Fava Bean and Fresh Corn Succotash

with Coriander Crusted Sea Bass

If you have never tried fava beans, an easy way to incorporate them into your dinner is to make a fresh summer succotash. Succotash is an American dish traditionally made with corn and lima beans. It was popular during the great depression because of its relatively inexpensive ingredients. Through the years it has been modified in all sorts of ways, taking on the preferences and cultures of the people making it. There are lots of Southwest style versions, and perhaps this recipe may appear to go in that direction, but really, it reflects the flavors of my Egyptian heritage.

stop and smell the peaches

Grilled Peach Salad with arugula, almonds, 
goat cheese and a White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Growing up, my parents in their frugality would often buy produce in bulk from roadside stands. It was just the three of us, yet whole boxes of whatever was in season were purchased, at a discount of course, and the challenge was to eat the whole box of peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, oranges, okra, or eggplant, before the contents went bad.  There were days in summer, where all we ate were peaches. 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Peaches. 

Honey Roasted Apricot Tart with Mascarpone Cream and Star Anise

When in season, grown locally, apricots can be heavenly.  But too often they are a let down. Many of the apricots we see here in the states come from California, grown for large produce buyers like the grocery store chains. Yes they look lovely and firm and large with their colorful velvety skin, but most often they taste like cardboard. This is because they are harvested well before the fruit's flavor has had a chance to develop. Apricots like these are disappointing.  To have a better chance of getting good taxing ones... buy them locally. This way they are able to stay on the tree longer. Whether it's at a farmer's market or fruit stand on the side of road, you'll have a much better chance of getting an apricot that actually tastes like an apricot.  If an apricot is good, it will blow you away with its flavor and fragrance. It will smell like you want it to taste. It will feel heavy for its size. A friend recently gave me a bag of perfectly ripe apricots from Tonasket. They were seriously amazing. Tender, fragrant, and the perfect balance between sweet and tart. This is what apricots should taste like. Unfortunately they did not last long enough to make it into the tart.

Perhaps, a little decadent for the first days of August, but what the hell. This is my third attempt at getting this recipe right. The thing about cooking, especially baking, is, just like anything, it takes practice. And patience. And being ok with getting it wrong.  My first two attempts at this were all wrong. The first one involved using a basic pie crust, which did nothing for the tart, with a filling as dense as mortar. The second attempt, involved a shortbread crust, and though delicious, fell apart and crumbled under weight of the filling. The third attempt, finally worked.  Pate Sucree (pronounced pat sue cray), a french sweet pastry crust ended up being the perfect fit. The crisp cookie like texture held up beautifully to the now lighter mascarpone filling, with a welcome sweetness that balanced out the acidity of the apricots. A star anise infused honey, drizzled on the apricots before a light roasting, gives them a unique flavor.

The Summer Day

I spent yesterday floating down the Little Spokane River. The birds were singing the most amazing songs, the tall grass reeds were blowing in the wind and the leaves in the trees rustled me into a happy dreamy daze. We all need a day like this.  A day of rest.  I closed my eyes and just listened.

Summer is here in the Northwest, marked by the arrival of the cherries. They are lovely with their shiny jewel colored skins.  For a wonderful month or so they appear, and then before you know it, gone. A short sweet life.  There is a line in Mary Oliver's famous poem, The Summer Day, which comes to mind. Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? She too must have been thinking about the cherries.