Yummy things

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Yummy things
Random musings on happenings in my kitchen and my life, in Durham, NC


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About me
Hi! I'm Lindsey.

I do public health work at Duke University, like to run at a slow, but steady pace, teach group fitness classes, and do my best to keep up with my family that's spread across the country. In the midst all of that, playing in the kitchen is one of my favorite stress relievers and creative outlets, so this blog chronicles some of my favorite cooking and baking adventures, but in the process it also tells the story of the rest of my life.

Like many people in the Triangle area, I'm a transplant. After spending the first 21 years of my life in the midwest, I've been settled in North Carolina for seven years. One of the things I love most about the area is the diversity of local farms, farmers' markets, and great food, so I follow lots of local food happenings, but I also keep up with my fair share of Midwestern favorites.

If you like what you find here, feel free to drop me a note and email Yummy things. I'd love to hear from all of you out there!
Fri Jun 19

Back to our previously scheduled programming...

After a brief departure to provide a travelogue of our Western adventure, I’m back to my usual food focused narratives.  The run of summer produces is in full swing here in North Carolina, so there are many great dishes just waiting to be made.

This week’s CSA - 3 cukes, 4 squash and lovely Sungold tomatoes

Even simple weeknight dinners are full of colorful produce that please the eyes, while also ensuring we get our fill of important vitamins and minerals.

Stir-fry with broccoli and zucchini from Maple Springs Garden

Summer vegetable tart with zucchini and summer squash from Maple Springs

But the real pleasure recently was last weekend, when Dan’s cousin, Sam, and I worked together to put together some excellent dinner party fixings.

Sam in the kitchen

Sam took on the appetizer and dinner using cucumbers, jalapenos, and fresh herbs from his garden.

Sam and Meghan’s garden box in Glen Lennox

The appetizer was some lovely fried green tomatoes, encrusted in tortilla chips, and topped with a sundried tomato sauce.

Frying the tomatoes

The finished appetizer

Dinner included tzatsiki, carmelized fennel, grilled asparagus and herb rubbed salmon.  Sadly, all the local asparagus is gone, but the loads of fresh herbs made up for it.

Sam mans the grill

The carmelized fennel was an excellent counterpoint to the rich salmon and the creamy tzatsiki.  Previously, Dan has declared the fennel is one of three foods he doesn’t like (curiously, the other two are bananas and celery, the most simple foods I’ve ever heard someone not like!), but I think even he was won over with this preparation.  It probably didn’t hurt that the whole dish came together in such a lovely way. I guess that’s what they teach you in culinary school.

The finished dinner plate

For dessert, Sam said to go decadent, and I went for it.  I made a peach-cornmeal upside-down cake and a orange-lime mousse.

Our decadent dessert

Both recipes are courtesy of Miss Martha, and together, I think they’re a perfect balance of prettiness and deliciousness.  The mousse is really the taste winner, but the cake is the show stopper.

Both require several steps, but none of them are particularly hard.  In lieu of posting the recipe, given that I really just followed Martha’s directions, except for using almond extract and nutmeg and cloves in the cake, here’s a pictorial overview of the prep.

The cake starts with sliced peaches (the first of the season from Lyon Farms), arranged in a cast iron skillet with butter and sugar.

Then a cornmeal batter is poured atop, and it’s finished in the oven.

The trickiest part is just getting the thing out of the pan.  But it’s lovely once you get it right side up (or is that upside down?).

Peach-cornmeal upside-down cake

The mousse starts with a homemade citrus curd with oranges and lime, and yes, a lot of eggs and butter.

Cooling the citrus curd over an ice bath

Then fresh whipped cream is folded into the curd.  That’s it!

Adding a garnish of nutmeg, lime zest and fresh orange slices finishes the whole dish off. (That, and the lovely dish from my sister!)

Orange-lime mousse

Unfortunately, we failed to get a photo of the whole dinner party crowd, which included Sam’s dad, James, and his wife, Julie, who we finally met after living here for nearly 7 years!  It was a wonderful summer dinner with lovely company.  We’ll definitely have to find ways to repeat it as new produce shows up in Sam and Meghan’s garden and at the market.