Jacques of all Trades

Among the weekend’s culinary highlights: make your own lettuce wraps, which are likely to be a go-to dish this summer!  The dish is super easy to make, and can be done without turning on any heat source in the kitchen, if you premake/buy your sauces, and you are not opposed to grabbing a $6-10 rotisserie chicken. 

It’s infinitely customizable, but we start with:

-bibb/boston/butter lettuce,

-a rotisserie chicken,

-julienned carrots and cukes,

-fresh cilantro, peanuts, lime,

and the sauce or sauces of your choice (homemade peanut sauce in this case, but ponzu, plum, sriracha, nuoc Cham, or many others would work well).

Jersey fresh produce, and other delights, for good summer eats!

Summer is for summer league basketball. (Watching the Tombs play at Kenner League in Georgetown’s McDonough gym).

You know it’s a bad sign when the exhaust air from the a/c is cooler than the outside air!

Lovely

Summery treat: caprese salad and grilled baguettes; aka, make-your-own bruschetta.

Summer is for grilling

Well this weather forecast sure looks pleasant…

I love summer salad season… can’t wait for dinner!

Fingerling potato salad, with mustard seeds, leeks, white wine vinegar, and olive oil. 

And a lightly-pickled cucumber salad, w/ dill, vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper.

gastrogirl:

prosciutto and veggie sandwiches.

This looks like a delicious thing to try before the summer vegetables are gone for good! (click photo for recipe).

Tonight’s dinner: dry-rubbed salmon tacos with avocado-tomatillo slaw, (and corn on the cob, and black bean, corn and jicama salad).

Liz knocked this Food & Wine recipe out of the park, per usual, as the bit of coffee in the dry rub really adds a nice subtle touch to the salmon.

Dry-Rubbed Salmon Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Slaw (via FoodandWine)

1. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
2. 1 teaspoon chili powder
3. 1 teaspoon brown sugar
4. 1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee
5. Salt and freshly ground pepper
6. Two 8-ounce skinless, center-cut salmon fillets
7. Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
8. 2 tomatillos, husked and quartered
9. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
10. 1 small jalapeño, seeded and quartered
11. 1 garlic clove
12. 6 tablespoons sour cream
13. 1 ripe Hass avocado—halved, peeled and pitted
14. 4 cups finely shredded red and green cabbages (12 ounces)
15. 8 corn tortillas
16. Hot sauce and lime wedges, for serving
    
    

1. In a small bowl, stir the cumin with the chili powder, brown sugar and coffee. Season generously with salt and pepper. Brush the salmon fillets with olive oil and dredge them in the spice mixture.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, puree the tomatillos with the cilantro, jalapeño and garlic until smooth. Add the sour cream and process until smooth, then add the avocado and pulse until creamy. Transfer the dressing to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the cabbage and toss to coat.

3. Preheat the oven to 300°. Preheat a grill pan. Lightly brush each tortilla with olive oil. Stack the tortillas and wrap them in foil. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, brush the grill pan with olive oil and grill the salmon fillets over high heat, turning once, until nearly cooked through, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate and flake with a fork.

4. Fill the tortillas with the salmon. Top with the cabbage slaw and serve right away with the hot sauce and lime wedges.

(Click the photo for recipes)

Is there a bad way to eat tomatoes?

eatingelephants:

littlelaur:

heirloom tomatoes by bittman. summer goodness. get it while you can. | via edatrix 

Reblogging for future reference. 

Ten days of DC weather and only a few jaunts into the 90’s? I’ll take it!

Not to mention the bonus of lows dropping into the low 70’s each night…

Hot summer nights, indeed.

world-shaker:

The new map shows the location of each of the almost 9,000 daily heat records that were broken or tied in July, giving a nearly complete image of the lower 48 states. The records include 2,755 highest maximum temperatures and 6,171 highest minimum temperatures (nighttime records).

(via July 2011 Heat Wave Breaks 9,000 Heat Records | Think on That!)

I wasn’t sure how yesterday’s panzanella (grilled bread salad) would hold up for lunch today, but it turned out great.  Peppers, squash and onions held their flavor and the ciabbata chunks weren’t soggy at all.