Eat Your Vegetables.. and Repeat-8/19/09

I don't know if there is such a thing as vegetable overload but tonight, I was close! I made the aptly named "Garden Party" menu from this month's Gourmet. With only one of the eight recipes containing meat, there was a lot of room for vegetables and even a few fruits. Summer is the best time for vegetables. Sadly, I've never been able to figure out how to grow anything in Georgia. A few years ago, I got a few cherry tomatoes and my rosemary plant has overtaken the herb pot but that's about it. I tried zucchini and summer squash a few times and it would look great until one day, I'd walk outside and the plants were totally dead. I have no idea why and it was so discouraging I haven't tried to grow a garden since. Maybe having a baby had something to do with it, too.

Back to my Garden Party... The menu began with Melon Coolers, a rift on Mexican aguas frescas. The pureed melon syrup that the recipe created had a super sweet cantaloupe flavor that mellowed with the addition of seltzer. I had to play around with the amount of syrup to seltzer to find a combination I liked and found the drink a bit more work than wow. In hindsight, I wonder what the syrup would have tasted like with a lemon-lime soda like Sprite.

The two starters, Radishes with Creamy Anchovy Butter and Cool Jade Soup, were very fresh and simple in flavor. The radishes were just that, radishes with butter mixed with anchovy paste. It was better than initial expectations but how many radishes can one eat in a sitting? I guess if you go by the serving size, that's one and a half. That's more in line with a tasting menu.The Cool Jade Soup was a lima and green bean soup with lots of herb flavor. I have never been a huge fan of cold soups but the flavor of this soup was quite good. It had a summery lightness but was flavored enough to be filling and interesting.

The Chive Shortcakes with Smoky Corn and Okra Stew was twist on the traditional chicken and biscuits. The shortcakes were light and had a good buttermilk bite. The stew was intentionally but not overwhelming smoky, combining the charred corn and the smoked turkey. I don't always get excited about okra, the whole slimy middle thing, but this vegetable really works in this stew. The milk and flour made a smooth gravy base for the stew but was not as heavy as cream would be.

The Baked Tomatoes with Hazelnut Bread Crumbs got very dark on top in the time recommended. I used "Uglyripe" tomatoes from the grocery store because they purported to have more flavor. I'm not sold. The dish was a bit bland but it may have been the fault of bland tomatoes. I had made the Pickled Baby Squash last Friday and let them deepen in flavor. These pickles were easy to make and great. They had just enough crunch and retained a unique squash flavor, more detectable than that of a cucumber. The Farmers Market Salad with Aged Gouda and Roasted Portabellas was simple salad with a few flavorful additions. The mushrooms and cheese added complexity and added to the smoky theme begun in the Chive Shortcakes.

The Yogurt Cake with Currant Raspberry Sauce was a moist white cake and the raspberry sauce added a rich tart note. I didn't find fresh currants but just doubled the raspberries as suggested. The frosting was insanely sweet, though. The sauce helped cut that but the intense amount of sugar almost hurt my teeth. Richard is taking the rest of the cake to work tomorrow. That will be the true test of its success.

Melon Coolers-C

Radishes with Creamy Anchovy Butter-B-

Cool Jade Soup-B

Chive Shortcakes with Smoky Corn and Okra Stew-A

Baked Tomatoes with Hazelnut Bread Crumbs-B-

Pickled Baby Squash-A

Farmers Market Salad with Aged Gouda and Roasted Portabellas-B

Yogurt Cake with Currant Raspberry Sauce-B