Summer Lunches

Many of my summer lunches are alone;children are in camp or playing with friends.  I am come home from a morning of hot dirty labor at the Community Garden. My hunger,the availability of fresh food,and the freedom from caring for other people’s needs allows me to completely lose myself in my simple summer lunches.

Some of my favorites don’t need recipes:slices of Early Bird croton from Looking Glass Creamery eaten chunk by creamy,tangy chunk alongside slices of sweet peaches. The dry whiteness of the cheese next to the golden,wet slices of peach is beautiful to my eye and tastebuds.

Another favorite is a plate of fresh,coarsely chopped purslane,topped with slices of peeled and broiled peaches (takes less than five minutes to peel,slice and broil one or two peaches for the meal),drizzled with a sharp,bittersweet balsamic vinaigrette.

I eat these meals on the front porch,which lies on the West side of the house and is still breezy and cool at this time of day. I keep a red checkered table cloth my mom made on the table. It completes the feeling of grace. And I like the way the red looks against the walls of waxy dark green euonymous bushes and pale green lilac leaves.

Another favorite lunch which leaves me composing restaurant menus in its honor is crepes with sauteed veggies. I start by sauteeing slices of shallot in butter. Then I add assorted chopped vegetables–whatever I harvested that day. For example I might add minced chili peppers,quarter round slices of yellow squash (I keep the vegetables small so I can get a taste of each in each bite),chopped tomatillo,and quartered sungolds. I saute until the squash is tender and the tomatillos and tomatoes have just softened. I lay the saute in my crepe (I usually make extra when I make them for breakfast) and top with chevre chaud. Then I retire to the porch and eat slowly.