put it all out there

*hydrangea from the garden and all the food I had for the week*

In the spirit of celebrating waning summer weekends, let’s put it all out there with food & drink.

Last Sunday afternoon after a weekend away I stopped at the grocery and gathered provisions for the next three evening meals before heading out to the country house. Thinking I was headed to calm and quiet only to find family and friends, blessed. These kids and theirs truly like hanging out with us. Maybe it’s the wine cellar, maybe it’s the pool, maybe it’s the food, no matter, it’s good.

*kitchen fun, do they come for the wine?*

*Sarah smile in the kitchen yet she’s not going near those live lobsters*

*I cut the chicken breasts and the steaks in half, we had a crew*

To feed the crew simply cooked up ALL that I had: lobsters, steaks, chicken. Corn. Peach summer pudding. (we call it ‘pudding’ as Sarah and I spent time with the Brits this summer and all things sweet at the end of the meal were called ‘pudding’).

For summer pudding I take any kind of ripe fruit, slice or stone it and put it in a baking dish. Throw a cup or so of flour together with some brown sugar or white sugar or whatever we’ve got, add a teaspoon or two of vanilla and good kosher salt, and then cut in a stick or so of butter or whatever I’m feeling and then dump it all on top of the fruit and bake it away in a hot oven while dinner is served. After dinner whip up a carton of cream, sweeten that too a little, and line up the plates and serve. I usually do whipped cream as we live too far away to get the ice cream home safely. Maybe I should travel with a cooler, smile emoji.