~pictures of summer~

Around here, summer is just rolling along. Garden, kitchen, life, beloved friends and family, home improvement project, etc. It's just going.

I thought you might like to see the inside of our two hundred year-old walls, and the hole in the wall that is awaiting a fresh, unrotty window in what will be Jonas's room.

the new guest room:

Ben Moore "sesame," sort of a lovely cream of asparagus soup color

looks great in lots of lighting

We've been swimming, blessed with a true summer, at many favorite watering holes. Including a nearby quarry, located conveniently on our commute, just 8 minutes away. There are all levels for jumping, from zero to 20 feet. I'm a zero type of person, if you'd like to know: I walk in, thank you very much. The water is delicious and your skin feels amazing after swimming in this spring-fed, 121 feet deep hole.

The season of fresh eating is upon us. Salads that are beautiful and good to eat, from the garden: this one is arugula and mesclun with raw grated golden beets and red onions. Tossed with salt, pepper, and balsamic and olive oil, you have close to perfection in a salad bowl. Lots of pepper.

How long to cook your fresh corn? I'm so glad you asked. And I'll tell you because I care and because it's something I have quite a bit of passion about. Overcooked corn is like a pithy peach or a mealy apple or salad greens with dirt on them.

So here goes. Boil your water. Put in your corn, turn off the heat, and cover the pot. For THREE MINUTES. That's it. Not a second more. And then you invert the lid and put whatever ears you aren't consuming immediately right on the lid, so they don't cook any more but still stay warm. Seriously. THREE. Only.

Cucumbers are happening. In a big way. Like half a dozen or eight per day from our garden. Please don't leave the table without consuming your requisite number of cukes.

These are a spiky Japanese variety that we got from our CSA. There is lots of potential here for making cute little hedgehogs that are edible, but we just ate them up without pretense. What more perfect dish to put them in than my baby bowl of Wedgewood: "But round the end of the cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!"

This is what we do with overly large ones: juggle them and then let the children smash them with hammers.