"Couche Couche": Joe Joe's Recipe

This is Joe Joe, my grandfather, my mother's father. This picture was taken on the 4th of July. How do I know this? There are a couple of clues:

1. Joe Joe is carrying around a blue solo cup which I'm sure is either filled with Grammy's ice tea or one of his famous bloody mary's. My senior year of college I brought a group of my girl friends to Grammy and Joe Joe's lake house for spring break. They still talk about those bloody mary's.

2. This picture was taken in the kitchen, where, this year on July 4th, I distinctly remember desperately trying to prove my worth as a cook among the women in my family.

3. The most telling clue: Joe Joe is wearing his red, white, and blue striped shorts from the 1970's, cleverly paired with his automobile patterend shirt in the same color scheme. Every year he wears those shorts on July 4th. Every. Single. Year. It's precious and we love it.

Now, let me tell you something about Joe Joe: he is pretty savvy with a computer, especially for his age. He knows how to use the internet, is fairly competent with email, and is a faithful follower of this blog. Of this I am proud.

(Hey, who's going to read your blog if not your family? Thanks for reading, y'all!)

Just like the rest of my family, Joe Joe was born and raised in East Texas, a part of the country with a very rich and very distinct cultural tradition. (I am currently the only urban dweller among us... but I have a grand master secret plan to convince everyone to move to Houston so that they can all be close to me. Do you think it will work?)

Today I received the sweetest email from Joe Joe sharing his infamous "couche couche" recipe. Now couche couche, (also spelled "kush kush" or "cush cush") is traditionally a cajun breakfast recipe that is, like, forever old. (Also, let me just say that it is pronounced "kooosh koooosh". No other way. End of discussion.) In fact, there is an LSU chant that goes:

"Hot boudain, cold couche couche, come on, Tigers, push push push!"

Google tells me that the below recipe isn't exactly authentic, but I suspect it's a Texas mutation. I don't know how this cornmeal-based cereal made it over to East Texas, but I'm sure it's an intersting story. Maybe if I took my undergraduate studies in Anthropology to the next level I could document the great Couche Couche Migration as part of an ethnography on the indigenous peoples of Gladewater, Texas. Maybe...

Here is the email Joe Joe sent me:

my kaka----you are great--no matter what you do----so is little meredith----have you all tried corn bread and butter milk--tips--add olive juice, not over 1 ounce, cut up one dill pickle, cut up and add a small carrot, results are better when you use yellow meal in preparing your corn bread. i recommend cooking the corn bread well done. first crumble up the corn bread in a goblet, add the buttermilk, next add the olive juice before mixing the other ingrediences. serve

Isn't that sweet???? I have the greatest family in the world.

Grammy never fails to make cornbread anytime we have a big family dinner, so couche couche usually ends up being a late night snack rather than a breakfast item. I, like my mother and my grandfather, enjoy leftover cornbread crumbled up in buttermilk. It's in my blood. However, I have not been able to make the jump to adding olive juice, dill pickle, and carrot.

Sound appealing? You be the judge.

Marinated Vegetable Salad

Every week Anthony and I meet with our "small group" to talk about life and faith and spend time in community with people we love. We share the responsibility for cooking dinner and each contribute a little something to the meal. This week Charles was grilling chicken, Bonnie was bringing rolls, and Julie was making couscous. I was in charge of providing another side dish and, I have to say, I fretted about it all day. I was dying to make this lovely quinoa/lentil salad that I created last spring...but my mom, who has a prejudice against carbohydrates, kept telling me that the addition of the quinoa and lentils would make too much "starch" in the meal when coupled with the couscous and bread. We needed veggies.

I have this problem when I cook: I hate making the same thing twice. I get bored easily, and part of cooking's appeal for me is the exploration of new flavors, ingredients, and methods. It's no fun any more if I end up doing something I've already mastered.

So picture this: I'm sitting in the Kroger parking lot. I'm on the phone with my mom. What am I going to make tonight?!?! It's gotta be fun, creative, easy, and fairly inexpensive because I've got to make enough to feed ten people. After dismissing many ideas from our brainstorming session, we finally create a recipe that sounds appealing: mixed marinated vegetables tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and served cold. Yes. Perfect and refreshing on a hot Houston night.

This recipe feeds 4-6 people. Double it if you're feeding a crowd.


