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!

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.

white heat

we thought this all white, no-cook, shaved veggie salad seemed the perfect way to keep cool on a record breaking hot temperature day in the city. we've been busy shooting fall root vegetables for FNM and got to come home with lots of goodies, but the last thing we wanted to do was turn on the oven to roast them. this post is adapted from an old bon appetit recipe inspired by a salad from al di la in brooklyn. we had never eaten many of these ingredients raw but think you'll love the crunchy texture & earthy flavor - a delicious and beautiful start or side to any meal!

check out andrew's new photography facebook page here and like it to keep up to date on recent work and other fun stuff - thanks for your support!

White Salad

serves 2

1 medium parsnip, peeled & julienned

2 small sunchokes, peeled & thinly sliced

1 small bulb fennel, trimmed & thinly sliced

1 head white Belgian endive, thinly sliced

1/2 small celery root, peeled & julienned

1/2 small head cauliflower, trimmed & thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

salt & pepper

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

in a large bowl, combine parsnip, sunchoke, fennel, endive, celery root and cauliflower and toss lightly. drizzle with oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper - toss to coat. divide between two shallow bowls and garnish with crumbled blue cheese. enjoy!

martha grills

i just wanted to share a few images from the behind the scenes shots i did for a martha stewart grilling special on the hallmark channel that premiers on june 24th at 8pm eastern. it was a lot of fun photographing martha and her slew of celebrity chefs. publics brad farmerie, hill countrys elizabeth karmel, bill taibe of le farm, east coast grills chris schlesinger, robert guerra of la caja china and emeril lagasse himself, grill with martha some of their favorite grilled foods. it was a blast to be around such talent, and eat all that great food. after taking almost 5000 images over the 2 days, i sure have my hands full editing!

so tune in to the hallmark channel to watch the show, and tune in to pictures and pancakes next week for great new recipes.

the frankies

we've had a busy few weeks and weekends shooting and styling for great clients like food network magazine, fine cooking, gilt taste, and prevention and we can't wait to share everything with you. in the meantime, we have to share a great recipe we recently discovered. this not too sweet, delicious loaf is perfect on its own with coffee in the morning or tea in the afternoon but serving it with roasted rhubarb makes it a wonderful dessert that highlights the last of the rhubarb at the farmer's markets right now. the olive oil cake comes from the frankies sputino cookbook which is a wonderful manual from one of our favorite eateries. it can be baked as a 10-inch cake or six mini bundt cakes but for this recipe we decided to make it a loaf. be sure to use a high quality olive oil in the cake since it's the key ingredient and all the flavors of the oil you choose will definitely come through. the frankies have their own olive oils which are a great choice too!

Olive Oil Cake with Roasted Rhubarb

(adapted from The Frankies Sputino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual)

yields 1 loaf

5 eggs

zest of 1 1/2 oranges

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

2 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

1 1/8 tsp baking powder

4 cups sliced rhubarb

4 tbs sugar

juice of 1 orange

1 tbs olive oil

preheat oven to 325 degrees F. in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, orange zest and sugar and beat on medium speed for a minute until mixed. reduce to low speed and slowly add the olive oil in a steady thin stream. in a medium bowl, stir together cake flour, salt and baking powder. add to egg mixture in three additions, whisking on low until the batter is smooth.

pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until browned and done in the center. the cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. cool in pan for 20 minutes, remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. toss rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and olive oil together on a sheet pan until evenly coated. roast for 12 to 15 minutes or until rhubarb is tender but still holds its shape. spoon roasted rhubarb over slices of olive oil cake to serve. enjoy!

nor'easter

the last few weeks, and months to be honest, have been a little nuts. we have been shooting and shooting, being exposed to all sorts of great food related items. but with these busy streaks, we really get on a roll with trying to seek out all the good eats we can find. last night we went to dinner at public. chef brad farmerie is truly amazing with his food. i had the pleasure of photographing him last week with martha stewart for a grilling special, and all he cooked was so tasty we decided to go eat his everyday food. we actually sat in their newer monday room, attached to public. it has the same menu as public, just with a few additions. we really enjoyed all he had to offer, all the way down to the great service. you need to check it out when in manhattan.

