feelin saucy

here are a couple of shots for your monday from a shoot i did for a client who is using the images for wall art. each image will be approximately 5 foot square.  they should be pretty fun.  all of the shots are food related and here we have the much under used in the states, hp sauce, along with some sardines packed in a bbq sauce.  both images were shot with a ring flash which can be oh so addicting to use... 

deep purple

i've never been a huge fan of grape flavored anything - popsicles, gum, cough syrup, jelly. it's not my thing. but when i saw this grape jam tart recipe in the october issue of martha stewart living something made me want to try it. the jam almost didn't make it into the tart because it was so good on it's own that i wanted to slather it all over buttered toast or just eat it with a spoon. i don't have a non-fluted tart pan so i made it in a vintage pie tin and it still turned out great. serve a slice at room temperature with a dollop of creme fraiche or plain yogurt and enjoy!

Concord Grape Jam Tart

(from martha stewart living october 2008)

crust:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup ice water

in a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt. add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. with the machine running, slowly add water until mixture begins to form a ball. remove and shape into 2 disks. wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

jam:

1 1/2 lbs concord grapes, stems removed

3 tbs lemon juice

1 cup sugar

salt

1 egg

1/4 cup coarse sugar for sprinkling, like turbinado

combine grapes and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over high heat. cook, stirring frequently, until grapes release their juices, about 7 minutes. strain through a fine sieve. return juice to saucepan over high heat, stir in sugar and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer until temperature reaches 220 degrees. transfer to a bowl and cool.

on a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. transfer one round into tart pan or pie tin and trim edges flush with pan. place other round on a sheet pan lined with parchment and freeze both for 15 minutes. 

preheat oven to 375 degrees. spread about 1 cup of grape jam in bottom of pan. brush top edge of dough with 1 beaten egg. slide the remaining dough round on top and press edges to seal. trim excess dough and crimp with a fork. brush top with egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. refrigerate for 30 minutes. bake tart for 15 minutes, then gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles and return to oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown. cool on a wire rack.

one year

happy first anniversary to us! can't believe how quickly a year has flown by already but it's been a nice one. these are two polaroids we took on our honeymoon in kauai - oh to be lounging in the pool with a mai tai in hand.

in season

i adore the taste of figs and goat cheese together. here's a really simple but delicious appetizer or snack to fix while fresh figs are available. you could use any kind of bread, cheese and jam you have on hand but this was an exceptionally tasty combination and i'm loving the balsamic sweet onion jam we just picked up at williams-sonoma! enjoy.

Fig & Goat Cheese Crostini

1 loaf walnut & currant bread

4 oz goat cheese, room temperature

1 jar balsamic sweet onion jam

1 basket fresh figs, washed and quartered

Toast 1/4-inch thick slices of bread until golden and cut into small squares or circles. Spread with about 1 tbs goat cheese and top with 1 tsp jam and a piece of fig.

chambord and ginger ale

our new drink is a tasty one.  even though the weather in most parts of the country is nearing winter, out west, its still hot as can be.  so here is a cool you down cocktail that can be enjoyed any time of year.  we made this with vodka, but if your a gin person, it will work as well.

glass with ice

2 oz vodka 

1 oz chambord

juice from 1/2 lime

top with ginger ale (about 4oz, but more if you please)

garnish with a lime

using top shelf vodka is always a must.  and this drink really tastes better if you can get your hands on a nice bottled ginger ale.  we used boylans, and its make such a difference. 

enjoy!

bowling green

lawn bowling is a sport all its own.  here are a few shots from a story i did for santa barbara magazine.  the classy men and women that play in santa barbara a few days a week make a sport that is surprisingly hard (in case you didn't know, the balls aren't round), look way too easy. this vintage vibe shows how wearing all white may be the coolest thing around.  if you have never played, take a trip to your local lawn bowling club and take a lesson from the pros!

farewell to summer

i have subjected my friends to different versions of corn salad all summer and i apologize that it took me so long to come up with this version - it is by far my favorite! although corn has almost disappeared from farmer's market, the tomatoes are looking more beautiful than ever and i still have many ripening on my patio. we actually have rain in the forecast for tomorrow so i consider this my farewell to summer salad. Enjoy!

Creamy Corn Salad

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut into chunks

1/2 ripe avocado, diced

2 ears corn, blanched and cut off the cob

1 cup garbanzo beans

juice of 1/2 lime

2-3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs white balsamic vinegar

1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled

salt & pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Stir well to combine and to distribute the avocado and goat cheese into a creamy coating for the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at room temperature.