INGREDIENTS:

- 1 bunch of pencil thin asparagus

- 1 can of artichoke hearts

- 1 red bell pepper

- 1 lemon

- fresh buffalo mozzarella (the kind that comes in a log in the specialty cheese section)

- 1/8 of a cup of flat leaf italian parsely, roughly chopped

- olive oil

- dijon mustard

- salt and pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Artichokes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While it's heating up, drain and rinse the artichoke hearts. Pat them dry to remove any excess moisture. (This will help the roast better.) Place the hearts on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Squeeze about a fourth of a lemon over the hearts. Roast them for 20-30 minutes, occasionally stirring them around with a spatula.

2. Asparagus: While the artichoke hearts are roasting, start preparing the asparagus. Take one stem of asparagus and bend it until it snaps in half. Discard the bottom end (or keep it for stock!) because this part is "woody" and tough. The top part is what we're going to use. Do this with all of your asparagus. Next, bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a separate bowl full of ice water. We are going to "blanch" the asparagus, a special cooking method that keeps the asparagus crisp and bright green. Once your water is boiling, drop your asparagus in and let it cook for no longer than three minutes. Immediately transfer your asparagus, using tongs, to the ice bath. Once they are cool, drain them in a colander.

3. Bell pepper: Bell pepper is so lovely raw, so that's how we're going to keep it. Cut it into strips to mimic the shape of the asparagus. This is going to add some great crunch to our salad.

4. Cube up your mozzarella. How much you use is entirely up to you. This adds a creamy texture to the salad. Something I've learned from the Food Network: a combination of different textures makes a great dish. We have creamy mozzarella, crunchy bell pepper, crisp asparagus, and soft roasted asparagus. Is your mouth watering yet.

5. Let's make a simple dressing to give this salad some more flavor. In a small mixing bowl, squeeze in the juice of the rest of your lemon. Add a couple of teaspoons of dijon mustard, a sprinkle of salt, and a sprinkle of pepper. Take a whisk and slowly drizzle in some olive oil, whisking constantly to create an emulsion. You've created a dressing!

6. Combine all your veggies mozzarella, and parsely. Toss it all together with the dressing. Refrigerate until it is cool and you are ready to serve! Yum Yum.

Ok gotta go. Anthony and I are going to find a food truck for lunch! Make this salad and enjoy!

Vanilla Cupcakes Round 2: The Next Day Breakdown

there's our sweet dipsy doodle from the inside

here's my consensus now that I've had one on the day they were baked fresh, and the next day: Maybe I didn't wrap them very well but they dried out a bit the next day- nothing that being coated in delicious icing can't fix, but I had to be honest with you all.  Here are my thoughts: if you are making these for a party (like, a certain precious reader will be possibly making for her son's birthday party..Hi Kristin!) I'd definitely bake them the day OF- or make the batter a day ahead of time and bake them fresh that day- either way- enjoy them freshly baked the DAY OF! Or, you could always make a simple syrup (I wouldn't make it too sweet), poke tiny holes in the tops of the cupcakes, and glaze them with your simple syrup to keep it moist and THEN ice them.  Just a thought- I haven't tried that yet- but it seems like it might be a good idea

until next time my friends- peace out!

Fish Tacos. Finally.

As Meredith sweetly pointed out, I am in the hospital recovering from surgery. Yesterday I could do little more than sleep and groan, but today the doctors have me on some pain medicine that is making me feel goooooood. I'm sitting up in bed and have decided to finally bite the bullet and blog these fish tacos during commercial breaks (God has blessed me with a Law and Order marathon to pass the time. Nothing beats watching hours upon hours of detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson fight for justice in the streets of New York City).

I digress. During our infamous girls' beach trip a few weeks ago, Meredith and I decided to do a taco night. Tacos are my second favorite food in the whole entire world, right behind exotic-flavored pizzas. Tacos are also a budget-friendly meal because you only need a little meat to make them satisfying, and meat is usually the most expensive ingredient in a recipe. Because we were at the beach, we obviously were obligated to cook with seafood. It just wouldn't be right to cook a land animal with the sound of the ocean and smell of the saltwater wafting through the windows. We used tilapia, a mild, inexpensive, white fish that takes on the flavor of whatever you season it with.

