SUMMER CAMP FUN TIMES

HICKEY SHIELDS NEWS FLASH

WE DO SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST COOK.

STUFF IT

There are big fat gorgeous juicy red summer tomatoes out there right now, so go pop a few off the vine and STUFF IT.

If you have a few children,parents, aunts, uncles, cousins or your crazy out of control friends from paris visiting your summer house, get them to help, the more the merrier and who doesn’t like to get their bare hands in some raw meat?? who? Summer cooking is often a group activity and throwing things is advised. Get crazy, you’re on vacation.

stuffing it in 10 easy steps:

1. wash your hands and the hands of those who will be getting in on the stuffing action. it’s not worth getting swine flu over a stuffed tomato. really.

2. prepare the stuffing.  season 1lb (500g) ground pork or veal with garlic, onion, parsley, herbes de provence, salt, pepper, and a pinch of hot pepper.  add 1/3 of a stale baguette torn into small bits. add 2 eggs. 

3. mix this all with your hands. feel the flesh ooze between your fingers. close your eyes….

4. meanwhile….someone can be preparing the (8) tomatoes. chop off the top and hollow out the middle flesh and juice into a bowl and set aside. this is a good job for a child as it’s messy.

6. stuff the tomatoes…and stuff them good.

7. put the top of the tomato back on like a cute hat.

8. pour the juice and some fleshy bits around the tomatoes in a big roasting pan.

9. splash with olive oil and coarse sea salt

10. roast for about an hour at 375.

 

STUFF IT.

HAPPY 4TH

Hey, happy 4th…one of my favorite holidays of the year…..i’m off to have three legged races up the mountain olive pit spitting contests budweiser kronenbourg merguez marinated lamb shoulder marco polo in the piscine zeee best day of summer.

 

enjoy!

lovejosh.

 

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FISHY

DO YOU B-B-Q?

Grilling up a whole fish or two is the best when it’s hotter than hot.  serve these babies with a fennel salad and a crisp white wine, may i recommend a white from Cassis where the vineyards dance right down into the blue blue sea.

These two beauties featured below were plucked right out of the mediterranean sea, just like that. and before you could say “sacré bleu” they were cleaned, stuffed with fennel greens and garlic, lubed up with olive oil salt and pepper……and grilled to an instant of fishy fantasy.

stuff them well with the fennel greens and loads of garlic.

don’t be alarmed by their vacant stare, they can’t see you.

Josh can’t stop eating the bones. cartoon alley cat.

 

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S’MORES!

As the fourth of July is fast approaching, I thought to say a word about the s’more.  The quintessential summer dessert,  it is, in my view, a necessary element to any barbecue and most certainly the fourth of July barbecue.  The strength of the s’more is that it instantly fills you with sweet memories of summer camps and best friends and wet dogs and kick the can and hot dog dinners and all those romantic details of the american summer.  Here are some pics from our last year’s 4th of July bash at the summer house.

setting the tone….

s’mores go best with some quality champagne…don’t forget the americana napkins

supplies. note: we’ve made some substitutions from the traditional graham cracker/hershey bar version as we’re in provence where those things don’t exist.

the fire’s hot

you MUST use a stick you found in the yard….no skewers/etc they don’t count.

the french-american classic cooked to perfection.

 

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BIRDCAGES

This summer is the summer of the birdcage.  They are cheap, and look great with candles inside or little light up bird friends.  We’ve used these bamboo cages in really cool colorful ways, and also did a super chic table setting with them for a party at the Waldorf.  Imagine how cool it would be to have a night time picnic under a big tree with hundreds of these cages hanging and glittering with candlelight…………

 

at the Asia Society

 

 

at the Waldorf Astoria

 

SUMMER READING

I’ve just finished reading this incredible book by muriel BARBERY, Gourmet Rhapsody;  a truly uneasy story  told in intoxicating language using cuisine as the primary metaphor.  She uses a culinary critique style to create such a rich portrait of a man and his short life with brilliant success. A real pleasure to read as her words drip off the pages like, well, something really delicious. It totally and fully turned me on. (Thanks Benoit!)

TRAVEL TIP

These little French melons are like no others. So if you were wondering where to spend your summer vacation, I say, come over to France and eat a melon!

CROQUE MADAME

If i were rachel ray, i’d say, with my charming accent, “it’s low keerrb”.

Slice open 1/3 baguette, slather on a generous coating of bechamel, top with fresh sliced ham and gruyère cheese and set under the broiler until browned and bubbling.  Add fried egg sunny side up. so goooood. if iwere rachel ray, i’d say, “it’s dah-lish”

 

dah-lish and low keerrb!