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   I was enjoying the hushed, little boy murmerings between two 4-year-old buddies on the neighbor side of my back fence as I tended my tomatoes. But it didn’t take long for so much uncharacteristic silence to trigger Trish’s maternal radar. “Nigel? Are you and Ben in the strawberry patch again? They aren’t ripe yet honey. Please leave them alone.”

   NIGEL (his mouth full of under-ripe berries): Okay!

   BEN: You’ll find us in the blueberries!

   Which is where they headed, still chatting heatedly about the wonders of gardening.

   “Have you ever heard of cherry tomatoes?” pondered Ben.

   “Of course!” scoffed Nigel.

   “Banana squash?”

    “Of course!”

    And so it went. This would be a wonderful summer of discovery for two little boys lucky enough to live in a community where it’s so easy to understand the connection between where food begins and where it ends up. With all of the delicious and curious interactions along the way, from the fun of tending to growing things, to the rewards and delight of harvesting, cooking, and, of course, eating what you grow.

   Even trips to the farmers’ markets - which both boys are treated to on a weekly basis - are a wonderful adventure. Indeed, we live in a horticultural paradise. One of the many joys of living here is the anticipation of local seasonal foods that Nigel and Ben have become aware of and are now chronicling so diligently. The first asparagus, rhubarb, and peas of spring are followed by the fabulous Oregon strawberry in early June. Summer brings more berries - elegant raspberries, a jumble of blueberries (more varieties than you would ever imagine!), Marionberries, and loganberries, sweet cherries, peaches, apricots, melons, juicy new-crop garlic, sweet corn, onions, and two months of non-stop heirloom tomatoes.

    As we head into the high season for summer bounty, the only mistake you can make in the kitchen is to underutilize or over-cook what nature has so generously provided. A favorite niece came to town for a short visit and our best meal was the most impromptu; made from an armload of produce we’d picked up at Gathering Together Farm on our way in from a picnic on top of Mary’s Peak with Steve, my mother and my father. We quartered the new potatoes and Walla Walla Sweets, and scattered them onto a large baking pan, along with some trimmed young green beans and some fresh heads of garlic that I halved horizontally. We gave the whole affair a light drizzle of olive oil along with a bit of salt and pepper before popping it in the oven.

   Meredith sliced an heirloom tomato and added rich droplets of balsamic vinegar while Mom sliced the Big River Pugliese bread. Once the vegggies were almost done - which only took about 30 minutes, steaks went on the grill and the Tyee Estate Barrel Select Pinot was opened and poured.

   That’s all it takes this time of year to wow a crowd - or a couple of 4-year-olds like Nigel and Ben. The only thing that would have made it better? A big pot of freshly-cooked corn, and a Marionberry cobbler chaser.

Green Bean and Sweet Onions in Vinaigrette With Blue Cheese and Roasted Hazelnuts

 
   A great make-ahead salad for summer barbeques.
Makes servings for 4 to 6 1 pound green beans, trimmed

 1/2 cup diced Walla Walla Sweet onion

1/2 cup sliced black olives

Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/3 cup chopped roasted and skinned hazelnuts

1-1/2 cups of local cherry tomatoes, halvedFresh basil leaves for garnish
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the beans uncovered until tender-crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge into cold running water to stop the cooking process and set the color. Drain well, then place the beans in a medium bowl, along with the onion and the vinaigrette. Toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. (Note: the beans will not retain their bright green color, but the flavor from the marinade certainly compensates!)
   To serve: Drain off the marinade from the bean mixture and place the beans on a lovely serving platter (Be sure and reserve the drained dressing for another use.). Sprinkle with the blue cheese and nuts, then arrange the tomatoes around the perimeter of the platter. Add a few basil leaves for garnish.
     Dijon Vinaigrette
Makes about 3/4 cup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 cloves finely chopped fresh garlic1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

About 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil
In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, basil, mustard, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and oil.

    Recipe adapted from “The Big Book of Potluck,” by Maryana Vollstedt.
   
     Berries Romanoff
Makes 4 servings
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

Sugar to taste

2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

6 tablespoons orange-flavored liquor (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau)

1 cup heavy cream, whippedWhole berries for garnish
Gently smash the berries with a potato masher or back of spoon, leaving about one-third of the berries whole. Sprinkle with granulated sugar to taste. Place the ice cream in a large bowl, then stir to soften and smooth it out. Reserve one cup of the berries and stir the rest into the softened ice cream, along with the liqueur. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Quickly divide the reserved cup of berries among 4 dessert glasses (clear glass is the most elegant because you will be able to see the layers). Spoon the cream mixture into the glasses, top each serving with one or more whole berries and serve.

 

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