The Best Of Summer Flavors

Summer is a multitude of flavors and textures. Even though the season is winding down you can still have a juicy barbecue or delicious veggie or fruit based dish.This was the subject of today's New York Times Dining section. Instead of one big article there are several small ones written by regulars,Julia Moskin, Jeff Gordinier, Sam Sifton and Kim Severson. A new writer,Ligaya Mishan also has a great mini article on the subject.

Luckily the farms and even home gardens have some bounties left. Julia Moskin writes about that tasty treat, conr fritters made with niblets fresh from the cob.Hers is one that is more pancake than fritter but still has crunch and texture. She serves them with maple syrup but I think a freshly made salsa would be better. Kim Severson contributes as Southern field pea salad.It combines blackeyed peas alone with fresh Vidalia onions, sweet corn and tomatoes. She adds a dressing made with Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar. Sam Sifton offers a grilled flank steak, perfect with these two dishes It is a teriyaki style, one that can be barbecued well past Labor Day and into the fall.

Of course summer also includes fruits and there are some great recipes concerning them. Sam Sifton brings his mom's blackberry cobbler to this table. This is the perfect dessert for any meal, with tart berries and lumps of sugary dough pressed over them. The dough recipe is a scratch one ,made from flour and sugar . The entire dish is easily made first in a skillet then baked in an oven. for a more exotic treat try Ligaya Mishan's grilled peach recipe. This takes an exotic turn by sprinkling the Egyptian spice mix called dukkah. This is an easily made blend of spices, seeds and herbs and gives backyard peaches a rare , mysterious flavor, redolent of faraway spice markets. For a twist add yogurt as a side.

The summer is winding down however there's still time to take advantage of it' bounty and flavors. Try what these food writers offer or do your own spins. There is enough out yet to create delicious warm weather meals and desserts .

Still Working

There's an interesting article in today's NY Times Dining section about stills.Yes, stills, those symbols of illicit Prohibition fun. These are different though than those , however. They represent a kind of new wave of micro distillery,.

The article written by Toby Cecchini tells about a variety of distillers who use organic products. Distilling is nothing new to these parts. New Jersey first had applejack while Massachusetts surprisingly manufactured rum. Pennsylvania and Delaware made ryes long before bourbon came into being. it was a large part of the colonial trade. Nowadays it has a slightly different twist. Distillers are offering more wholesomely grown products appealing to the push for all things natural including spirits.

One good thing is that smaller distillers can put a twist on regular flavors. For example molasses can be added to rm for a sweeter, huskier flavor. Fruits can be added to brandies much as they did two or three centuries ago. Botanical can be added to gins to produce something purer in form to the Dutch genever. Another plus is that the alcohol is distilled in aged wooden casks too, similar to European wines.

Smaller distilleries , it seems are making a comeback, It should be interesting to watch what the public thins of them and how they'll grow. They may be the next trend in organic spirits.

California Grllz

Today's Times Dining section had an interesting article about California cuisine. or rather its' original cuisine. This is not the Hollywood influenced fancy party stuff or the Napa Valley haute cooking but real California cuisine using the state's harvest. Thisiswhat "native" (and I use that term loosely. Most Californians come from somewhere else) Californians have been making for over a century. It combs both the sea and the land for fish and meat along with fruits and vegetables.

The article written by Dining regular Kim Severson describes a regional cuisine as strong in its' tastes as Southern or New England. For generations Californians have been grilling tri tip beef. This is a special cut only found within the Golden State.It's a triangular cut from the bottom of the sirloin section on a cow. It's grilled outside always over red oak chips. The seasonings are simple:garlic powder, slat and pepper. Another classic is the avocado. They can be tossed liberally in salads or fried . Californians also love sticky date milkshakes , the classic treat enhanced with native grown dates.

You can find the recipes for these in a great Western based magazine Sunset. The magazine started in 1898 for the Southern Pacific Railroad. line. it was designed to lure easterners to the sun drenched harvest rich pacific Coast. With it came articles and recipes that featured mussels and abalone from local waters, along with nods to the original ranchers dishes, that first came to California in the 1600s/ it;s; issuing a cookbook of these called aptly enough Sunset Cookbook (which you can buy at Amazon.com for $14.990

California cuisine isn't about fancy Oscar party grub or whole grain pasta from Napa valley. it;s about taking what the land and sea gives you and turning it into cherished dishes. it;s delicious food that generations have loved under a sunny landscape. It's a proud heritage like any other US regional cuisine.