The rest of the ingredients in tacos are delicious and cheap. We used corn tortillas, cilantro, lime, a delightful mango salsa, and a tangy, vinegar-based slaw (health note: mayo is heavier and entirely unnecessary). We served it with a classic side of black beans ane rice, or "arroz con frijoles" if, like Meredith and myself, you are an aspiring Latina. This recipe feeds 6-8 people, so adjust it to fit your needs. Here is the recipe:

Tilapia

- 4 to 5 large filets (tilapia is usually about $6/lb)
- Canola oil (because of it's neutral flavor and high smoke point)
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Paprika
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Brown sugar

1. In a large saute pan with a wide surface area, heat a couple of tablespoons of the canola oil over medium-low heat. Coat the pan with the oil.

2. Create your spice rub. Start by combining a tablespoon of the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Gently rub both sides of the filets with the spice combination. You may need to make more and, like everything I make, there is really no exact science to this spice combo. If you like more chili powder, use more chili powder. A dash of cumin here, a pinch of brown sugar there. Make it your own and make as much as you like.

3. Turn the heat up to medium. Cook two filets in the oil at a time, about 4 minutes on each side (This, of course, depends on how large your filets are. Use your discretion). You want it the outside to be "blackened", giving it tons of good flavor, without being burned. This requires careful attention. Watch your little fishies, don't walk away from them. Smell for signs it burning. But also, don't mess with them. Don't be flipping them around a lot and lifting it up to see how they're doing. Let them cook in the pan for four whole minutes and don't flip them until after the four whole minutes have passed. When the fish is done, it should be flaky and cooked all the way through.

Mango Salsa

- 1 ripe mango
- 1/2 of a red onion, soaked in ice water 10 minutes prior to using (this keeps you from crying while you chop!)
- 1 lime
- Fresh cilantro

1. Chop up the mango into 1/2 inch cubes. This is not an easy task, but is much easier if the mango is ripe. Cut around the pit and remove the peel. It will be juicy, messy, and glorious.

2. Chop up the red onion.

3. Chop up the cilantro

4. Combine it all. Squeeze the lime juice over it. That's it!

Arroz con Frijoles

- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cups rice
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- Pinch of cumin

1. Cook your rice according to the packaging.

2. Saute garlic and onion with a pinch of salt in some oil until onions are translucent.

3. Add your beans, a pinch more salt, and a good pinch of cumin.

4. Let them cook on medium heat for 4 minutes. When the pan is a little dry, add a splash of chicken stock to add a little juice to the pan. Turn the heat to low and don't let the liquid evaporate- if it does, just add a bit more, but you want just a touch of liquid.

5. When you're rice is done, fluff it around with a fork, pour into a big bowl, top with beans, and top with the beautiful cilantro.

6. Squeeze your lime over it all and serve.

Slaw (Sorry, no picture!)

- 1 package of pre-sliced cabbage mixture (found in refrigerator section)
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup of canola oil (for its mild flavor)
- Teaspoon of honey
- Kosher salt
- Chopped cilantro

1. Combine lime juice with canola oil, honey, and a pinch of salt

2. Whisk together and add some chopped cilantro.

3. Add your bag of slaw to the mix and toss together.

4. Set it in the fridge to "let the vinegar work its magic", as Alex Guarneschelli would say.

5. When you're ready to serve, check for seasoning. I've found that it has needed more acid at that point so you can either add more lime juice, or some red wine vinegar. If you're using honey and it isn't adding enough sweetness, add a pinch of sugar.

It should have some tang! and don't make so much liquid that it drowns the slaw- the slaw still needs crunch!

Make. Enjoy. Find your inner-mermaid.

Vanilla Cupcakes Round 2

Hello readers!  First let me say, you will be hearing from me a little more while our precious KK (as I lovingly refer to her) is recovering from an operation she had.  She's fine, all is well, and the surgery went great, but do keep her in your thoughts and prayers and she recovers!  Kate, we love you and the blog will miss you in your absence!  No rush on the fish tacos recipe- haha!

