Sigh. So little vacation left. I loved my Saturday. I started with avocado toast topped with a runny fried egg. I sketched in my clay journal my plans for ceramics in the afternoon.
I made one of my favorite salads: Clinkerdagger or Broadway Pea Salad. Chop red onion and slice sugar snap peas and water chestnuts in halves or quarters.
Combine the red onion with mayonnaise and celery salt and celery seeds.
Fold in the water chestnuts and sugar snap peas into the seasoned mayonnaise.
Then combine the petite green peas with the other ingredients.
Chop crisped bacon and sprinkle over the pea salad.
Finally taste your salad and salt if necessary.
Delicious and then it was time to go do clay. I removed the rice paper decal of a mug to reveal the design. I'm pleased with it and goes into a bisque firing this Wednesday.
This smooth red clay mug also gets fired. I'm not sure yet how I'll decorate its surface.
That afternoon I also made a Himalayan salt crock, but the clay was not firm enough for me to want to draw mountain peaks on it. Next crock I hope.
I also made this bonsai tree platter. The holes are a bit too big, but we can cover them with a pottery shard to prevent the dirt from leaking out.
And then it was time to walk the dog and go make my taco bar. I had picked mint and peppers from our garden...
...which I used with tomatoes harvested the day before to make pico de gallo.
Salsa made, and so next I chopped into small pieces, zucchini and yellow squash also harvested the day before.
My mise en place for the calabacitas elote for vegetarian tacos: chopped summer squash, chopped cilantro, chopped garlic, chopped red onion and Anaheim and jalapeno and serrano peppers, corn, and sour cream.
I sauteed the onions and peppers until softened, about 5 minutes.
And then added to the softened aromatics, the summer squash to further saute until less firm but not mushy.
Toward the end of its cooking, add the sour cream and chopped cilantro to thicken and heat through the vegetables.
I was moving back forth between my "outdoor" or dirty kitchen in my atrium and my tiny galley kitchen to grill carne asado over hot coals. Once the meat was nearly almost done, I also placed tortillas on the grill for grill marks and to heat and melt Monterey Jack cheese.
Meat and vegetables cooked and taco bar ready for making a taco to your liking.
And then before I knew it, Sunday. We drove midmorning to Half Moon Bay, not to visit the beach (note to self, go by myself next time to hike the beach), but to the nursery. Tis a pity I didn't go to the beach because the weather was beautiful and glorious.
However, I was overjoyed to pick up my favorite Columbine. The first time, I bought this plant, it was at the Rite Aid here in my home city, which survived for years, but for whatever reason, died and was lost a couple years ago. I was chided though for picking a plant that had powder mildew. Fingers crossed. I also noticed the minimalist pots at the nursery. Very cute, but all mass manufactured in China. Nope, nope, nope. I'm going to make my own in my friend, Meral's clay studio aka her garage.
Chores and more chores, like running to the Grocery Outlet and then walking the dog and then time to make dinner.
On this particular night, supper was a hot dog bar. I wasn't gonna fire up the grill for two dinky hot dogs. I slashed and browned them on my cast iron.
Hot dog and salads.
O Summer, you're so delightful and how I'll miss you.
And then I remembered the fresh heirlooms I had added to my grilled cheese.
