melons

5-27-2020 Wed. 

 DINNER ---  winter melon soup | water melon 

• working too hard

home baked plum cake

9-21-2018 Fri. 


 DINNER --- homemade bread | sauteed mustard greens | stir-fried zucchini, shiitake and okra | pan-fried scalloped potato and onion || home baked plum cake 

with fresh plum

• baked just around dinner time 

simple fare

6-28-2018 Thu. 


DINNER --- boiled potatoes | suateed Chinese greens with Korean chili sauce 

• dd practicing  pickling  

night of stars and fireflies

6-24-2014 Tue. warm, thin clouds.  


 BREAKFAST --- coffee
 LUNCH --- rice and sauteed squid 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- new potato and Spanish chorizo | simmered baby spinach and tomato | salad | wine 

 

• nice time to sit in the garden with beer or tea and watch fireflies and stars blinking in the summer night sky

after concert dinner

6-16-2013 Sun. warm, cloudy. 



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | bread and cheese | water melon | figs
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea 
AFTER-CONCERT-DINNER ---  beer | chicken liver pate with crackers | gazpacho | avocado and daikon salad | steamed artichoke with lemon butter dip | Chinese taco buns with twice-cooked pork, caramelized onion and radish sprouts | wine 

 

• make and serve over the counter, one course a time.

a feast of early summer fruit, vegetables and seafood

6-15-2013 Sat. warm, sunny.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | bread | Stilton cheese and figs | water melon | raspberry and mango 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- beer   
DINNER --- avocado and daikon salad | sashimi salmon and mackerel | boiled new baby potatoes with seasoned butter | sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape | sauteed baby squid with ginger and lemon juice | wine 

 

 

• a feast of fresh food on a set of beautiful ceramics, some of them recently made by DD.

roses and cherries

6-02-2013 Sun. hot, sunny, late storm. 


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | bread and cheese | cherries | mango 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- guacamole and chips | beer 
DINNER --- steamed artichoke with citrus olive oil dip | sauteed fresh peas | new potato and cod stew | fennel and cherry tomato salad | rose 

 

• the first bunch of red roses from the front garden, the first bunch of cherries of the year.

fresh peas, garlic scape

6-01-2013 Sat. hot, sunny.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | bread and blue cheese | cherries | mango AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( at R. B. brewery, with Ed)  white ale
DINNER --- guacamole and chips | steamed whole bronzini | sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape | brown rice | fennel and cherry tomato salad | wine 

 

• officially start of summer food: fennel and cherry tomato salad with lettuce and radish.
• first fresh peas and garlic scape this season from farmer's market

new harvest: baby carrots and zucchini

6-07-2012 Thu. warm, sunny.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at B1 Cafe)  crisp shrimp rolls  
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---
DINNER --- tempura: fresh baby zucchini with stuffed blossom, baby carrots |  sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape | sauteed zucchini | pan-fried sliced new potatoes with rosemary | fennel and radish salad | wine

• new harvest from garden. baby carrots are excellent.

red stem chard , a summer beauty

6-04-2012 Mon. cool, clouds.


BREAKFAST ---
LUNCH --- pizza 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- sauteed snow peas | sauteed red stem chard | pan-fried baby artichokes with garlic scape and Chinese sausage | fennel and radish salad | rice | wine 

 

• red stem chard is somehow a summer thing, tender and flavorful when cooked with garlic.

new potato, garlic scape and peas

5-31-2012 Thu. warm, sunny.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with spicy cabbage
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---strawberries
BEFORE-CONCERT-DINNER --- pan-fried new potatoes | sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape | wine 

 

• all new summer crop from farmer's market

new potatoes

5-30-2012 Wed. warm, cloudy.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with spring vegetables 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- stir-fried spicy cabbage with fermented fava bean sauce | new potatoes  stew with sausage and tomato | drunken chicken with cucumber | radish and fennel salad | wine

 

• new potatoes start to show up at farmer's market this week.

edible plants along Yangzi river

6-13-2011 Mon. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed red pepper, green beans and pressed tofu
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---cherries and plums
DINNER --- stir-fried pork with garlic scape ( suan-tai 蒜苔) | scrambled eggs with yellow chives ( jiu-huang 韭黄） | sauteed Mandarin wild rice stem ( jiao-bai 茭白) with mushroom and mustard green | fennel salad | rice | beer

garlic scape

yellow chives

Mandarin wild rice stem

• three early summer delicacies in southeast region of Yangzi River.
  

under Tuscan sun: zucchini blossoms

6-12-2011 Sun. hot, cloudy, thunder


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette | lychee | cherries
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( at Textile Museum, a gathering for Sidney) wine
DINNER --- pan-fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with fresh herb and fresh ricotta | Armenian cucumber salad sauteed pea shoots with spring young garlic | sauteed fresh peas with summer savory | baked branzino (Mediterranean sea bass) with fresh ginger, lemon thyme in olive oil | wine

zucchini blossoms from farmer's market

stuffed with ricotta, battered and fried

light, crispy and creamy

Armenian cucumber salad

branzino and pea shoots

• first time found zucchini blossoms and pea shoots at a farmer's market locally. the tempura-like stuffed and fried zucchini blossom is superb, a special Tuscan treat.
  

Lychee and Hami melon

6-11-2011 Sat. hot, clouds.

WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | Xing-jian ha-mi melon | kiwi | lychee
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
AFTER-CONCERT-DINNER --- braised baby octopus with fresh ginger and spring onion | stir-fried chive flowers and seasoned tofu | rice | avocado salad | French rose

fruits from Xing-jiang and Canton ,China

design work for concert

• exotic fruits of China: lychee from deep south, Ha-mi melon from up northwest.
• very disappointed that the fresh peas season is already over at the local farmer's market.
  
• a day involving lots of work for concerts.
  

Hen of the woods: maitake mushroom

6-10-2011 Fri. hot, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed fresh peas and garlic scape
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- cherries
DINNER --- sauteed green beans with fermented black bean sauce | stir-fried maitake mushroom, pressed tofu skin, spring onion, red and green pepper | fennel salad | rice | wine

maitake

• Maitake mushroom has firm, meaty texture and flavor, best cooked with a little oil and wine.