we also recently had dinner at char no 4 in brooklyn with some new friends on their weekly summer bbq night. every wednesday in the summer, for $22 you get 3 kinds of meat, 2 sides, a beer and a shot of whiskey! it was really good fun and great food. I believe that each month it changes food, and we had great slow roasted lamb shoulder, and an amazing cheddar sausage among other things. while we were waiting for a table, we were introduced to one of char no 4's signature cocktails, the nor'easter. it is adapted from a dark and stormy, but with bourbon instead of rum...it was truly delicious. you can also find the recipe in this great book of brooklyn's best food and drink.

nor'easter

from char no 4

makes 1 drink

1.5 oz bourbon (char no 4 uses old crow)

.5 oz fresh lime juice

.5 oz pure maple syrup

1.5 oz ginger beer

1 lime slice garnish

in a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon, lime juice, and maple syrup with some ice cubes. shake well. strain into a glass filled with new ice. top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge. enjoy!

mangoes & blackberries

we love elaborate breakfasts as much as the next person - poached eggs, a good corned beef hash, stacks of pancakes dripping in buttery syrup, omelets with all the fixings. but few things come close to the simple satisfaction of great bread perfectly toasted, spread with a little butter and your favorite jam. we've made preserves before here and here, but this is our latest experiment in slow simmered fruit and sugar - mangoes, blackberries and vanilla bean. it's so wonderful on toast that you'll have a hard time only eating one or two slices and it's equally as delicious on pork chops or roasted chicken.

Mango Blackberry Preserves

makes about 3 cups

3 ripe mangoes, peeled & diced

1 pint blackberries, washed

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 cup granulated sugar

place all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. reduce to a simmer and cook 1 hour or until fruit is broken down and slightly thickened. add a little water if mixture becomes too thick and/or a little more sugar to taste. if necessary, mash slightly with a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon. transfer to glass jars for canning or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. enjoy!

summer seafood

the summer 2011 issue of sweet paul magazine is out today! we developed, shot and styled a light summer seafood story with our friend sarah cave and are so pleased to be a part of this beautiful issue.

besides the renegade craft fair going on this weekend in brooklyn, the big apple bbq block party is happening sat & sun in madison square park and we're definitely looking forward to eating some great ribs and pulled pork! we also can't wait to check out the second section of the high line that opened this week as well as the lot! what are you up to this weekend?!

happy weekend!

uppercase

just a quick hello and a little peek at an article in issue #9 of Uppercase magazine - we were featured in great company with Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks and Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille. Thanks to Tara and everyone at Uppercase for including us in such an inspiring piece!

looks like Uppercase will be attending this year's renegade craft fair in Brooklyn this weekend - are you going?! Sweet Paul will be there too - and we of course are anxiously awaiting the summer issue's release on friday!

rancho gordo

hope everyone is feeling rested and relaxed after the holiday weekend. we enjoyed the sun and warm weather finally here in nyc with friends, a night at citi field and a few glasses of rose here.

check out this post on the den about our work with gilt taste. now that summer is here, so are all the great outdoor fleas and food markets like smorgasburg, which we checked out last saturday. also excited to check out the latest east coast outpost of blue bottle coffee - how's that view?!

we've shared our love of Rancho Gordo products on the blog before here but realized it's been way too long since we've cooked with any of their amazing beans! we recently picked up a bag of christmas lima beans which are big and beautiful with their maroon stripping and deep chestnut flavor. this salad is adapted from Heirloom Beans, a great reference for how to cook all things rancho gordo by the company's founder. this hearty healthy salad is great for summer gatherings as a whole meal or a perfect side dish.

Christmas Lima Bean Salad

(adapted from Heirloom Beans)

serves 4 to 6

5 small beets

1/2 cup quinoa

3 cups cooked christmas lima beans

4 green onions, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup yellow pear tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

1/3 cup olive oil

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. wash and scrub beets. wrap in foil and wrap until tender when poked with a fork, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. when cool, peel and cut into bite size wedges. in a medium saucepan bring quinoa and water to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until fluffy but still a little tender. drain well and rinse under cool water.

combine beets, quinoa, beans, green onion, avocado and tomatoes.

in a small bowl combine lemon juice, vinegar and honey. while stirring, slowly drizzle in olive oil and whisk to combine. pour over salad and toss to combine. season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with crumbled feta before serving. serve at room temperature & enjoy!