberries, rhubarb, corn, asparagus, radishes, young potatoes, chives, lettuce, spinach and first cherries. I love this season, when everything comes to life, the sun is shining, the food tastes better than ever and the fruit and veggies or delicious without anything else.

We were quite the delicious weekend and that is what I whipped up.

Marinated Lemon-Herb Chicken

Place 5 chicken breasts in a sealable bag. Add a splash of olive oil, chopped handful of fresh thyme, oregano and mint. 2 large cloves of garlic- smashed, juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper. Place in a fridge for several hours then barbecue.

Crunchy Lettuce Salad

Greens of your choice with Honey-Dijon dressing. Local veggies a must!

Potato Salad with Herbs and Yogurt Sauce

Cook 8 medium sized potatoes until tender. Do not peel them because the skin is so thin in young potatoes there is no need for it. Transfer to a bowl. Add 5 chopped radishes, a tablespoon of capers, chopped dill and chives and 2 dill pickles. In a food processor place: about 1 cup of natural yogurt, 2 tablespoon olive oil or low fat mayo, juice of 1 lime (taste before adding all the juice, depends on how juicy the lime is and how you like it) A handful of cilantro, parsley, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon curry (optional) Blend until smooth. Add slowly to the salad bit by bit, stop when creamy enough for your taste and season. You could use the leftover sauce for a pizza dipping sauce!

Grilled Asparagus

Just sprinkle with salt, pepper and some olive oil and grill! Equally excellent on the grilling pan.

Local Corn on the Cob with Lime and Cilantro Butter

Place butter with fresh cilantro in a food processor. Mix. Spread on the corn and squeeze some lime juice.

Drink of choice: Red Wine Sangria

And for dessert:

Rhubarb and Polenta Cake

(Nigel Slater recipe from RIPE)

Filling

About 6-8 stalks of field rhubarb

t tablespoons water

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350C. Place the rhubarb in a pan, sprinkle with sugar, add water, mix and bake for about 30 min. Drain and reserve the juice.

Cake

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar

10 tablespoons butter

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

zest of 1 orange

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, whisk egg and add along with the milk and zest. Do not over mix. It should be moist and slightly sticky.

Grease a 9 inch cake pan. Press 2/3 of the pastry to the bottom, add rhubarb on top, cover with lumps of the remaining pastry. Bake for about 45 minutes and serve with ice cream or whipped cream and the rhubarb juice while still warm. I sprinkled mine with some granola.