When Foodies Gather

This is what happens when foodies (and bloggers) get together. I love that we can throw together a last minute cookout on a warm summer night and have it turn out amazing. Everyone looked cute, we had a lovely backyard space to grill, and it was a much needed finish to a crazy week. Our potlucks tend to be coordinated, but really with very little effort an anyone’s part–we just sort of declare in a series of short e-mails what we feel like making. Tonight: Chicken under a brick by Liz, a mayo-less potato salad from me, farmer’s market green beans with red onions and almonds from Madoline, and a fresh corn salad with pecans and feta from Amy. Bea’s brownies from Bri for dessert, and most importantly:Whisky Sours with Liz’s homemade sour mix–kind of a concentrated, citrusy simple syrup with a perfect hint of fresh ginger. She develops and styles for Paula Dean Magazine, so naturally these would be served in mason jars. Very easy to get carried away with these. Maybe our group has some extraordinary mojo that makes this happen (I think we’re all just talented cooks), but it shows that you can elevate any typical cookout to something cater-worthy in no time. Any excuse to sip whiskey at sunset with friends works for me.

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Strawberry Picking (again)

Strawberry season came about two months early because of the crazy warm weather, so we headed back out to Witt Farms in Hayden to pick as many as we possibly could. Remember the last time we went? Here they are plump on the vine (yes, I ate about every other one I picked).Friends included Madoline and Natalie, as well as Brianne (birthday girl), Amy, and Kari. Amy working hard…others not so much. Overall, another big haul to go with kosher for Passover cake, blend for smoothies or jam…and a bonus! Giant sweet onions, 3 for a dollar, pulled right out of the ground and handed to us. We’ll be back for blackberries soon.

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Ooey, Gooey (Light?!?) Brownies

Being a food nerd let’s me say things like, “the science of baking is truly fascinating,” without being locked away for observation. But just think about it. Every recipe considers factors we could only guess at–the reactions between dry and wet ingredients, the effects of a temperamental oven. We never have to worry about that. David Lebovitz once said that he doesn’t quite know why people find baking so difficult. You just dump, stir, and toss in the oven, right? Right.So why tempt fate by boasting that you can take a proven recipe for something obviously decadent and make it lighter? I’m not talking applesauce fillers and Splenda substitutes here. This is the real deal. See Cooking Light’s recipe here. I think they succeed by changing up the method: by melting chocolate with milk and mixing with melted butter before adding to the dry, you can keep things dense and fudgy, not dry and cakey, in the oven, without relying on another two sticks of butter. I dare you to find the difference between these and any other fudgy brownie. I forgot to get a finished picture of these, so imagine this pan, only done-er. Ate the last one for breakfast this morning, but did a better job of sharing this time–a rewarding snack for me and Madoline after our hike at Ruffner Mountain.

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Blueberry Picking

July in Alabama means two things: one, you start to sweat as soon as you step out of the shower, and two, it is peak blueberry season. My foodie gal pals and I (remember Natalie and Madoline from such adventures as strawberry picking and Pie Lab?) headed down to Bear Mountain Blueberry Farm in Clay, AL on Sunday to pick as many as we possibly could.

I should say that, by now, Madoline, Natalie and I have a routine. We e-mail back and forth, sussing out the right day and time, what the temperature might be, what to do with our spoils. Then we meet with water bottles, bug spray, cameras, and a trusty GPS or two, and head out. I love going back to my inbox and seeing subject heads like “Blueberry picking?” “Possible blueberry farm?” and “This Sunday!”Madoline marvels at how much we can pick for only $5. If the place weren’t charming enough (little painted signs of grannies with canes warning you to slow down on the entrance road), the entire operation is on the honors system. You park, grab a bucket, and there’s change if you need it and plastic bags to take the berries home in. Here’s the sign up close:

Then you head down the rows and get started. It took a while to fill a bucket, and not just because we ate about every other blueberry we picked. The giant ones were sweetest and hanging from the top of the trees. These tend to split first, but we found enough that were picture perfect. Anything with a slightly red hue will be very sour. Madoline even found some wild blackberries–watch your legs here…thorns!

I ended up with 3 pint containers and 4 big ziplocs full. A trick: to freeze, spread the berries in a single layer in your ziploc back and lay flat in the freezer (otherwise they’ll all clump together). Plans for eating? Loving them so far on vanilla ice cream with a little maple syrup, in smoothies with peach and banana, perhaps more muffins? We’ll see.

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Strawberry Picking, or Berry Bliss Part 2

One of the great things about Alabama is that you’re less than an hour away from lots of great U-Pick farms. You, the picker, get about 4 times as much produce for the price, plus the satisfaction of plucking something straight from the earth (and often right into your mouth). The farmers love to have you as it’s less work for them, and otherwise most of that beautiful product would just rot on the vine. You get ultimate quality control (no settling for a pint with two mushy remainders at the bottom), a cute basket, and fun with friends.  What could be better than that?

Of course, I went with my awesome adventurous foodie pals, Madoline and Natalie. Remember them from our trip to Pie Lab? Madoline got an extra basket for her family, her brother’s graduation party, and possibly enough jam to last a few years…

Natalie and I had bright red hands from all the juices, though I was the only one who got it all over my clothes. A discreet ax murderer, I would not be.

We went to Witt Farms in Hayden, AL, about a 50 minute drive from Birmingham. They open from 7 AM to 12, before it gets too hot. I asked the woman in charge if they had any damage and she said they were lucky, just a few trees down near the house.

The strawberries were huge, sweet, floral…how do you describe something  that’s so much better than what you always thought it tasted like?I picked until my basket overflowed ($9 for whatever fits in there). I washed a bunch and brought them to a birthday party later that day. They were an instant hit and I believe made me a few new friends. Just goes to show, when you have something as simple and delicious as this, the best thing to do with them is absolutely nothing.  I gave a few to my mom (Happy Mother’s Day!) will give more to the couple I babysit for, freeze some for smoothies and happily eat the rest.

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