It's Been a Long Summer - What's for Supper?

Summer is ending and I'm feeling that I should have accomplished much more, as usual. I've been updating a website for our friend Tommy, recently home from a month-long hospital stay; we've dodged a few hurricanes so far (knock wood); refinanced our house; watched the Olympics, Wimbledon, the US Open and the DNC and RNC on television (or as much as we could stand); traveled to Atlanta a couple of times and spent a week at our beach house - the dreaded 'staycation.' I really shudder using that word and all that it implies about our sagging economy. But there you are.

I'm spending so much time at the computer for work that I haven't expended the extra energy - never mind the eyestrain - to blog. But my loyal readers clamor for current info, so at least I can tell you what we've been enjoying at the table of late. I know it's strange to take a picture of your dinner plate, but sometimes they really are so lovely that you want to share.

Mr. C and I have put together the most wonderful summer suppers from our local freshness; This particular night (my sister Beeb the former food stylist will note that I left the birdwatching binoculars on the table!) we enjoyed a cold supper of fresh shrimp and freshly picked crabmeat on toast points with dabs of various toppings including homemade mayonnaise, capers, onions, lemon and avocado; also, grilled chicken satays with ginger, soy and scallions. Sort of an Asian Southern fusion, tied together with a crisp Chardonnay. Not bad at all.

Mr. C's specialty is this tart, a simple pâte brisée folded around whatever fresh fruit we come across. This tart was made with juicy dark bing cherries. We don't get many of these at our local market, and I think he made great use of them!

From our favorite Saveur magazine, I found a wonderful recipe for Green Goddess dressing (remember that one?) and used it on wedge salads, that venerable steakhouse staple that's made a big comeback of late. The iceberg returneth! And this green goddess, made with anchovies (for depth) and tarragon, is wonderful and light for summer - and bears no resemblance to the old wishbone bottled dressing your mom used to buy.

And most recently, we were assembling BLTs at the beach - before watching the US Open one morning - and I snapped this photo of this perfect assemblage of ingredients - the peaches and tomatoes were particularly luscious.