Remember about 6 weeks ago when I started the quest to find the perfect vanilla cupcake?  Well, here's take 2.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I think I've found it in this recipe, although I am going to try one more recipe and then decide the best out of the 3.  I've been collecting a lot of great recipes on Pinterest (obsessed!) and this recipe is one of the recipes I've come across.  This baker was featured on Martha Stewart and made these cupcakes in a way that I'd never seen (he used a one bowl method) and I've gotta tell ya, they are DIVINE.  Scott even went so far as to use the word "awesome" and he does NOT use that word unless he means it.  The other cupcakes I made in Round 1 were definitely delicious, especially with the hint of lemon, and certainly have room on any dessert table, but the cupcakes that I just made for this Round 2 really have room on any dessert table.  They are the perfect mix between the lightness you'd find from a box mix (how does Duncan Hines do it??), yet still dense without being heavy and chewy.  Their flavor is outstanding and with the vanilla buttercream, it's definitely going to be hard to beat, but alas I will try another recipe just to be sure that this cupcake really is the bee's knees.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!  Have you made the other cupcake?  What were your thoughts?  Try them both and stay tuned for Round 3 so we can all discover which of the three we like best!  Everyone needs a good cupcake recipe, right?  Or, if you have a favorite vanilla cupcake that you've made, please share the recipe with us in our comments section. 


a few notes from this recipe:

use CAKE flour- it should have NO leavening agents in it- this brand is great.

when you get to the step about mixing in your butter, I copied the baker from the Martha Stewart video and just took chunks of it with a knife and incorporated it as I was beating.  It's room temp butter which the recipe doesn't specify but the video does.  It's significantly easier to do this in a stand mixer, but since I'm traveling,  this is what I had to work with.

after your butter is incorporated, it will look kinda mealy- that's ok.  There were moments when I thought these cupcakes wouldn't turn out for various reasons, but they turned out beautifully.

 

here's my big lovebug.  I used the jumbo sized muffin tins to make these- Scott and I split one and had to eat it with a fork!  The original recipe says it will make 30, but I'd say if you're using the jumbo muffin pan, you can expect to yield about 8.

 

 

 

ok let me explain why the icing (though glorious) is slowly sliding down the cupcake and doesn't look firm at all: Scott insisted on  me icing one so we could have one WHILE they were still hot.  I told him what the consequences would be and he didn't care- droopy icing or not, he was gonna have his cupcake!  Soooo we got a plate and devoured it.

 

I promise I was going to take a picture of the middle of the cupcake for you guys, but I couldn't very well leave the cupcake to Scott to finish!!  Plus it was too delicious to leave...  I'll take a picture of one of the other cupcakes' center to post later.  Promise. In the meantime, GO TRY THESE CUPCAKES! They are money in the bank!

enchiladas verdes

party people: I'm in Texas reconnecting with my Latin roots (ok fine, I'm not Latin but I refuse to admit it).  I went back to the same grocery store that my mom used to bag groceries at in college: H-E-B. 

At H-E-B they make FRESH, HOMEMADE tortillas. The flavor difference between homemade and store-bought is ridiculous.  There's no comparison, in my opinion, but then again, I am a true Latina.  With these fresh, homemade tortillas, I decided I would make enchiladas verdes, something I have made before (adapted from the fabulous Tyler Florence) and it was a HUGE hit.  It's been a while, so I thought I'd re-create those delicious flavors.  Enchiladas verdes ("green enchiladas") are made with tomatillos- the little green tomato lookin' things, only they're not green tomatoes, they are actually related to the gooseberry, and thus, a berry.  They yield this wonderfully tart flavor and when you combine that with onions, garlic, a little jalapeno, a bit of cumin, lots of cilantro, and some squeezes of fresh lime juice, your mouth explodes with happiness in flavor town (a total Guy Fieri-ism, I realize).  It's tangy, a little tart (in the BEST possible way) and set off by the creaminess of the cheese that you add.  It's magic.  Pure magic.  Scott thinks so too:

  no, he's not blessing the food, he's taking in its' magnificent aroma

Let me tell you that though these are worth every savory, creamy, yet tangy, delicious bite, they do take some time- like, 2 hours.  I'd make the sauce ahead of time and have your chicken shredded, as well, and that will help TREMENDOUSLY. 

