Brilliant cocktail: the Sungold Zinger.

Last night, when I met a friend for drinks at Range I was fully prepared to order my usual Junipero gin martini -up-with-grapefruit-twist. Yay for well stocked bars. I'd been thinking about it this twist for hours, how the whiff of citrus oil floats across the first sip.

The Range bartenders are amazing, and their specials menu is always worth a gander. You should never, ever go there though. You'll take up all the seats at my 'private' bar and I'll be sad. My fantasy martini never had a chance, as the special menu listed a Sungold Zinger. Perhaps you're not aware that it's Yellow Tomato Week at Rachel. I watched the bartender make them all night, enchanted. I also drank a glass of rosato, a bourbon-based Bit-O-Honey, some bitters, and a glass of champagne. I should have just drank four more Sungold Zingers.

Please make these at home and don't crowd up my neighborhood bar. Thanks.

Sungold Zinger
3-4 Sungold cherry tomatoes
Pinch of sea salt
2 tsp agave surup
2 oz 209 gin
Ice

In a shaker, muddle tomatoes with sea salt. Add agave syrup, gin, and enough ice to fill the shaker. Shake like crazy. Strain through a fine strainer into a martin glass and garnish with a Sungold.

Summertime chili.

CIMG1608, originally uploaded by johnyo.

Last night I was challenged with a kitchen full of Alemany farmers market and Farm Fresh to You peppers and tomatoes, but not wanting any of the usual things. I'm officially (after a zillion delicious variations) ratatouilled out. For now.

I also had three treasures: two cups of hand ground wheat flour from Eatwell Farms, four ears of sweet sweet corn and a pound of hand-hulled first-of-season fresh black eyed peas. I wanted chili, but it seemed too heavy for the sunny Mission day in San Francisco. What I had in mind was a brothy, fresh yellow chili and little savory sweetcorn pancakes.

Here is what I made...

Summertime Chili
Saute until soft in a large soup pot:
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tbs salt
2 leeks, diced
3 stalks celery, diced

Cook separately:
2 cups black eyed peas (dry or fresh, cook according to instructions)

Add to the soup pot:
8 c water
4-5 medium yellow heirloom tomatoes, diced
3 ears sweet corn, cut off the cob
3 c mixed color sweet peppers, cut into thin strips

Bring to a boil, add the cooked beans and:
2 pints mixed variety cherry tomatoes, halved

Return to a boil, adjust seasonings and serve with assorted toppings:
plain yogurt, guacamole, fresh cilantro, chipotle powder, grated cheese, pickled peppers and sweet corn pancakes (recipe follows.)

Sweetcorn Pancakes
1 cob sweet corn
2 Tbs butter

2 c whole wheat flour (hand ground is the most fun!)
2 c cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

2 c whole milk
3 eggs

Cut the corn from the cob and saute in rather too much butter. The butter will be the oil in the batter. Mix the dry ingredients in a quart Mason jar. Beat the eggs in a bowl, beat in the milk. Add the sauteed corn and extra butter to the milk mix. Pour the wet into the dry in the Mason jar, add the lid and shake gently. Add milk as necessary to your ideal pancake batter thickness...I prefer extra thin ones and used a total of three cups of milk in this recipe.

Cook in a skillet in a bit of butter.

These are equally delicious with piles of fresh blueberries, slathered in maple syrup.

Glowing.

Lemon Tree Relume, originally uploaded by Andrew-Hyde.

To make these simple lanterns, we twisted wire around the lip of Mason jars, leaving a long tail. Then the tail got a little hook at the end so we could loop them over the branches. Thanks to all my delightful guests for jumping in & making the DIY party!



Three part Twitter recipe:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3