SLS Part 10: Boston Common Coffee Co.

Last Friday my camera was tucked safely away in my suitcase and a 12pm departure time to Falmouth for a friends wedding was fast approaching. Perhaps the shortest Summer Lunch series to date, there was no time for a leisurely meal so I opted for something quick and reliable.

Boston Common Coffee Co. is a cozy North End coffee shop located at 97 Salem Street. I've mentioned them quite a few times before; their coffee, baked goods and paninis are top notch. Their cozy living room space offers free wi-fi, so often I'll head over with my computer when a change of scenery from my own living room is in order. One of my favorite paninis, basically a glorified grilled ham and cheese is the Hanover ($6.75) which satisfied as the second to last (ah where did summer go?!?) lunch. Black Forest Ham is paired with sharp cheddar cheese and bacon, which gets topped with an apple chutney and pressed between 7 grain bread. All paninis come with a free side salad, of either mixed greens, white bean, tabouli or tortellini. I chose the white bean, a lightly dressed mix of chickpea and kidney beans. It was noon after all, so I had already sufficed my coffee craving with a cup or two at home. I washed lunch down with a favorite sparkling citrus beverage, Orangina, just in time for our ride to the Cape to arrive. It was a weekend full of wedding festivities, which I'll be sure to recap once I have a moment to go through all the pictures!

Portsmouth Eats: Popovers And Surf

About a month ago, I went to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with my friend Carrie to shop for wedding dresses. Her wedding is the month before mine, and we thought it would be fun to make the trip together and see if we found any dresses we liked enough to bring our moms back to see.



Why were we heading to Portsmouth when there are plenty of dress shops right in Boston? There's a shop in Portsmouth called Madeleine's Daughter where friends and friends of friends have bought their dresses and it was recommended to me so many times I had to check it out. I'd rather go somewhere where someone has had a great experience than draw straws trying to figure out where to go.



So anyways, that's why Carrie and I made the trek (it's only about an hour), and being the good brides we are, we headed out early to make sure we'd get to our appointments on time. We arrived with plenty of time to spare, drove into downtown Portsmouth, parked in the (ridiculously cheap to this Boston-area girl) parking garage ($0.75 an hour), and sought a place to have breakfast.



We walked across the street to Popovers, which was also recommended to me by several friends.

It just so happened that there was an open table outside, so the hostess reserved it for us, and we went in to place our orders. For some reason, we were both in the mood for egg sandwiches with cheese and bacon (maybe something about wedding dress shopping makes you crave bacon?), so we each got one.

The sandwich, served on a soft roll with lots of egg and gooey cheese, definitely hit the spot, but I wished a couple pieces of the bacon were a little crispier. I also wished I had room after breakfast for some of the delicious-looking pastries in the case.

But, calories consumed and minutes dwindled, it was time to drive the 2 miles back down the road to the dress shop. We were both a little alarmed to see that the shop was in a strip mall, but our fears subsided once we got inside. We were greeted, checked in, and ushered to plush chairs to wait. Then we were each taken to our respective dressing rooms, where we tried on as many dresses as we could during our 1 hour appointments. My consultant helped me quickly narrow down what I was looking for. I went in with an idea of what I wanted and didn't want and actually loved one of the silhouettes I thought I would hate (trumpet) and hated the one I thought I would love (A-line). At the end, Carrie and I showed each other our top three dresses.



I actually found my dress that day; I just didn't know it yet. I know everyone says you just know when you find the dress, but I am a little on the practical side, so I think deep down I knew I had found the dress, but I needed to look a little more just to be sure. I asked my consultant (McKenzie -- who I very, very highly recommend -- she was awesome) to mark down my four favorite dresses and planned to bring my mom back to see them.



Wedding dress shopping is hard work. There's a lot of diving and turning, stepping up and stepping down, and gawking and admiring. We were tired and in need of some nourishment... and cocktails. A quick drive brought us back into downtown Portsmouth, and after a little wandering around, we decided to check out Surf for a light lunch.

Surf, located on Bow Street, happens to have a teeny tiny back balcony with four tables on it that overlooks the water. It was a pretty warm day and I think people were trying to stay in the air conditioning, so we got the balcony all to ourselves.

We started with cocktails. You all know my love for St-Germain by now and my desire to get everyone to love St-Germain, so we both tried the Piscataqua cocktail (St-Germain, Pama liqueur, Champagne, and soda water). The drink was just what we needed: a little bubbly, a little sweet, a lot refreshing.

Then we decided to just share an appetizer and a salad. We went with the fried Jonah crab cakes and the fried tomato and crispy bacon salad (I'm telling you... wedding dress shopping does that!). The crab cakes were just the way I like 'em: lots of crab, no fillers. They had a crunchy coating and came topped with a Louisiana-style remoulade.

I wouldn't recommend ordering the fried tomato and crispy bacon salad if you're really looking for a light salad, but if you want a salad with some depth and a lot of flavor, then go for it! The bacon on this salad was crisped to perfection. I don't think I've ever had fried red tomatoes, and I found them less sturdy and more "melty" than green tomatoes. This was an interesting way to add them to a salad as opposed to just chopping them and tossing them in. The tomatoes and bacon rested on a bed of mixed lettuces, and the whole thing was topped with a peppery parmesan dressing.