Feeds up to 4 people (2 enchiladas per person) but can easily feed up to 6 if you arrange differently and have a bigger pan than I did!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2- 2 lbs of tomatillos, rinsed and husks removed
• 1 large yellow or white onion, cut in large chunks
• 4 big cloves of garlic (as is- don't take them out of their skins)
• 1 large or 2 small jalapenos, stem removed (the seeds don't hurt in this recipe. promise. I'm a baby- I'd tell you)
• cumin
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 3 limes
• olive oil
• salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 8 flour or corn tortillas (I used flour and wasn't sorry about it!)
• 1 shredded rotisserie chicken (or about 3-4 bone-in chicken breasts shredded)
• big block of monterrey jack cheese, freshly shredded by you and your powerful arms
• queso fresco (or you could use feta)

Directions:

• heat the oven to 425
• place your tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeno on a large baking sheet
• drizzle them with a little olive oil to coat, then give it all a good splash of cumin and salt
• roast for about 20 minutes, or until the tomatillos have light brown spots 
• note: the onions may not look completely done, and that's ok, they just need to be soft enough to blend
• when cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the garlic
• turn your oven temp down to 375
• throw everything into a blender (might take a few batches) with your cilantro, and the juice of 2 limes
• at this point it probably needs more salt and cumin.  add them to taste.
• in a medium/large sauce pot, add 2 swishes of olive oil over medium heat and once hot, add your flour (maybe a little less than a 1/4 cup will do)
• cook this with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, making a roux,  then add nearly half of the tomatillo sauce and whisk until it is all incorporated
• it will definitely need some lime juice (mind did, anyway) and more salt.  taste and season.
• add your shredded chicken to the tomatillo mixture and combine well.  this is your filling.
• spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and coat the bottom of it with some of the original tomatillo sauce, making sure to reserve some tomatillo sauce
• make an assembly line starting at your stove, then a plate (to put your tortilla on to add your filling), then a bowl of your shredded cheese (to add to the mixture in the tortilla), then your 9x13 (to place your rolled enchilada in).
•  in a frying pan, you're going to warm the tortillas on each side, giving it those nice brown spots, then add your chicken filling, some shredded monterrey jack, fold it, then place it seam side down into the dish.
• keep doing this until your baking dish is full.  shower the rest of that glorious tomatillo sauce over your enchiladas and top with remaining monterrey jack cheese and crumble some queso fresco all over it, as well (it lends a tanginess that is just so utterly delightful, you'd need to experience it to know). 
• bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese browns on top
• serve with black beans and rice or whatever else you'd like (but kate's got a really great black bean and rice recipe coming your way that we made with our fish tacos....stay tuned)

they're sumptuous.  lime, cilantro- who can go wrong with those ingredients?

it's hard to see the actual enchiladas because I smothered this in the tomatillo sauce, but with a sauce as good as this, how could I not?

Baked (Not Fried!) Samosas

Who loves Indian food?!?!?!

Not my husband....

So he thinks.

You see, my darling husband is under the impression that he does not like Indian spices and that Indian food, in general, does not sit well with his stomache. (He had a bad experience so you can't really blame him).

Here's my secret to getting him to try things that I know he thinks he doesn't like. It goes something like this:

Anthony:"Hey, babe, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
Kate (in a nonchalant manner): "Savory pastries."
Anthony: "What's in them?"
Kate (not allowing herself to get flustered or sound defensive): "Sweet potatoes and chicken and some other stuff that you'll like."

Note: I do not talk about the sweet ripe mango that makes a suprising compliment to the sweet potato. I do not talk about the exotic Indian spices of tumeric or cardamom. I definitely do not note that Aarti uses adobo sauce, a spicy Mexican ingredient, in this traditional Indian dish. All of this would sound way too weird to my all-American husband. Talk about it after he tries it and loves it.

That usually does the trick. If he keeps asking, I keep repeating the same thing. He'll eventually get bored and move on.

So, samosas are traditional Indian street food. They are fried, triangular pastries usually filled with vegetables, meat, or a combination of both. These samosas, however, are baked, NOT fried, making them sooo much healthier. I used this recipe from Aarti Sequeira, who I think is precious and awesome and I want to be just like her. Instead of retyping the whole recipe here for you, please just click on the above link. Here are some notes and changes that I made:

- Aarti uses a russet potato. I used a sweet potato, which is infiniately more nutritious and, in my opinion, delicious!

- She goes through this elaborate process to poach a chicken breast in all these cool Indian spices. Honestly, it didn't have any more flavor than a normal ole baked chicken breast. Please, people, save yourself the trouble. Use left over chicken or rotisserie chicken or just cook chicken the easiest way you know how.

