I love tomatoes unconditionally. I think I am in the minority.

People have a lot of issues with tomatoes. I only like raw tomatoes. I only like cooked tomatoes. I only like tomatoes when they are in sauces. Lots of qualifications. I can proudly say I like tomatoes of all shapes and sizes, cooked or uncooked—as long as it is tomato season. Shoot, that is a qualification. But have you seen the things they try to sell you in January in the Midwest? They have as much to do with tomatoes as a tennis ball does. Well, lucky us, tomato season is here. Let’s celebrate.

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In the past, I have publicly expressed my dislike of bread and butter pickles. Honestly, I just don’t love sweet pickles. Usually. But maybe I think I don’t because so many are overly sweet and lacking in flavor. So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I tried this recipe for zucchini pickles from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook. My friend Sandra was the first to recommend the recipe, and she is a very trustworthy source. Judy Rodgers ain’t bad either.

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I don’t have a garden—yet. But I know from those of you that do that zucchini are taking over. CSA boxes are full of them and there are piles of the the summer squash at farmers markets. So I thought I would dedicate this week to the humble zucchini. I’ve got a couple of recipes that can help answer the question, what am I going to do with all of this zucchini!? Let’s call it Zucchini Week. Like shark week, but tastier. For humans.

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The challenge of summer, at least for us amateur pastry chefs, is that it is hard to beat a perfectly ripe piece of fruit. Why bother with anything else? I mean, have you eaten a peach?

This recipe is brilliant because it is so slight. Throw some raspberries into a gratin dish. Spread some sour cream on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and broil for a couple of minutes until the sugar is melted. The resulting dish is one of the best things you’ll eat all summer. And it took you all of five minutes to make. read more+++

I’ve been distracted.

By things like the view above. Cape Cod. Provincetown. Massachusetts. Bryan and I recently spent some beautiful days in Massachusetts. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love that state.

We had one of the most wonderful dinners in recent memory at Oleana in Cambridge. Such a special place full of both good food and good people. It was totally perfect. I wish it were down the street. We ate the freshest of fresh oysters at the Provincetown farmers market and fried dough from the Portugese Bakery. I was happy to discover A & J King Bakery in Salem and will look forward to the next time I can eat one of their walnut sticky buns. We shared plates of Italian cookies from Mike’s in celebration of my best friend’s engagement.

You see, there were a lot of distractions. But I am back, and just in time for farmers market bliss. Stone fruit, berries and more vegetables than I know what to with. So forgive these last few quiet summer weeks, and know that I am doing what I hope you are doing- enjoying this crazy hot summer. I’ll be back in business this week with some updates on what has been cooking in my kitchen. xo

When Bryan and I decided to move to Oak Park, we were moving further away from our friends. It was the one part of the decision to leave our old neighborhood that we were agonizing over. For anyone not familiar with Chicago’s geography, Oak Park is the first town directly west of the city center. It is still connected by the same public transportation and the Sears Tower (I reject its new name) is a major part of the view from our apartment. Think of it as a Manhattanite moving to Brooklyn. Or Hoboken? The point being, we could easily have moved somewhere else within the city limits and been much further away from our old neighborhood and friends. But still, we worried. Ultimately we decided to go for it, and honestly have never found the extra 20 minutes of a commute to be a problem, and we love our new community. read more+++

Barbeque season is here. We don’t have an outdoor space for grilling, so we find ourselves traveling to friends’ backyards or porches to cook outside during the summer. I’m always on the lookout for a good salad that will transport easily and taste delicious alongside some grilled meats. This salad does the trick and is nice to look at, too.

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The elderflower cordial was a wonderful way of preserving some of my elderflower bounty, but what I really wanted to make were fritters. Yes, fritters. These dainty little blossoms can be deep fried into a delicious sweet treat that is as beautiful as it is delicious. read more+++

Elderflowers are difficult to come by in Chicago. So when Seedling Farms announced some were available, I jumped at the opportunity to try the ever increasing pile of elderflower recipes I have been collecting. A week or two later, lucky me had a giant box of beautifully perfumed elderflower heads in my hot little hands.

In the states, we’re probably most familiar with elderflower in the form the ubiquitous St. Germain liqueur that has managed to make its way onto every cocktail menu. Europe is better at appreciating these delicate white flowers that are most often used to perfume a sweet cordial. The elder tree is actually a pretty remarkable plant that produces both these flower and elderberries, which are also used in culinary applications. Perhaps most interestingly, the tree has long been associated with witches, and the wood of the tree is particularly well suited to making magic wands. Cool.

What is not to love? And why isn’t there an elder tree on every corner?

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It was so hot here last week.

Chicago experienced the hottest weather we have had in years. 97 degrees. It was kind of miserable. Streets were buckling, people were smelly and public transportation was a bit of a nightmare. I understand the environmental concerns regarding air conditioning, and I feel guilty every time I turn it on, but on days like those I am so grateful for the cool air filling our apartment—and for paletas. read more+++