Just as we were paying our bill, some other diners decided to brave the heat. The timing worked out nicely for us. And I just have to note that even though we were all alone on the balcony, our waitress was awesome. She was attentive, never forgot about us, and made some great recommendations for us about the drinks we got and the dishes we ordered. It was so relaxing and peaceful to sit out on the water, sip cocktails, have some girl time, and enjoy a leisurely lunch.







Overall, we had a really fun day in Portsmouth. I think trying on dresses made the wedding seem even more real and imminent. One of the things about having a long engagement is feeling like the wedding is lightyears away and there's plenty of time to get everything done. But that gets balanced out by realizing there's more and more stuff to do and then thinking you won't ever get it all done. It was kind of a relief to start the dress shopping process and realize that there actually could be a dress out there for me. I left looking forward to returning and showing off the dresses to my mom... and hopefully spending a little more time in downtown Portsmouth.



Have you been wedding dress shopping -- for yourself or friends? What do you remember most about it?

Updates & Events

Today's post was going to be a recap of my olympic distance tri.  Hurricane Irene had other ideas, and Sunday's race was cancelled.  Boo.  Moving on.

A few small updates in case you hadn't already noticed:

• Tri to Cook now has a facebook page!!  It's still in its infancy, but show me the love and like me :)   Come say hi and let's chat about recipes you've tried, what's cooking in your kitchen, or recipes you'd like to see me make!
• You can also subscribe to Tri to Cook by email (see the box in the right sidebar), getting new posts directly in your inbox so you don't miss a thing!
• There are also now sharing buttons now at the bottom of each post, so you can tweet/email/share your favorite recipe with...  the rest of the world ;)

Some upcoming events for Boston-area folk...

Want to support the Breast Cancer Fund and meet some new folks on a fun run/walk?  You can do both Sept 8th in Cambridge Common, 6:30pm with the Boston LUNA Chix!!  Check it out and register here.

Think your pickles/preserves/baked goods reign supreme?  Put them to the test at the Urban Ag Fair Sept 18 in Harvard Square!  More info on the fair and how to enter the contest, click here.  You have until Sept 8th to submit an entry from!! 

Fruit, Whole Fruit and Nothing But Fruit

In ice pop form! Power of Fruit Bars are a healthy summer snack or dessert made with 100% whole frozen fruit.
The company provided me one box each of their five signature bars, which are blended using various combinations of fresh strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, mangoes, pineapples, bananas and more, with a dash of all natural juice concentrate and water.The iced fruit bars are tart, sweet, juicy and inherently fresh as a result of immediately freezing the fruit right after it has been picked, washed and chopped. No artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives are added, resulting in a summer snack that contains less than 10 grams of sugar and under 36 calories per bar.In essence, Power of Fruit steps up to the plate as a refreshing, healthy alternative to sugar packed pops or dyed gel snacks. Bonus: one bar is equal to half a daily fruit serving.

The medley of flavors in my freezer that I have been working my way through are Original All Fruit, Tropical, Banana Berry, Orange Tango and Cherry Berry.

Initially, the pure, unaltered flavors threw me for a loop. When they say no sugar added, they mean, no sugar added. It took me a minute to adjust to the fact that these are not going to be sticky sweet like those old school neon ice pops that come in similar "push up" plastic packaging. Not even close.The first bar I sampled was the Orange Tango which left me wanting more. I felt like it was trying too hard to be wholesome - resulting in extreme tartness. Basically, it lacked the contrasting element of sweetness one might crave from an ice pop. (Which could be argued as entirely the point, so I though these bars were going to be a bust!) But then I tasted the Tropical with luscious pieces of mango and banana, which was much sweeter in comparison. This ended up being my favorite of the five. Yellow pop for the win!

The Cherry Berry, Banana Berry and All Fruit bars like-ability factor fell somewhere in between.

Flavor preferences aside, I can totally embrace this product as a whole for keeping it real. This is fruit as it should be, the fresh chunks laced throughout the icy bars are undeniably my favorite part.

To find a retailer nearest to you, head to the website and type your zip code in the space provided at the bottom of the page.

Strawberry-Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

As I mentioned previously, I flagged a lot of great recipes in the latest issue of Bon Appetit.  My baked flounder with tomatoes and cilantro was a big hit, so I decided to try my hand at another recipe from the magazine - Shortbread Cookies!

I followed the recipe pretty closely but made a few small changes of my own.

First, I pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees while I gathered the ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


• 10 1/2 tablesppons unsalted butter, room temperature


• 1 large egg, room temperature


• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature


• 3 tablespoons (about) strawberry-raspberry jam

I whisked together the flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.

I cut in the butter until the flour mixture was coarse.

I whisked the egg and egg yolk in a separate bowl.

I poured the egg mixture into the coarse flour mixture and stirred until a crumbly shortbread cookie dough began to form.

I rolled two tablespoons of dough into a ball and lined the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  I left about two inches of space in between the dough balls.

