Late July and August are busy times at the beach: flowers to water, decks to sweep, beach towels to endlessly launder, summer meals to prepare, meals that must fit our random schedules and will seem appealing when it's so darn hot.
Lots of errands on my list on Wednesday so I got to the farmers market very late. The sellers had dog days doldrums by 4 PM...and the lettuce looked as wilted as the farmers. No flowers left of course, but I did snag some fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh bread, warm ripe beefsteak tomatoes and tiny red grape tomatoes, and a cuke.
Back home at the beach I snipped lots of herbs out for my herb container garden.
When other family cooks asked me to grow an herb garden on the deck I thought it would be a waste of time and space. Boy, was I wrong! The scent of the fresh herbs is amazing and the taste is so different from dried, adds a wonderful dimension and punch to the simplest foods.
I snip off some fragrant tips and lkeep them in a little Mason jar, right by the stove...
I made a pretty platter of the mozzarella and tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and chopped basil , both kinds, on top with fresh ground black pepper. I love this glass plate, a Swedish pressed glass scallop shell, part of a set found at the Cape Cod Dump swap shop. (Free!)
Yummy with the classic white demi baguette.
Best served at room temp, even on a hot day. (Just be sure to refrigerate the leftovers, because the fresh cheese can sour if left out too long; use on sandwiches tomorrow.)...
And I made a Greek Chicken Salad:
Tossed with more herbs, including my Greek oregano, and a tarragon-lemon vinaigrette.
Nice with warm whole wheat pitas if you have them...we were out, oh well.
Perfect dinner to leave for the ravenous hordes while I escaped for my evening swim and long sunset beachcombing hour or two. Have you noticed that darkness falls just a little earlier now. Oh too bad...I love the endless summer evenings, don't you?
Summer won't last forever, even if the beach will....enjoy!
love
lizzy
~~~~~~gone to the beach
.jpg)
