Pasta with Tuna and Arugula

1/3 pound pasta (any kind- all I had were tortelli)
1/2 can tuna packed in olive oil
about 1 C arugula
1/4 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp red chili flakes
salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon

This is an easy dish that can be varied in a million ways. You could add capers (I meant to but forgot), or tomato paste, or broccolini, or use anchovies instead of tuna... All I do is quickly sautee the onions and garlic with the chili flakes, add the tuna just to heat it, and then throw the arugula on top and let it wilt while the pasta boils. Then you can just squeeze a little fresh lemon juice into the mixture, toss it with the pasta, and eat! Yum. These quantities serve one, by the way.

Bibb Lettuce with Elephant Heart Plums, Proscuitto, and Mint-Yogurt Dressing

Banana Milk "Shake"

I used to make this all the time in college, but I forgotten about it until I had a banana-Dulce de Leche milkshake in LA last weekend, and now I can't get enough!


1 Banana
1 Cup Milk
1/2 oz Simple Syrup (or more if you like it sweet)
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend and serve over ice! (Peanut butter and honey on walnut bread optional.)

Endives, Baby Spinach, Comice Pears (from Dad's garden!), and Shaved P'tit Basque with Aged Balsamic

I have been really into endives lately. They add such a nice crunch to baby greens.

Warm Fingerling Potatoes with Olive Oil and Sea Salt, Over Baby Greens

Endive and Watercress Salad with Pluots and Marcona Almonds in a Lemon-Yogurt Dressing

Lemon-Yogurt Dressing
1/4 C plain yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Still Hungry?

Hello again! I am thinking about posting on this blog again. Most of the things I cook lately are very simple (and don't really require recipes), but I would like to keep a better record of them, so I guess that this will be more of a collection of different combinations of ingredients from here on out (with the occasional real recipe, I'm sure). Summer makes it easy to take advantage of all the wonderful local produce available. Here are some of the things I've eaten over the last couple of months:


Tomatoes on toast with Fleur Verte goat cheese.


Blistered Padron peppers with sea salt.


(Richard made this one, but I intend to copy it.)
Tomatoes, basil, snap peas and grilled chicken in a garlic-anchovy dressing.


Sangria made with kumquats, key limes, plums, nectarines, grapefruit, and Moscato D' Asti.


Little gems lettuces with Mission figs and mint in a creme fraiche dressing.


Homemade pot pie and a spinach salad with mint, basil, fennel and strawberries with pecans and ricotta in an orange-balsamic dressing.


"The Eton Mess" (strawberries, whipped cream, and crushed meringues).


A gimlet with bergamot-basil simple syrup, lemon juice, and vodka.


Scrambled eggs with broccoli rabe and aged Danish gouda served with fruit salad and toast.


Tomato-grape salad with mint and feta.