I used my index finger to make small indentations in the dough.

I fill the indentations with strawberry-raspberry jam.

The cookies went into the oven to bake for ten minutes before I allowed them to cool on the tray.

These shortbread cookies were so nutty and crumbly.  Bret couldn't stop raving about them since he love cookies made with whole wheat flour.  Plus, they made for a nice sweet snack during the weekend, while we anticipated Hurricane Irene.

I haven't done too much baking lately.  Tell me, what have you been baking lately?

Francis Lam's Perfect Five-Minute Raw Tomato Pasta

August.

Tomatoes.

Need I say more?

This is the month tomatoes storm the markets. Plump, rainbow-colored tomatoes complete with wrinkles and crags and warpy misshapen stems. Sweet as candy. I have eaten so many tomatoes this month—hungry for them always, trying to appease my craving before they’re replaced with the apples and squash of autumn.

I’ve roasted them, simmered them, sliced them and served them with mozzarella, basil and a sprinkle of salt.  I’ve eaten them in sandwiches and in salsas. But I’ve found myself coming back to the same recipe a number of times this summer: Francis Lam’s Perfect Five-Minute Raw Tomato Pasta. Generally, I cringe at recipe titles that use words like “perfect,” or anything resembling a superlative. But I’ll let this one slide, because Francis… this man doesn’t lie.

My father and stepmother came over for dinner last Sunday. It had been a crazy week, one in which time swung around and trickled away, warping and rolling like desert tumbleweed. Sometimes I feel like life is moving too quickly, and other times way, way, waaaaay too slowly.

In any case, I didn’t begin to cook dinner for my family until only a few minutes before they arrived. I chopped up the tomatoes, plunked them in a bowl. I topped them with a layer of arugula, and then one of thinly sliced red onion. I boiled the pasta and heaped it on top, letting it sit for two minutes to take the raw edge off the onions and just barely wilt the greens. I then tossed the whole lot with Parmesan cheese and piled it onto the waiting plates. Dinner was served.

Francis Lam’s Perfect Five-Minute Raw Tomato Pasta

Serves 2 – 4

I used a combination of local red vine and colorful heirloom tomatoes for this recipe, as well as a pint or two of cherry tomatoes. The more colors the better; I like a rainbow of a dish. But if you don’t have a really great selection of tomatoes—ripe and juicy and sweet—I’d recommend making something else. The tomatoes make this dish.

2 ½ pounds tomatoes (the riper the better, colors are key)

2 loose cups arugula

Scant ¼ cup shaved red onion

1 pound linguini

Olive oil, to taste (your best kind)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Red wine vinegar, a glug or so

Parmesan cheese

Chop the tomatoes into ½ inch pieces and put them, with all their juices, into a large bowl. (A very big bowl.) Season with salt and pepper, and a splash of olive oil. Stir and taste. I added a splash of red wine vinegar. Francis says this is optional, but I love that added bright tang.

Bring a big pot of water to boil. Add some salt, and then the pasta. Stir.

While the pasta cooks, lay the arugula on top of the tomatoes, and then layer the slices of red onion on top of that.

When the pasta is done, drain it and dump it straight into the bowl. Leave it there, untouched, for 2 whole minutes. Grate the cheese while you’re waiting. Now, stir it all together, add the cheese, and taste for salt and pepper. Serve.

Summer Squash And Basil Linguine With Summer Veggies

This pasta dish was inspired by a recipe for pappardelle and corn in Food Network Magazine and completely came together as I wandered around Wilson Farm, picking up veggies that called out to me. While I was planning to make this with pappardelle, I changed my mind when I found fresh summer squash and basil linguine at the farm stand. I couldn't imagine a better pasta pairing for the veggies I had picked out.

The days of perfect summer tomatoes and sweet corn are dwindling, so I recommend making this as soon as you can to savor the flavors of the season.

Summer Squash And Basil Linguine With Summer Veggies (adapted from Food Network Magazine)



Ingredients



5 tablespoons unsalted butter

10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 small zucchini (from zucchini halved lengthwise), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

20 green beans, cut in thirds

1/3 cup white wine (I used Riesling)

Corn kernels scraped from 1 ear fresh corn

12 ounces fresh summer squash and basil linguine

1/2 cup chicken broth

Torn basil, for garnish



Preparation



Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.



Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes and zucchini, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tomatoes soften.

Add garlic and green beans, and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the wine and corn, and cook for 2 minutes, or until wine is reduced by half.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

Add the chicken broth to the skillet, and then stir in the pasta once it's ready.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and additional pasta water as needed, and toss to coat the pasta. (I almost forgot to add the butter here, and I think you could leave it out if you wanted to cut back on it.)

Season with salt and pepper, and serve with basil.

I can't get over how good this turned out. I mean I guess it makes sense. I used tons of fresh, local produce. I only used veggies I loved. And I used fresh pasta. I even bought a basil plant and clipped fresh basil just before garnishing the dish. Everything about this dish was so fresh! It has bright, clean, sweet flavors running through it.

What are your favorite summer veggies to throw in pasta?