SUMMER LOVIN'

Oh hi. It's summer and I'm sorry things have been quiet here on the Meatball, but I've been busy. I'm just sayin.
There's been canoeing on the Russian River, Saturday night cribbage, volunteering at the Farmers Market, the YouTube debate, coyote attacks, tennis, frisbee and our new barbecue!

I've been enjoying lots of juicy and delicious summer type things...
My top five:
1. Peaches
2. Dapple Dandy plums
3. Cherokee purple tomatoes
4. Corn on the cob
5. Yellow wax beans

Besides eating and galavanting around doing summery things, I've been reading this awesome book called The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine. This is how a real man eats! Hunting and killing and gutting and all kinds of gory stuff. I mean, it's cool in a Man vs. Wild kinda way. At least this guy knows where his food is coming from. Vegetarians and PETA beware.

Also, in the bathroom, as a quick reference guide for those emergency dinner parties I plan on the toilet, we have Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany.
This is a bunch of mostly irrelevant knowledge, history and terms from the culinary world, past and present. I've learned about the different types of slaves at a Roman dinner party; why asparagus makes your pee smell, and that "sniffing the barmaid's apron" refers to being drunk. Useless trivia nerd alert!

I made some arugula and basil pesto recently (no recipe) and it turned out pretty good! You can just follow a basic basil recipe but use half arugula or whatever ratio you want. And even though I'm still working out the kinks with the whole baking thing, it was pretty hard to mess up with my mom's muffin recipe and fresh summer blueberries. Pass the butter!