We’ve been getting amazing plums, tomatoes and basil in our weekly summer farm box and I combined the 3 of them the other night for this deliciously simple salad. It would also be great with some chunks of cheese thrown in. Enjoy!
Summer Stone Fruit Recipes
My weekly farm box is exploding right now with some of the juiciest, most amazing peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums. Delicious! So I thought I’d do a little round-up of some of my favorite stone fruit recipes from my blog and books.
Happy summer cooking and baking!
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-Plum Tartlets from The Forest Feast for Kids
Mother's Day Brunch Menu
Are you hosting a Mother’s Day brunch and looking for recipe ideas?! Here is a little menu from the archives. It’s easy, seasonal, colorful and pretty. Start with this Peach-Basil Sangria, then serve a Strawberry-Cucumber Salad and an Asparagus Pesto Tart.
And I have the perfect Mother’s Day gift for you: A Mother is a Story. The author, Samantha Hahn, is one of my oldest friends and is a crazy talented fashion illustrator (just check out her website! The painted quotes above are by her). This new book is full of her paintings and hand lettered watercolor quotes about motherhood and it’s a stunning gift. We had a book signing together in Brooklyn last weekend, here are a few pics.
Happy Mother’s Day!
An Earth Day Potato Salad
I know it’s officially spring when my jasmine on the deck begins to bloom (my favorite scent ever!) and we can spend evenings with a glass of wine in the backyard while Ezra runs on the grass. We’ve been doing more hikes and walks lately in our woods. I love to see the new lime-green tips on the redwood fronds, fields of blue forget-me-nots, and vibrant shades of pink flowers at every turn. I’ve been snapping photos of all the wildflowers– I can’t get enough!
There’s nothing like Earth Day to make you want to get outdoors. The mountains where we live have certainly inspired me creatively! I find that I come up with some of my best ideas on hikes. One way to give back to the Earth is by shopping greener. In honor of Earth Day, I have partnered with Whole Foods Market to give you some ideas for making greener choices at the grocery store. I shop at Whole Foods a lot and love that I can trust them to offer products that aren’t toxic for the Earth, or for us.
My 5 Earth Day tips:
1.) ORGANIC
I try to buy organic as often as I can. It’s healthier for you, safer for the farmers who produced it, and better for the planet. I make a point to prioritize shopping organic when looking for produce without a peel and animal products.
2.) FLOWERS
I buy freshly cut flowers every week- they just make me happy! In doing so, I wasn’t necessarily thinking about the environmental choice I was making. I want to help protect the farmers who grow and pick those flowers from harsh chemicals. Whole Foods Market sells flowers (and produce, too!) that are responsibly grown meaning that they come from farmers who have eliminated the use of eight of the most hazardous neurotoxins still allowed in US agriculture. I want to make a bigger effort to buy bouquets that are responsibly grown from now on.
3.) SEASONAL
Harvesting produce when it naturally grows uses less energy and resources. Plus, it usually tastes better and is cheaper because there’s an abundance of it at the store. Here’s a great guide to what’s in season now. Check out my seasonal spring produce collage, above, plus the seasonal spring recipe below for a Potato & Onion Salad.
4.) CLEANING & BATH PRODUCTS
Ever since I was pregnant I make a big effort to buy only non-toxic cleaning products and bath & body products that are free from harmful chemicals. Whole Foods has a huge variety which is especially great since now I have a baby! We use Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value line of diapers and have found they are cheaper and better than all the other natural brands we’ve tried.
5.) BULK
At Whole Foods you can buy ingredients like oatmeal and rice in bulk (without packaging) which cuts down on a lot of waste and lets you bring home just how much you need. I LOVE the bulk peanut butter machine at my local Whole Foods. It’s way better than any type in a jar!
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Potato & Onion Salad
Roast mini potatoes on a baking sheet with olive oil & coarse salt at 425ºF for about 30 minutes, or until fork tender. Spread fresh greens (I use arugula) on a platter and scatter the warm potatoes over. Use a mandolin to thinly slice rings of raw red onions over the potatoes, then sprinkle the whole platter with capers, olive oil, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
Wishing you a very happy Earth Day and hoping that you have some time to get outdoors and enjoy what’s growing around you this weekend!
This post was done in partnership with Whole Foods Market, a store that I have shopped at for years. I only work with brands I love and opinions here are my own.
Leela Cyd's SUGAR COOKIES WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS
A cookbook has to be visually stunning and unique to get me excited, and this one does just that. Leela Cyd’s new book Food with Friends: The Art of Simple Gatherings is really so delightful! The styling is so up my alley and the photography is thoughtful and gorgeous. She has a flare for the vintage, floral and painterly (as do I) so of course I love all her props as well. Also, you should follow her on Instagram (@leelacyd)– beautiful feed.
Ezra and I just planted a bunch of edible flowers in pots on our deck and I am excited to make these cookies when we get some blooms.
Congrats, Leela! It’s a stunner.
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SUGAR COOKIES WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS
from Food with Friends by Leela Cyd
top photo of cookies © Leela Cyd
Yields approx. 3 dozen 2-inch cookies
Cookies
– 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
– 2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 1 cup powdered sugar
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 large egg
– 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface and rolling pin
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
– 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Candied Flowers
– 3 to 4 dozen organic, untreated, edible blossoms (pansies, dianthus, rose petals, calendula, chrysanthemum, lavender, cosmos, or echinacea are all good options)
– 1 large pasteurized egg white, lightly beaten
– 1⁄4 cup turbinado sugar
PREPARE THE COOKIES: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the crème fraîche, butter, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and egg until combined.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture and lemon zest to the butter mixture and beat until evenly incorporated.
On a floured work surface, shape the dough into two 5-inch round disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or parchment, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. (Alternatively, you can freeze the disks, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil, for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge for a day before using.)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes.
Dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Give the disks a few whacks with the rolling pin to soften them slightly. Roll out the dough to a 1⁄4-inch thickness. Working quickly so the dough won’t soften too much, use cookie cutters to punch out whatever shapes you like. Transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets, re-rolling the dough scraps as you go to cut out more cookies.
Bake the cookies for 9 minutes, until the cookies are set but still pale and underdone. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Leave the oven on and set the lined baking sheets aside.
CREATE THE CANDIED FLOWERS: Set up a work station. Gather your edible flowers together. Place the egg white in a small bowl and the turbinado sugar in a second small bowl. Set out a small paintbrush. Gently dunk a flower in the egg white, taking care to get egg white in between the petals for an even pressing, then press the flower into the cookie. The delicate petals may curl up, but smooth them down with your finger. When the flower is as flat as possible, use the paintbrush to brush a thin coating of additional egg white over the entire surface of the cookie. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of the turbinado sugar. Transfer the flower-topped cookies back to the
baking sheets as you work.
Return the cookies to the oven and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
*Note: Make sure to purchase edible, untreated, organic flowers for this, or grow your own. Keep in mind, the colors of the flowers you select will darken as you bake them, giving an antique color effect.
Recipe and Photography shared from Food with Friends by Leela Cyd. Published by Clarkson/Potter Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
