From the Garden

I am in charge of the beans and lettuce in our garden this summer. :)



Butter-crunch lettuce



The wax beans have beautiful little purple flowers.









The green beans have white.









I have about 20 quarts stored so far. :)

This Week's Tablesetting

I decided to dedicate a separate post to this week's tablesetting. I borrowed a tray from Sasha and decorated it with vintage leather gloves, vintage and antique postcards, and dried rose petals. I only paid a dollar for a couple of roses the other day. One of them is the one in the vase.

The Caribbean: Meal #6

This meal was based off of, but not completely bound by, "Cooking the Caribbean Way" by Cheryl Davidson Kaufman.



Jamaican "Stamp and Go"



Bahamian Potato Salad



A fruit salad composed of pineapple, dark sweet cherries, chile black plums, and a little bit of lemon juice

Hansen Bros. Coffee Shop

This is one of my favorite places in Harlan (even though I rarely drink coffee). As I've said before, it's not what you do--it's how you do it. It's not just a food and drink place. They put style into it. I really appreciate their bent toward organic options; and the shop has a very personal and cozy atmosphere. The way they run this place is like a cliche of what other companies might want to impress on their customers.




The board shows different food and drink options written in colored chalk.



A plaque outside the building



It is not uncommon for a group of men to be clustered in one place and a group of women in another. :)



I like their floor. From the shape of the nail this is probably the original.



The owners, Jonathan and Jessica



They sell some things--like pie shaped slices of rich, gooey brownies and caramel pecan
rolls--that make a great afternoon snack.





Isn't this setting beautiful? Jessica likes to put fresh flowers on different tables.



Shaina enjoying her lunch



This sandwhich already had healthy things inside of it; but they took it a step further and put fresh fruit and veggies on the side. I appreciate that.



My lovely strawberry smoothie. You can have different kinds of smoothies depending on what all they have in stock. Also, you have the option of having it made with ice cream or yogurt. I had mine with ice cream.

The lemonade is another one of my favorite drinks to order there. They have lots of different options if you want to add an additional flavor. I've added things like pomegranate or pear.

When the cold months hit they'll start selling soup; and I'll probably start ordering hot chocolate with flavorings like mint and almond thrown in. :)

Avocado

A nicely ripened avocado will have a dark skin and will be slightly soft when pressed.

Now, this is how I like to cut them.



Start from the top. Find the seed with your knife and cut around it.



Twist to open and remove the seed with your fingers.



Score vertically and horizontally.



Invert, and remove the pieces with your fingers or a knife.



I dressed my avocados with salt, pepper, and lime juice. I really recomend adding halved grape tomatoes to this and eating it with corn chips.

East Africa: Meal #5

This meal was based and twisted from "Cooking the East African Way" by Bertha Vining Montgomery and Constance Nabwire.

Flowers from our yard



The ribbon on the vase is recycled from a tin of homemade sugar cookies that my friend Amanda gave to me. :)



My version of their version of Chapati



Banana and Meat Stew



A simple fruit salad of lemon and lime juice, mango, and banana



I made the stew a couple of days in advance. I believe that gave the falvors a chance to mellow and blend. It wasn't bad; though it may sound a little odd.



A bonus photo from that night :)

Slicing a Mango

This is how I like to slice mangoes. It is much easier if your mango is ripe. Fortunately, this one was.



Set the mango upright with the stem on the top.



Feel for the pit with your knife and slice.



You will get more from the front and back than from the sides.







Score the mango vertically and horizontally...



invert...



and remove wedges with your fingers or a knife.