summers last breath

so that happened fast!  summer was here and summer ran away...a few weeks of heat on the east coast followed by a bit out west.  in new york and the northeast, it went out with a bang.  a huge lightning and thunder storm slammed through and brought with it the cool beginning of fall on its coat tails.  although we are ready for a nice light jacket and strolls through the city without a full sweat, we will miss the days of cold beer, summer foods, boat rides and fireflies.  a little homemade ice cream is our last gasp at holding on to summer, and even as our hotter days end its never really offseason for ice cream in our book. so before the soups and stews set in, lets enjoy a few more weeks dreaming of that fantastic summer.

TART CHERRY BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM

for our tart cherry buttermilk ice cream we used a mix of sour and bing cherries, but you can use whatever you have on hand.  the buttermilk ice cream is a great base for whatever fruit is in season- try peaches sautéed in brown sugar and cinnamon or plums cooked with honey and cardamom!

2 cups pitted cherries

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs water

12 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split in half and seeds scrapped

2 cups buttermilk

pinch of salt

in a medium saucepan, combine cherries, sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat.  reduce to medium and cook until slightly broken down and tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.  cool completely.

whisk eggs yolks and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. in a large saucepan, bring cream to a boil over medium heat. slowly drizzle the warm cream into the yolks, whisking constantly and adding all the cream in a slow steady stream.  pour the mixture back into the saucepan and add vanilla bean seeds and pod.  cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

remove from heat and pass through a mesh strainer into a bowl.  whisk in buttermilk and salt.  let cool completely and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.  remove ice cream from the machine and fold in the cooled cherry mixture. transfer to an airtight container and freeze overnight.

all images © andrew purcell 2013

        

summer cool down

as most of the people living back east already know, its been hot hot hot for too many days in a row...and for those in other parts of the world, you have no doubt heard all of us complaining about it, and we promise, its justified!  here is a drink we cant stop sipping and one that we think is a perfect cool me down treat on a hot summer weekend.  

we have started to get some amazing produce from our local csa in the last few weeks, and recently received some strawberries that were to die for.  we quickly remembered this great strawberry cup recipe from gourmet in print a few years ago.  we made the shrub syrup (the gourmet recipe without adding the soda water and ice cubes), added a little adult enhancer and a bit of cucumber and we think it pretty delicious, let us know what you think!

strawberry cucumber cocktail
makes 1 drink

1 oz. strawberry shrub syrup (recipe)
1.5 oz. quality vodka
2 oz. soda water
garnish with persian cucumber ribbons

combine with ice and stir

all images ©andrewpurcell 2013

summer tart

with such an early hot summer this year, the tomatoes at the market have already been full of delicious flavor! here's a simple tomato tart that makes a great lunch or dinner with some fresh greens on the side and a cold glass of white wine.

lots of new work to share with you soon. we've both been busy working for great clients like People, Food Network, Reader's Digest, La Cucina Italiana and more. we'll post some pics later this week but check out the july/aug Food Network mag for Andrew's cover and a beautiful feature on cherries! also check out both of our websites that have been recently updated with new work & tears.

are you on Instagram yet? both of us are and so are lots of other big leo artists - we love sharing behind the scenes, studio views, pretty props and of course lots of food! hoping to escape the city heat soon & really looking forward to this at the end of the month.

have a great week!

Roasted Tomato Tart
serves 4

4 medium roma tomatoes, halved
3 medium kumamoto tomatoes, halved
4 small vine ripened tomatoes, halved
4 tbs olive oil
1 sprig thyme
salt & pepper, plus more for garnish

12 oz all butter puff pastry

2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
4 cloves roasted garlic, smashed into a paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
12 cherry or yellow pear tomatoes, halved

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. combine tomatoes, olive oil, thyme salt and pepper and spread out in a single layer on a large sheet pan, cut side down. roast for 45 min to 1 hour or until slightly wrinkled but not too browned.

increase oven to 400 degrees F. place puff pastry in a square false bottom tart pan and press up against the edges. prick bottom all over with a fork and fill with foil and baking beads or dried beans. blind bake for 20 minutes. remove foil and beans and return to oven for 8 to 10 more minutes.

in a bowl, combine eggs, milk, goat cheese, garlic and salt and whisk well. carefully arrange roasted tomatoes all over pre baked tart shell and add cherry or yellow pear tomatoes. pour egg mixture over and around tomatoes, filling until almost full but not covering tops of tomatoes. bake 18 to 22 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is set. let cool 15 minutes before slicing.
enjoy!

summer pie

checking in with an easy summer pie that utilizes the ripest, sweetest ingredients! with all the fall & holiday shoots we've been doing lately (turkeys & pumpkin pies galore) we decided this combination of juicy yellow nectarines and plump blackberries would remind us that summer isn't quite over just yet.

we've been traveling a lot lately and have lots of fun projects to share soon. got to spend a week in our favorite city, san francisco! worked with great people and ate delicious food but a few highlights were flour + water & wayfare tavern! also just spent a few days in philadelphia and had a fantastic dinner at barbuzzo - the salted caramel budino is now on our all time favorite things list!!

the big leo den recently posted a few spreads that are on newsstands now that we styled and/or shot - check them out here and here!

have a great weekend!

Nectarine Blackberry Pie

serves 6-8

1 9-inch pie crust (frozen or grandma's time tested recipe)

4 medium nectarines, pited & cut into 1-inch thick sliced

1 pint blackberries

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbs cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg, beaten with 1 tbs water

3 tbs turbinado or raw sugar

preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

roll dough out to 1/8-inch thick and transfer dough to a pie tin. fold under excess and crimp the borders using your fingers. prick the bottom of the pie with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes. blind bake by lining the pastry with parchment and fill with dried beans. bake 12 to 15 or until crust doesn't look raw anymore. carefully remove parchment and let cool while you make the filling. reduce oven to 400 degrees F.

in a medium bowl combine nectarines, blackberries, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla and toss lightly to coat. transfer to crust. brush edges of pastry with egg was and sprinkle the whole pie with sugar. bake 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and fruit is softened and hot. let cool for 10 minutes before slices. enjoy!

oscar mayer

just saying hi on this hot southern california day.  it's a little too hot to turn on the oven, but maybe it will inspire a new drink of the week.  we'll keep you posted on that front.  we came across the oscar mayer wiener mobile last week on the same day mr. mayer died.  if you're craving hot dogs, maybe this time you can enjoy one as a tribute to a classic!?!  this hot dog on wheels feels like the perfect polaroid inspiration, almost like the camera was made to photograph the vintage feel of the mobile.  enjoy your summer monday & we'll see you soon...

happy mother's day

our second post for mother's day comes from the same amazing woman who gave us mom's famous chili recipe. my mom is a wonderful cook and always let me help in the kitchen growing up - i think i owe a lot, if not all, of my passion for food to my grandmas and mom. growing up in arizona, there were plenty of hot summer days that my mom didn't feel like turning on the oven or cooking at the stove. this salad is part of a vivid memory of dinner on those 115 degree days, right out of the pool, sitting at the kitchen table with my mom and dad in the cold air conditioning. the original recipe is from this classic cookbook but my mom put a few of her own improvements on it. it's refreshing, crunchy and wonderful! enjoy & happy mother's day on sunday to all those great woman out there.

Chicken Chow Mein Salad

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp grated ginger

2 cups bean sprouts

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 5oz can chow mein noodles

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced

1/4 cup snow peas, sliced

in a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger. refrigerate until ready to dress. in a large bowl, combine bean sprouts, chicken, noodles, green onion, bell pepper and snow peas. toss with dressing to combine and serve immediately.