Monthly Archives: July 2016
Summer is here, which means it’s time to serve a few cool dishes. This Summer Berry Salad with Basil and Lemon Fraiche is refreshing, and tasty. It’s easy to prepare, and will surely please your family and guests!
When I graduated from culinary school, I went knife shopping. I had saved up $150.00 (from my $6.75 per hour first cooking job), and was ready to buy a high-quality chef’s knife. I can remember strolling into Williams Sonoma, and drooling at all of the shiny knives through the glass panel. The salesperson happily opened the locked door, and I began my search. After handling a dozen knives, I decided on a Henckels 8-inch chef’s knife because I liked the balance, and it felt right in my hand. I used that knife for 8 years (before I bought another one). It survived many drops, mishaps, and thousands of passes over a sharpening stone.
Sand Hill Berries, one of the vendors at the market, was my first stop. The berries they had on display vibrant, and looked wonderful. In addition to pints of fresh blackberries, there were black and red currants. Also on display were Sand Hill’s baked goods. Merle, the friendly worker urged me to try the currants, “They’re tangy, and become sweet when cooked.” Emmariah, another Sandhill Berries employee, began opening boxes of their baked goods, explaining to me how fresh all of the ingredients were that are used in their preparation. I had purchased pies from this booth before, and was very pleased with the product.
Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish of dry-cured salmon marinated in herbs. There are many variations- some are savory, while others are sweet and tangy. Gravlax with Absolute Citron takes only a few minutes to prep, but requires 24 hours to cure.
