Ample Hills

This little ice cream stand in Brooklyn Bridge Park has really fabulous flavors. I am kicking myself for not trying to sooner. (I had my first cone there last week after passing it a million times.) We had their version of cookies and cream, which was incredible. There was some spice in the cookies, maybe marjoram, and the ice cream itself had some salt in it. It was just really, really tasty. Some of the crazier flavor options were stour and pretzel and one that was bourbon flavored with candied bacon. I will definitely be stopping there again after our next BBQ. 

Balsamic Glazed Salmon on a Cedar Plank

This is awesome! Jamie and I picked up two cedar planks a while back and hadn't gotten around to using them until last night. I wasn't sure it would make a huge difference, but wow, it definitely does! It gives the salmon this amazing, smokey, camp fire flavor. It was so, so good and I can't wait to try it again. I made a balsamic glaze to put on top which complemented it perfectly. You just have to soak the plank for at least an hour beforehand and you're ready to go. 

Zucchini Carbonara

I got out to Southampton Friday night and we didn't feel like going to the grocery store, but needed dinner. If you have eggs, bacon, parm, and onion (and pasta), you can make it. I went out to the garden and grabbed some zucchini and parsley to lighten it up a little. It was so easy and really tasty, and the zucchini gives it a bit of a summery bent - and it's a good way to use up zucchini if you have a lot.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

5 strips of bacon, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

2 small zucchini, cut into match sticks

1 large leek (or onion) thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup parm or pecorini

2 eggs

small handful of parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Pasta

Dinner Party Hors d'Oeuvres - Chicken Liver Pate and Caramelized Onions, St. Andre Cheese and Fig Butter

We had friends over for dinner last night and I made a nice little appetizer spread. My sister in law, Katie, gave Jamie this slate cheese board which is so fun if you have chalk because you can write out what everything is. I made this delicious chicken liver pate (but with half the butter - still amazing) and wanted to serve it with caramelized and slightly pickled onions, a la Vinegar Hill House. Yum! It was so delicious. Onion recipe below. I also picked up some fig butter from Trader Joe's and paired that with a wedge of St. Andre cheese and served it all with thin crostini. 

Garden - Week 21, August 2

Look at all that good stuff! We'll be eating delicious vegetarian meals all week.