Well. The fall equinox has came and went and summer is officially at an end. Winter is Coming.
As I did some quick Googling to find out more about the significance of the equinox is, I found this amazing thing that happens in Chich’en Itza on the equinoxes. The Maya designed the Kekulcan pyramid, dedicated to the feathered serpent god, so that on the autumnal and vernal equinoxes, the light lands on the pyramid so perfectly that it appears that a snake is descending the pyramid on its way to the underworld. It is otherworldly and amazing – check out more on Atlas Obscura.
Unfortunately, Brooklyn doesn’t offer anything nearly as mystical as Chich’en Itza. And since this blog is dedicated to the love of food, we will spend this time reminiscing over some of our favorite recipes this summer.
Six Season’s Roasted Pepper Panzanella
We got the Six Seasons cookbook this summer and its been pretty awesome for ideas on how to use our CSA produce. This one was an instant hit – we are already a sucker for all things Italian food, and this one knocked it out of the park. Crispy, jagged croutons, fresh roasted red peppers, quality soppressata from The Meat Hook… damn. Really love this salad.
Six Season’s Tomato Melon Hot Chile Salad w/ Burrata
This summer may have been the first time we experimented putting melon and tomatoes together. I was skeptical at first – but the sweetness of the melon really goes perfectly with tomatoes. I forget who said this – but I read from someone much smarter than me, that usually, things that grow together (at the same time of the year) usually taste good together. This salad is a perfect example of that. Mmmm I will miss you, salad. Thank you for your service.
Corn
Ugh, what’s better than summer corn? Cook it my Dad’s method – boil for anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes. Time is a construct! Corn is apparently indestructible. And don’t forget to serve with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. An old Aldridge trick.
(In reality, I would probably recommend steaming for like 10 minutes)
NYTimes’ Pork Ribs
We went out to my parents for a few weeks this summer and my dad got fixated on these ribs. They were on the front page of the NYTimes Food Section and we were making them. So naturally, we picked up some ribs from The Meat Hook, stole some charcoal holders from our vacationing neighbors and got the ribs going. Damn these were so good. Nothing better than sitting in the backyard, eating ribs and drinking a gin and tonic. Summer at its finest.
Tomato & Mozzarella
I think we’ll end this post with the classic caprese salad. Every summer, I look forward to this, and one of my favorite parts of summer meals at my parents is a giant tray of tomato & mozzarella (the above was for 3 people…), with a big loaf of Italian semolina bread.
We had this as an appetizer at Zak & I’s rehearsal dinner at my parent’s house the night before our wedding and I still remember happily eating like 3 sandwiches, chattering away with family, and getting ready to get married.
So long summer meals. See you next year.
– Jane
Jane & Zak: Meal Prepping from Williamsburg, Brooklyn 