Film Friday: So long, Summer

It’s Friday, which in most cases means I post some recent images I’ve taken on film.

Here are other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4.

6107465574_9401f7df0d_b

I really hesitated to put that title up there but really I think it is time to start saying goodbye. Not in the sense that it’s time for hot chocolate and apple pie but more to recognize that these warm days are fleeting and so we must really embrace each moment and squeeze in as much Summer activity as they can handle without bursting and spilling sunscreen and lemonade everywhere.

Next week’s forecast is telling us we are in for a very pleasant Summer send-off. Because of this and the longing to soak up a bit more of Summer, Gabe and I are proclaiming Monday and Tuesday as vacation days. No work, just family and sun. And quite possibly boat excursions, pony rides, slip and slides, cold cocktails and ice cream.

6107464928_1124ed7bf9_b

6106918709_af41fcb9ee_b

6107466582_a6cf70605c_b

So now I feel caught in between the stage of still relishing Summer while also looking back on the images of moments captured over the last few months. It’s a good way to say goodbye, by remembering the laughter, the joy and for appreciating what time we did have. While it is still here, if only for a couple more weeks, I plan to enjoy each bit of sun that warms me completely, I’ll long for that in January. I plan on cleaning up more sticky fingers and wiping chocolate ice cream stained faces. I plan on more tomatoes, zucchini, peaches, and corn.

6106920897_e470615c09_b

6107463602_5a5e90c646_b 6107463362_5a698244fe_b

6106917133_ef3ba03bae_b

And then, when all that is done I will greet Fall with it’s apples, squash, scarves, and cider with a genuine excitement. But for now, there’s still a bit more Summer to appreciate.

Fig and Plum Jam

A welcome addition to bread with soft cheese.

3 tart plums, roughly chopped

1 pound fresh figs, roughly chopped

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon ginger

2 cardamom pods, smashed

pinch salt

Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan with a small splash of water. Cook on medium until reduced and when placed on a plate that has been placed in a freezer, is the consistency of a slightly loose jam. About 15 minutes or so.

6107462810_2e0e08f9fc_b

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

  • 17 Comments /
  • Permalink

Nigel’s Yogurt Brulee

6092078852_e81424d8db_b

My preference is for pie in the morning. A deep dish loaded with seasonal fruit lightly sweetened with sugar wrapped in a buttery crust – a perfectly balanced meal I’d say.

I often wake up with the first thought of the morning leaning towards pastries. At home scones are practically a sixth member of the family. Softly sweet, tender and flaky. Warm with a bit of jam running down it’s sugary top.

If I’m not quite awake and ready to cut in cold butter with flour than I simply walk around the corner to our neighborhood bakery and choose from an assortment of fresh baked goods.

6091533605_18a97cae1b_b

With the lines happily blurred between breakfast and dessert in my mind it’s no wonder why I was so drawn to this breakfasty version of Creme Brulee.

Tangy and thick Greek yogurt is given the brulee treatment with a light dusting of sugar.

6091535567_3a6270fc0d_b

Let’s start from the beginning. The idea came from Nigel Slater, as many of my latest inspirations have. His book, Real Fast Food, is one of few books that I cook from again and again. Many pages are stuck together, glued shut from random cooking splatterings. Many pages are marked with recipes and ideas to try and I’ve had the book for not quite three weeks.  In this small photo-less book there are over 350 recipes – all of them simple, using few ingredients with most of which you probably have on hand. Some are mere guidelines as is the case of the one we are discussing currently.

6091536259_bb7df64428_b 6092077542_f49e0c1040_b

If you are using the broiler, stick the dish of sugared yogurt directly under the preheated broiler for about 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar caramelizes into a golden crust.

Top your breakfast brulee with more fresh berries. Now, of course this could also double as an elegant dessert. Simple, subtly sweet yet fancy and sophisticated as things are when they have a French name associated with them.

*For those who have asked (Hi, Crystal!) This is the torch I use.

6091536595_a64c78491b_b
Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner

Yogurt Brulee

Nigel says to use a small ramekin or a shallow dish that may be the perfect home for a quiche on another morning. In the bottom of your dish place a handful of berries. I happened to have raspberries, Nigel had blackberries. In an act of defiance I covered my berries with a few passes of honey. On top of the berries there is yogurt. Level the top with a fine coat of sugar. Torch or broil to get a caramel, crisp cap. From my formal brulee training we would coat the custard with three fine layers of sugar torching in between each passing. The result was a deeply caramelized, sturdy and dense sweet layer that shattered with a mighty plunge of the spoon. So that's what I did.

  • 60 Comments /
  • Permalink