Finally, summer is on full blast. I love waking up to the bright mornings these days, and taking a sunset walk along the beach. The weather makes me want to be outside all day. Lately I have been working on my garden and tending to my herbs. They all grew back this year, which was a wonderful surprise; I usually have to rebuy them every year. 

The best thing is that our local farmer’s market opened up. 

Visiting my local farmer’s market is one of my favorite things to do. There is nothing better than walking through the market knowing everything there was freshly grown. You know you are getting the highest quality food at a very fair price, as well as helping out your local economy.

There are some things you should know before going to your local market. It can be intimidating so here are a few tips to help you navigate it easier.  Things are different this year, so I’ve amended my usual tips with COVID-19 in mind.

Before you go, look online to see if vendors are listed.  This is a great way to plan out your route before you get there.  

Prepare a clean mask to wear, and bring hand sanitizer.  Many markets are requiring shoppers to wear a mask, so it’s best to have one ready to go.

Bring cash.  Small vendors may not take cards due to fees from credit card companies.  

Take a walk through the market before you buy anything. Make a mental or written note of the vendors you want to return to.

Bring your own bags.  This is environmentally friendly, convenient, and safe!

Do not be afraid to ask questions. I have found that most vendors enjoy talking about the way they grow the food and operate their farm. They will be able to tell you what’s in season, what tastes best, and how to store it.

Pick up your largest purchases last so you don’t have to carry it around.

Don’t forget to pick up the items you will need for your 4th of July celebration!

Now this dessert really does say 4th of July. I was hesitant to make it, because I am not good with food decorations, but I decided to give it a try and I was so glad I did. Of course, my cake is not as beautiful as Ina’s but I find all of her recipes and directions to be spot on and delicious. This cake was so easy to make. The sour cream ensures it is nice and moist. It is just the right amount of sweet with hints of vanilla. Thanks to the cream cheese, the icing is wonderfully smooth. Fresh fruit is the perfect topping for this delightful and beautiful dessert.

This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten and will serve 20 to 24 people who will surely want seconds!

Ingredients for Flag Cake:

18 tablespoons (2-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the Icing:

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To Assemble:

2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 18 x 12 x 1-1/2-inch sheet pan (see note).

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 3 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. (If the butter is too cool to be light and fluffy, add a teaspoon or two of warm water,)

On medium-low speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla.

Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Stir the batter with a rubber spatula and pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until very smooth. 

Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed.

Stir with a rubber spatula to be sure the icing is well mixed.

Spread three quarters of the icing on the cake.

Using a toothpick, outline a flag on the cake.

Fill in the upper left corner with blueberries.

Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like the red stripes.

Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries.

Alternately add 2 rows of raspberries and 2 rows of icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

Note: If you don’t want to serve your cake from the pan, line the pan with parchment paper and turn it out into a board before you ice and decorate it.

It’s that simple!

Fall has ended and Winter is now here… for most of us. Every year after Thanksgiving, my husband and I fly to our go-to island in the Caribbean for some much-needed rest and relaxation. 

With many regrets, we arrived home just this week. We always try to take as many days as we can, but how many exactly depends on my husband’s work. This time we got to take eight days. When you take two travel days off, it is not much time, but we make the most of it. The island we go to is so beautiful and the people are just lovely. Many know us personally, which makes the week even nicer.

We had an exciting run in with Mother Nature while we were there.  We took a sail on a very, very small catamaran, piloted by the water sports specialist at our hotel. It was beautiful and sunny when we first left. The catamaran only had a sail, no motor, and the wind was perfect. After about 20 minutes, the sun had gone in and as our guide pointed out, it started raining where we left off. We stayed out an extra 15 minutes, thinking the rain had passed, before making our way back.

We actually sailed right into a huge rainstorm! That was not even the worst part. There was no wind at all, so there we were for about 30 minutes, sitting in a huge Caribbean rainstorm in the middle of the ocean! The wind started to come back slowly, but were barely moving. A 20-minute trip turned into an hour and a half nightmare. We were soaked from head to toe and freezing too. Have you ever heard how it rains for 5 minutes in the islands, then the sun comes out? Not this time. We were laughing about it the whole time, even though we were cold and wet. This was definitely an experience we will never forget.

Now our vacation has ended, and my thoughts are on Christmas and menus and shopping lists. This is one dessert that will be on my menu this year. It is a simple recipe that packs a huge amount of flavor. The shortbread has such perfect crumbly edges. The sugars make it sweet (but not too sweet), and the vanilla, cinnamon and salt are savory perfection. The pecans offer a welcome crunch and a different texture. I hope you add them to your holiday menu, your guests will be delighted.

Note:  Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

The recipe is courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction and will make about 24 pieces of shortbread that will offer your guests the perfect holiday morsel.

Ingredients for Pecan Shortbread Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (100g) finely chopped pecans

For rolling:

1/4 cup coarse sugar 
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the vanilla extract on high speed.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Add the flour, cinnamon, and salt, then beat on low speed until combined.

Beat in the chopped pecans.

The cookie dough may look like it won’t come together, but keep beating, it will come together.

The cookie dough will be thick.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and, with floured hands, divide or cut into two.

Shape each half into an 8-inch log, about 2.5 inches in diameter.

The measurements don’t have to be exact.

Tightly wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours and up to 5 days.

Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. The author prefers to chill hers for 4 hours or even overnight– the colder the dough, the thicker the cookies. (I would also roll the dough into the pecan-sugar mixture before I chilled it. It was hard to get it to stick after it was chilled.)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 

Set aside.

For Rolling:

You can actually roll the logs before or after chilling them.

Mix the coarse sugar and chopped pecans together on a large plate.

One at a time, roll the log into the mixture.

Press it down so the nuts and sugar stick to all sides.

Slice each log into 12 equally thick cookies and place cookies on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until brown around the edges. 

Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies come out of the oven very soft. Don’t be fooled, they are cooked through and will harden as they cool.

Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 1 week.

It’s that simple!

I wish you all a very