Merci Madame: June 2011

Business

Blazer: Madewell. Shirt: Haute Hippie. Coat: Zara. Shorts: Alice + Olivia. Shoes: Loeffler Randall. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Bow: AA. Jewelry: David Yurman, Michele, Pomellato, Jcrew, Gap, Lydell NYC, Max&Chloe.

The Colors of Summer with Tomato Crumble and White Peach, Lychee and Red Berry Pops

As I was saying...

I love summer. But mostly, I love the summers in cooler climates. I long for the crisp morning sun, afternoon naps with the windows wide open, just like I remember. I don't mind the heat, but I do need a break from it.

I am obsessed with all the reds, different ranges of blues, turquoise... The color of crushed berries and the ocean.

I took the day off from work one morning last week. I packed a picnic to take to the beach with the kids. Manchego and membrillo sandwiches, fresh cherries, and slices of olive oil cake. The beach was nearly empty and the skies threatened rain. Perfect really.

But it was also very, very hot. So hot that after an hour, Jon complained about it. "Can we go home now? It's just too hot amatxu!"

I couldn't agree more.

When we arrived home, we decided to just have our picnic under the tree behind our house. A quick one as the midday heat was still menacing.

I pulled out some savory crumble from the freezer and mixed it with black cherry tomatoes and sliced Brillat Savarin. Remember this heirloom tomato and almond crumble tart from last year? Something similar.

In 15 minutes we had tomato crumble, cheese sandwiches, and fresh cherries. As fast as we ate it, we were back inside.

The kids were running around in the kitchen. Restless. Jon chasing after Miren, always trying to get some kind of reaction from her. It was chaos and sometimes the only way I get to keep them quiet is by letting them help me cook.

"Bring your chair Jon" I asked him. He stood next to me as I was peeling the white peaches and the lychees. "I will help you with those red ones" he said. I don't think he had ever seen a lychee until that day and by the look on his face as he tried to peel one, he was not a fan.

"It will be good, I promise" I assured him.

We blended the peaches, lychees and yogurt to make some faux ice cream pops.

I don't think we left the air-conditioned house the rest of the afternoon. Lots of crayons, sheets and sheets of paper, a game or two of Go Fish, and some popsicles.

I suppose we are creating summer memories as is.

On another note, I am super excited to tell you about our feature in the new special summer issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. A party we threw at our friends Lena and Ted's house with lots of food, some fishing, and pool time. I styled it and it was beautifully photographed by the amazing John Kernick. I hope you have a chance to pick it up. It is full of wondeful summer stories.

Thank you!

White Peach, Lychee, and Raspberry Pops

Makes 8 popsicles

1 cup (125 g) raspberries
1/4 cup (50 g) natural cane sugar
2 white peaches, peeled, pit removed, and diced
6 fresh lychees, peeled and pit removed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup (50 g) caster sugar
1 1/2 cups (175 g) full-fat, Greek-style yogurt

Start by placing your molds in the freezer.

Cook the raspberries and cane sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and let it cool completely. Once cooled, pour in the popsicle molds coating the sides. Return molds to freezer.

In a blender, puree the white peaches, lychees, lemon juice, caster sugar, and yogurt. Pour in the popsicle molds and freeze until solid.

To serve, run hot water on the sides of the mold to help release the pops.

Rain Delay

Jacket: Missoni. Dress worn as shirt: c/o La Dress. Shorts: c/o Buffalo. Shoes: Loeffler Randall. Purse: YSL. Scarf: H&M. Belt: Jcrew. Lips: YSL. Jewelry: David Yurman, Pomellato, Michele, Gap, BR, Lydell.

Summer Heat

I love summer.

As far as I can remember, it has always been my favorite season (well... maybe right after autumn). I love its colors, the fruit, the long and lazy days, sunshine, water... But Florida is hot. Really hot, which means outdoor activities are kept to a minimum. Instead we try to find ways of staying busy indoors and take abundant trips to the pool.

We also make lots of ice cream.

I will share this recipe with you soon, but in the meantime, I wanted to say hello.

