You may have noticed — no newsletter last week.
We had an AC failure on one of the hottest days of our Minneapolis year — 100 degrees. And the kitchen, which is where I spend most of my days, became an oven. Sorry for the lag. The AC repair is in the works, and I am back.
Last week’s farmer’s market haul — tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and Minnesota sweet corn. Such abundance! This is the moment I wait for every year. The vegetables are at peak, and my job is really easy. All I have to do is let them shine and not overpower them. A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maybe a splash of lemon, and that is it. That’s what issue #10 of the podcast is about and the rest of this letter.
LAST WEEK, YOU ANSWERED
Fresh lemon or good vinegar — which one do you reach for first?
You were evenly split. Half the room said lemon. Half said vinegar. Both of you are right — but for different reasons, and at different moments in the pan.
Here’s how I think about it.
Vinegar goes in early. The fermentation is the point — it builds complexity from the inside out, winding itself into the other flavors as everything cooks. Red wine vinegar into a braise. A splash of sherry vinegar with the onions before anything else goes in. It becomes part of the dish’s structure.
Lemon goes in at the end. Always. Heat and time degrade both the flavor and the brightness — what makes lemon lemon — so I hold it back until the pan is off the heat or the bowl is on the table. It doesn’t build complexity. It intensifies what’s already there. A squeeze at the finish, and suddenly everything wakes up.
Same ingredient family. Completely different purpose.
This week’s issue is full of both — peak season tomatoes want acid, and they’ll tell you which kind.
Baked Ricotta with Vine-On Cherry Tomatoes →
The Podcast
Episode 10 uploads tomorrow — and this one is a short essay about peak season vegetables.
I want to share some thoughts about this time of year where the abundance is so great that it’s almost overwhelming and not having a recipe is an advantage, not a liability. As soon as the sweet corn shows up — I know we’re in it, and when it starts to wane, it’s over. I’ll give you lots of tips, and you’ll find out why it’s the best time for a Mediterranean kitchen in the Midwest.
Coming up:
· August 7 · Episode 11 — will be announced
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE KITCHEN
The farmers market class this Saturday is sold out before I had a chance to check the numbers — my Marcato pasta machines lined up and ready to go. I’ve been polishing them, not that they need it. The date moved around — we feel fortunate that people found it anyway.
Mark is building what I can only describe as a pasta-drying situation. I’ll show you next week when I have photos from Saturday. For now, here’s a look at last year’s class — same machines, same flour, same chaos, better every time.
THE SKILL: THE NEW BASICS
Peak season cooking — when the ingredient is the recipe
The Quick Win
Here’s the challenge, but one thing that is perfectly and absolutely at its peak. A tomato, an ear of corn, a pepper, and cook it with nothing but olive oil, Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, and some type of heat. No planning and no recipe. Just those three things. That’s it. You’re not learning to cook, you’re learning to taste.
The Most Common Mistake
Adding more flavor. When an ingredient is at its best, instinct tells us to do more with it. Add a marinade, a sauce, a new technique or texture. That’s often unnecessary and a wrong direction. Don’t mask the flavor - enhance it. A great July tomato doesn’t need more than a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil, Maldon and freshly ground black pepper.
One Tool Worth Having
A good and sharp chef’s knife can get you through most everything. A dull blade that can’t cut through a tomato skin is a sign of time to get the knife sharpened. Learn to use your honing rod or steel, and you can double the time between sharpenings.
RECIPE SPOTLIGHT
Summer Cherry Tomato Tart
MM Blue
The Soul
Buttery, flaky, golden pastry. A rustic, yet organized display of ruby red cherry tomatoes on a bed of a mustardy red onion coulis. This is a French-inspired tart that is casual for outdoor eating, but elegant enough for company. The leftover tart makes a wonderful mid-morning snack. I wrote this recipe when I was overwhelmed with cherry tomatoes from my garden. I plant more now, to make it throughout August.
The Bridge
You don’t need to hunt for a specific variety of cherry tomato. Use the best and ripest — any color — or mix it up. If the tomatoes are really juicy, let them drain on a paper towel for 10 minutes. Don’t squeeze them; drain them. The pastry will thank you.
THE MEDITERRANEAN EDIT
Two tools I love this month. The Strawberry Huller is about 15 years old.
Tool — Sharple by Dreamfarm
A self-sharpening peeler with a sliding cover that protects the blade during storage and sharpens it every time you open or close it. Designed by Dreamfarm, it’s durable, comfortable in your hand, and has just the right swivel for every vegetable.
Tool — Norpro Stainless Steel Strawberry Huller and Tomato Stem Corer
I have had this huller for years, but only recently (well, 10 years ago), did I discover that it works really well for removing the stem from a tomato. I still use it for strawberries, but it’s the tomatoes that keep it in my drawer. The Norpro design has never been improved, because it doesn’t need to be.
COOKBOOK CHRONICLES
Because of the AC debacle, I didn’t get to include the KSTP Twin Cities Live pics. Here are some of the behind-the-scenes — and a link to watch the episode on my new media page.
Watch the Episode →
Next week — pictures from the pasta-making classes and the market!
BEFORE YOU GO
What’s the one peak-season vegetable or fruit you always cook — and have never tried eating raw or acid-cured?
Until next Thursday — keep a good olive oil on the counter and don’t be afraid to use it.
— Chef Laura
eggplant is the one veggie I always cook & never eat raw or cured or pickeled