- I didn't have great success with the mint chutney she makes to go along with the samosas. If you want to make it and it turns out well, let me know! The stuff I made was gross.



Let me give you some hints for when you're done with your filling and ready to roll out the puff pastry dough:

1. Defrost the pastry dough before you use it. Otherwise it will crackle and break and just not work. You want your dough to be pliable.

2. Use a round cereal bowl to cut circles out of the dough with a sharp knife.

3. Cut those circles of dough in half in order to make semi-circles.


4. Take your rolling pin and roll out that little half circle so that you have more surface area to work with. It does not have to be perfect! Please please please. Don't try to make this perfect. Just roll it out and all will be fine. Promise.


5. Take about a teaspoon of your filling and place it in the middle of the rolled out dough.

6. Dip your finger in water and run it along the outside edges of the dough. This will help it all stick together.

7. Now. Take the top left corner of your pastry and fold it down over the filling. Press the ends together. I used the back of a fork and sometimes my fingers. Whatever works.

8. Take the right corner and fold it down over the remaining exposed filling. Wrap your filling up like a little baby secure in its warm blanket of gooey puff pastry. Do whatever it takes, fold it whichever way you need to, to make sure that your samosa baby is all wrapped up with no loose ends. It will not be pefect. No two samosas will look the same. They will be messy and awkward, but glorious in their imperfection. Embrace it! Look at mine below. They are ridiculous. But you know what? They were yummy! And that's all that matters.


9. Continue with Aarti's recipe from here. Brush the tops of the samosas with the egg wash, bake them in an oven for 15 minues at 425 degrees, then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake them for 10 more minutes.

By the way, Anthony raved about these "savory pastries" for days.

Hehehehe :)

Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto Update

Confessions: I have been a pathetic excuse for a blogger this summer.

Dear readers,

(Assuming that I still have readers)

I am truly sorry. My travels and activities and crazy work schedule are no excuse. Tonight I am going to try to bring you some updates so that TOMORROW we can introduce our exciting new "magazine challenge". But we'll tell ya all about that later! You gotta keep reading to find out what it is ;)

If you scroll down to Meredith's July 14th post, you will see that I was supposed to promptly let you know how MY experience with the Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto went. Well, all I've got for you is a picture and some videos that you will most likely not find nearly as ammusing as I do.

This is an update about three weeks late. Let me remind you what was happening: Merdith's mother was in town visiting her the same weekend my mother was in town visiting me. We decided to make the same recipe (beet and goat cheese risotto) and share our respective experiences with each other and you lovely folks. So, if you're interested in learning some more tips about how to make this recipe GREAT rather than just good... Or if you're simply interested in laughing at how dumb we are when we think we're being funny... Watch below.




P.S. Technology is not my friend. That's why you're not seeing the whole video, only clips.

Summer Produce

So I'm supposed to be blogging about the fish tacos that Meredith and I made at the beach last week. But today, I'm not inspired by fish tacos. I'm inspired by Texas peaches.

One thing I hate about Texas summers: unbearable heat that makes you sweat even at 8pm.

One of many things that I love about Texas summers: the produce.

There just isn't anything like it. I barely even eat fresh cucumber and tomato in the winter because it's all grainy and yucky and doesn't even compare to the glory that is a summer cucumber or tomato. Or a peach, for that matter.

Peaches are at their peak right now and I am currently dying of happiness. Here's a picture of what I just ate:

I don't know if you can tell, but the juices are literally dripping down my hand. Have any of you ever seen or read James and the Giant Peach? There is some pretty incredible word artistry during the description of peaches in that book that I am not even going to attempt to recreate. Just suffice it to say that a perfect, juicy, golden peach is heaven in your mouth.

(By the way, James and the Giant Peach is a great book and even if you're a grown up, you should read it. I can't wait until I have kids so I can re-read all these wonderful classics with them.)

Also, Meredith and I have been drinking a lot of these "Naked" smoothies recently. Sometimes when the produce is so good and I'm eating so much of it, I forget that my body also needs protein. I got a good little protein boost from this mango smoothie yesterday. The whole "Naked" line is delicious, "all natural", and soo goood for you. What more could you ask for?