what's in season: june

I took another Laughing Lemon class last week (with 3 friends, yay!) and got even more excited about the summer produce than I already was. Here are some highlights. I forgot to take pics of the other yummy stuff like a watermelon drink, gazpacho, and zucchini stuffed phyllo pie, but this should give you an idea of the fun we had. Thanks Jack & Sylvia!


We made flavored vinegar with herbs, garlic, and chili. I have to wait two months before enjoying it, but it's pretty while I wait.


Tomato tasting - apparently June not great for tomatoes because Italian tomatoes are already done (best in March & April) and Swiss tomatoes aren't ready till July. But we still tasted several varieties, including my favorite Piccadilli (the tiny oval ones).


ratatouille waiting to happen - we ate it an hour later


cucumber tasting


Samphire, which goes under a variety of german names - meerbohnen, seespargel, etc. It's a crazy little plant that tastes like salt water. It's often served with fish. It was fun to see and taste some completely I've never heard of before.


Beautiful zucchini flowers, which always remind me of my first trip to Italy with my husband before our kids were born. I ate zucchini flowers for the first time at a fantastic little restaurant in Florence. We liked the place so much, we ate there two nights in a row.


zuchinni flowers, battered and deep-fried - I could eat these all night long


baked polenta with rosemary butter, I think


salad with delicious farm-fresh greens and lots off veggies like beets, kohlrabi, purple carrots, baby tomatoes


then we sit down and eat, starting with the salad


then ratatouille and polenta


then this sassy dessert - cherry clafouti


the dessert plate with cherry clafouti, roasted apricots, vanilla ice cream