Summer Style in Late July

Norman Rockwell

The water is warm. I only exclaim once going in. I put this sauce together this morning (using my garden's basil and oregano!) and my hands smell of garlic. I don't remember the last time I prepared pasta. There are good garden treasures to prepare with pasta during the summer. I just finished roasting my fifth large zucchini that Gloria gave me from her sister's garden, which I ate alone or in a salad. I have six ears of corn in my vegetable drawer.

I finished my jar of apricot jam this morning on seedy toast. Apricot jam is my preferred jam. We grew up on strawberry freezer jam. It can't be beat. My father spread it on waffles instead of syrup. I adore the sweetened tartness of the apricot. It never disappoints. Homemade jam is a superb gift. I don't make jam because of the alarming amount of sugar. I would rather not know.

Yesterday at the beach I finished a very exciting book about art crime. The author recovered stolen Norman Rockwells in Brazil, investigated the Gardner theft (the single largest property theft in recorded history, valued at $500 million), and taught me about golden eagle feathers in Native American art and that there are 14 original Bills of Rights. Along with the expected stolen masterpieces from Rembrandt and the usual host of French artists, it is a satisfying read.

Remember?

The castle of Cair Paravel on its little hill towered up above them; before them were the sands, with rocks and little pools of salt water, and seaweed, and the smell of the sea and long miles of bluish-green waves breaking for ever and ever on the beach. And oh, the cry of the sea-gulls! Have you heard it? Can you remember?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I don't know about you but it seems awfully summertime to me. My interest in seasonal food is renewed. Having come across tomato pie in a plethora of cookbooks, you can be sure I'll try it this summer. Also on the hotplate would be coleslaw with celery seed. I just found a nice recipe in The Junior League at Home, Carolina Coleslaw with Celery Seed Dressing. No mayo but the dressing is boiled. And, it calls for cider vinegar. As I am a sucker for marinated cabbage, the Mango-Cabbage Slaw is also a draw. Since we're talking salad, Virginia Bicentennial Chicken Salad is making me hungry. Soy sauce and water chestnuts are involved as are pineapple tidbits.

And, since we're talking cookbooks, I am under the influence of Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets. There is a very seasonal creation I plan to see to fruition. My days are filled with the question, "when?" It is a mite involved from crust to pastry cream to orange marshmallows to strawberries at their peak. My current radar is programmed to find potato starch to dust the marshmallow pans. Once found, I will be on my way.