Hope summer is good to you!

Vacay

Dress: Zara. Sweater: Zara. Shoes: Michael Kors. Purse: DIY American Apparel. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Jewelry: David Yurman, Pomellato, BR, GAP, Jcrew, Lydell, Michele, Max&Chloe. Nails: OPI Havana Dream. Lips: YSL.

Lights Out

Dress: c/o Alice Yim. Jacket: Club Monaco. Shoes: Givenchy. Purse: Chanel. Sunglasses: Chloe. Necklace: Kenneth Jay Lane Couture. Ring: Pomellato.

Palms

Dress: Emilio Pucci. Blazer: Diane Von Furstenberg. Trench: Gap. Shoes: Ash. Sunglasses: Icing. Coral Bracelet: c/o Tiffany Chou. Jewels: David Yurman, Pomellato, Gap, BR, Stella&Dot, Lydell, Max&Chloe. Nails: Milani Juicy Glo.

Mellow Yellow

Top: RL. Jacket: Theory. Scarf: Jcrew. Skirt: c/o Ruche. Shoes: Rag & Bone. Sunglasses: Karen Walker. Bag: Vintage LV. Hat: H&M. Jewelry: David Yurman, Pomellato, Jcrew, Gap, BR, c/oAccessorize. Lips: Make Up Forever Professionals. Nails: Milani Juicy Glo.

When Coriander Made It Into Our Ice Cream

It is hot. In the 100s hot.

I am counting down the days when we will be traveling to Vermont and later to the Basque Country. Meanwhile, we continue to eat cherries and all sorts of berries by the handful.

And then, there are ice creams and sorbets.

"Can you help me pick these green seeds from this cilantro plant?" I asked Jon a few weeks ago. "See the flowers? That means there will be no more cilantro leaves". "Is the cilantro dead?" he asked with a concerned look on his face. "No, not dead, but we will not be cooking with the leaves now. Instead we will use the seeds".

I love a beautiful flowering cilantro plant. So delicate and dainty.

We collected the green coriander seeds and laid them out to dry. I add them to anything these days.

Last week, I received a new book in the mail. A book dedicated to all things ice cream. Just what I crave at the moment.

Written by Jeni Britton Bauer, who owns Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, the book is photographed by Stacy Newgent whose work I have admired for a long time. I sat down with it over the weekend and bookmarked nearly every page.

Then I came across the coriander and raspberry ice cream.

Instant swoon.

Inspired by this flavor combination, I quickly began making my own version. Coriander-scented cheesecake ice cream with chunky raspberry sauce swirled all throughout.

I toasted the coriander seeds that Jon had helped me pick weeks before and steeped them in the milk. Subtle, but enough to make the cheesecake ice cream pop.

I couldn't stop licking the spatula.

Could you?

On Sunday, after we went swimming and while everyone relaxed, I cooked a batch of fruit en papillote (remember this one?) with vanilla bean, a touch of grated ginger, and lemon thyme.

Red and golden raspberries, frozen red currants, red velvet apricots, and rainier cherries. So light and fragrant.

Served the fruit with the coriander and raspberry swirl cheesecake ice cream.

A dollop of cream. Extra raspberry sauce on top.

And the leftovers? The leftovers were turned into milkshakes.

Miren approved.

Coriander and Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream

Raspberry Sauce

2 cups (260 g) raspberries
3/4 cups (150 g) natural cane sugar

Place raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat until thick, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Coriander Cheesecake Ice Cream

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
3/4 cup (185 ml) whole milk
8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz (225 g) crème frâiche
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs (125 g) caster sugar

In a small skillet, toast the coriander seeds over medium high heat until fragrant. Coarsely crush them (do not turn them into a fine powder).

Combine the coriander and milk in a small sauce pan. Bring to a light simmer, turn off the heat, and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the seeds.

In the food processor, pulse the cream cheese, crème frâiche, sugar, and milk together until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour.

Churn the ice cream in your machine according to manufacturers instructions. When it is finished, swirl in half of the raspberry sauce and reserve the rest as a topping. Freeze until solid.