A Summer Close to Home (18 August 2017)

A Summer Close to Home

August 18, 2017

Having a new business and a new place to live means we've been staying close to home this summer. When we moved to our new digs on Memorial Day weekend, I started to keep a food and wine diary. As August speeds by in a blur and another summer passes, I think about how much I love this season, not least because of the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables available at our doorstep.

Regular Sunday visits to the downtown farmer's market have been especially rewarding this summer. Starting with fresh local asparagus in early June, to beautiful greens, fresh English peas (from the "pea man" of course); beet leaves and arugula; sugar snap peas sweet enough to eat raw; young onions, garlic, potatoes; tomatillos; then local tomatoes, corn, patty pan squash. The latest market brought us Jimmy Nardello sweet peppers and chanterelles.

Since the middle of June we've had fresh basil, thyme and oregano ready to be picked a couple of steps into our new backyard. We had enough tomatoes this week to make an awesome fresh caprese salad with one of the burratas we just brought into the store.

Debbie is the grill master. Sea bass; beef tri-tip (a California specialty); flank steak; chicken - thighs (Greek style and Asian style) and spatchcocked/brined whole; butterflied leg of lamb; brined pork loin. Deb has nailed it every time she's fired up the grill this summer.

I help with prep, and I get to pick the wine. That grilled sea bass was downed with Feuillet Petite Arvine (after starting off the evening with a bottle of J. Lassalle Champagne Brut Préference). Tri-tip called for California: Ridge Carignane 2015 Bucignani Ranch. A pasta night - penne with local asparagus and salt-preserved Meyer lemon cream sauce was matched by Les Lunes Chardonnay 2015. We kept the California theme going that week in June - the next meal was Rancho Gordo cassoulet beans, fennel sausage and oven-roasted tomatoes with Populis Carignan 2016 Reversée served cold - we have drunk several bottles of that irresistible wine this summer. By the Sunday at the end of that week it was time for me give Deb a break and return to France as well - Chicken Paillard on greens with a Chateau Les Valentines Provence Blanc 2014. And that was just the first two weeks of June - yes, we've been eating and drinking well.

We have been drinking lots of chilled red wine - Populis, Lambrusco (Fiorini Terre al Sole and Chiarli Vecchia Modena), Chateau Thivin Côte de Brouilly, Eugene Carrel Jongieux Mondeuse - as well as a broad range of rosé. We drink dry pink all year 'round, but there is certainly more to choose from in Spring and Summer. 

In short, we are eating and drinking the way we imagine many of our customers are eating and drinking this summer. It's not just a job, it's a way of life for us, and this summer, close to home, we have been living well.