ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Here’s what’s been happening in my food world this week…it’s all about celebrating my favorite eat-in-the-backyard summertime foods…

Watermelon Juice: When I was in college in LA, I used to drive across town to pick up a watermelon juice slushy from the cafe at Fred Segal. It was nothing but freshly squeezed watermelon juice and crushed ice, like an all-natural slurpee, but it was heavenly. I was dreaming of it over the weekend when I realized, hello! It’s so simple that I can make it at home! Here’s a how-to on the topic over at Chow.

Food Should Taste Good Chips: You have probably seen these chips at your local grocery store, but having just worked my way through an Olive bag, I thought it was time to give them another shout-out. They are so GOOD, and I like knowing that they are made with straight forward ingredients including non-GMO corn. They have some new flavors out this summer and I’m itching to try the Yellow Corn Chips. Perhaps with this Grilled Tomato Salsa that they have a recipe for on their website. Or with…

Cantaloupe Salsa: Which also sounds like a winner. This was posted on Smitten Kitchen earlier this week and I think it sounds like just the thing for a grilled quesadilla, or just to keep some chips company.

How to Grill the Perfect Burger: The meat genius’ at Lobels recently published their Meat Bible with 319 pages of useful information about every kind and cut of meat you can image. I recently spent some time with the book and was truly impressed—and I also quickly realized how little I know about meat, particularly when it comes to the best way to cook it. (Was I the only one raised on overcooked, hockey-puck style burgers?) Luckily for all of us, they have a terrific tutorial on their website on how to cook a perfect burger (as well as one for steaks and roasts), so fire up the grill and invite some friends over!

Irresistible Ice Cream Desserts Contest: Our friends over at Mixing Bowl are hosting a contest looking for the best original recipe featuring ice cream. What’s in it for you? The chance to win $250 and, just as importantly, some motivation to play around with ice cream! The contest is open through August 18th.

Ashley, along with her parents Kim and Benny (and her brother Taylor when he’s home visiting) hold some fantastic events at their winery, Laurel Gray, in the Swan Creek Region of the Yadkin Valley in the western part of North Carolina. One Friday each month from April through October they hold a “Farm Fresh Friday” where they pair their wines with appetizers made from the organic produce grown on their land and dairy and eggs from a nearyby farm. It’s $15 and it includes a tour of the herb garden and some of their 9.5 planted acres of French Vinifera varieties including Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Pinot Gris. This sounds like a perfectly fine way to spend a summer evening to me, particularly since I enjoy this artisanal take on a cheese log!

Goat Cheese Log
Makes 20 bite-sized pieces

6 oz. of fresh Chevre goat cheese, divided into two equal parts
1 c. fresh finely chopped pecans
1 tsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped fine (orange mint or chocolate mint works best)
1/3 c. of local honey (we like sourwood honey the best)
1 pint of fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries
Buttery round crackers
Fresh mint leaves for garnish

1. Form each portion of goat cheese into a log about 6 inches long and then roll in chopped pecans.
2. Slice each log into 10 pieces and place each into the center of a cracker. Top with a sprinkle of chopped mint leaves and a drizzle of honey. Serve on a plate with a couple of fresh berries per cheese appetizer. Garnish with mint leaves.

Note: You may prepare the cheese logs up to one day before hand but don’t place onto crackers or add the mint and honey until just before serving.

I spent last weekend in Ocean City, which is in the southern region of the Jersey Shore. I’ve been going there for nearly my whole life and to me, the place is synonymous with the beach (obvs), Mack and Mancos pizza (white with tomato and broccoli, please!), Kohrs Bros custard (a twist cone), Johnson’s Caramel Corn (warm, and only the chunks) and Shrivers Salt Water Taffy (a company that’s been on the boardwalk for over 100 years that makes the best chocolate and coconut taffy). My family also takes full advantage of the fresh local produce from further inland, like blueberries (they are the best!), corn and tomatoes, but generally speaking, the town is more known for it’s boardwalk fare than anything else foodwise.

Until now.

There is a family about three blocks from us who started growing their own corn about a year or two ago along side their house. The first time I saw it, I was floored—they are growing corn? Here? Right by the sidewalk?! They can do that?!—and have been slightly obsessed with their yard ever since. I mean of course they can do this, and people have been growing their own food forever, but this is just not something I ever would have expected to see in a yard at the Jersey shore. Which makes me realize, in a very tangible way, that local food is no longer a trend. It’s how we’re really living.

When I took these images, the family wasn’t home, so I haven’t had a chance to get their story yet, but I do know that they have two rows of what I’m assuming is sweet corn. And it appears that they’ve staggered the planting so that the harvest doesn’t all come in at once. I am curious how they decided to grow this particular crop, and what the challenges are with it—but mostly I just want to know who they are so that we can be friends!