new work

just a quick hello and some pretty pics from the august issue of martha stewart living. andrew got to shoot these beautiful zucchini recipes styled by sarah carey and art directed by dimity jones - if you haven't already, check out dimity's blog three to one! also check out the july/aug issue of coastal living here for some tasty recipes i styled with a wonderful group of women.

can't believe how quickly the month of july has flown by! seems like it was just last week we were in california for the holiday and a fun cookbook project i styled with photographer jason varney. we had an awesome dinner at the bar of suzanne goin's newest project tavern - great wine list, corn fritters, steamed mussels with chorizo, and braised pork cheeks! also got to see our good friend jen and catch up.

zucchini muffins

isn't the squash lovely at the greenmarket lately? we recently had lots of leftover zucchini from a shoot and i realized that it's been ages since i baked with zucchini. both of our moms used to make great zucchini bread and we grew up loving it but for this recipe i reached for a book off our much neglected cookbook shelf. this recipes is adapted from apples for jam, a beautiful book full of simple comforting recipes and chapters that are organized by color. we've made a few things that are delicious so far but just love flipping through the pages for inspiring stories and images.

we are taking a little vacation - happy to be in sunny CA & hot AZ with lots of morning walks on the beach, breakfasts here and fish tacos here. we'll try to post some of our eating adventures and travel pics from the road so stay tuned.

Zucchini Muffins

makes 12

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp vanilla

zest of 1 small lemon

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

3 zucchini, coarsely grated

2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned & coarsely chopped

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. in a small bowl, beat sugar, olive oil and vanilla until smooth. add lemon zest and stir to combine. add eggs, one at a time and whisk until pale yellow and thick. in a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. gradually fold together wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. mix in zucchini and hazelnuts and stir. fill a greased muffin tin with batter and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. if making a loaf, bake for 55-60 minutes. enjoy!

vegetarian dinner

we try to have a vegetarian dinner once a week in our house, which doesn't always happen or isn't always very exciting, but last night it was! needed something quick and easy to go with broccoli & cheese soup and realized that i had a few zucchini and some spinach that needed to be used. so that turned into a delicious zucchini and gorgonzola tart! for dessert i made these cookies - great recipe but trouble because we can't stop eating them!! also anxiously waiting for a cute grey slouch hat to arrive from here discovered via mrs. french. excited to have visitors for the holiday arriving soon and can't wait to get cooking - went here this morning for smoked trout for a dip. also on the menu - cornbread, sausage & apple stuffing, susy's spinach souffle, two kinds cranberry sauce, andy's mashed potatoes, both pumpkin and pecan pie . . . and of course herb roasted turkey with applejack gravy. happy holidays & see you next week!

Zucchini Gorgonzola Tart

serves 6-8

1 cornmeal crust, recipe here

1 tbs olive oil

2 zucchini, cut lengthwise & then into 1/4-inch thick slices

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, sliced

1 cup spinach, roughly chopped

2 tbs chopped parsley

2 tbs chopped basil

1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1 egg, beaten

6 oz mascarpone cheese

blind bake cornmeal crust according to instructions and let cool slightly while making filling. heat olive oil in a medium skillet and saute zucchini and garlic until softened, about 8-10 minutes. set aside in a large bowl. in same pan, adding more olive oil if needed, saute onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. add spinach and saute 1 minute more or until wilted. add to bowl with zucchini and combine with herbs, cheese, egg and mascarpone. pour into prepared crust and bake at 375 degrees F 25-30 minutes or until set. let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and eat warm or at room temperature.