Plum-Apricot-Nectarine-Blueberry-Peach Lavender Crumble

One evening Marvelous M and Super C invited a goat for dinner.

The two were unsure as to what a goat would like to eat, but decided to play it by ear. Marvelous M had just gone to the Morningside Heights farmer's market that day and returned with pints of little yellow, orange and red cherry, grape and pear tomatoes, and a few verdant zuchinni and bright yellow squash. A fresh bunch of earthy smelling basil was her brilliant after thought.

Marvelous M and Super C put together a simple pasta of the colorful tomatoes and basil with marinated artichoke hearts and fresh parmesan on top. The squash and zuchinni they sauteed in a white wine vinegar of rosemary, thyme and lavender.

All was merry, all was in season. The chefs drank wine together with the goat and had interesting conversation.

And then they brought out the fruit crumble.

The goat gasped with delight.

For they had done it - fruit crumble was his favorite dish.

The special thing about this fruit crumble was that it had not one or two, but a multitude of pitted fruits and berries. Italian plums, apricots, nectarines, blueberries and peaches filled the dish beneath a crust of brown sugar and a European chefs' high-quality cooking butter. A thick and oozing syrup of golden orange and muted purple fruit juices bubbled beneath the decadent topping.

The trio dished their servings. They ate. They were overjoyed.

And there was one more surprise.

"Delicious. What is that delightfully aromatic flavor floating just above the sweet fruits and melting crumble?" the goat wondered out loud.

"It's lavender!" both Marvelous and Super shouted triumphantly, for they had made the goat happy.



What's in season - August:

Tomatoes
Basil
Squash
Plums
Nectarines
Blueberries
Peaches

Specialty Ingredient:

Culinary Lavender*

*Note: can be found in specialty gourmet stores, sometimes your local grocery store in the spice aisle, or can be ordered online

Red Hook Ballfields

I rode bikes with Ryan W. down into Red Hook on a recent muggy-hot Saturday. From under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, past the old factories, down the pot-holed streets and through somewhat dilapated housing, a magical land of white and blue canopies on the edge of a soccer field comes into view. Griddles and coolers are everywhere. Hotness and sweat. People, kids, birthday parties, balloons. Spanish chatter. Serious soccer game. Simple and amazing food. It looks like a giant family picnic, but the good news is that everyone is invited.

This is the kind of food experience that requires a little bit of orientation. It looks slightly chaotic with people in lines and not in lines. Every tent seems to be a different Latin American country. We decided to visit the El Salvador canopy, which was by far the most popular-looking, as determined by the long line. There was a forever wait under the canopy with the hot griddles blowing smoke and toasting our already sweaty and hungry selves. A small, fleeting suffering to pay for the comestibles. Plus the women preparing and cooking the food were unquestionably twenty times more hot than we were. Ryan made the genius move of getting a mango-on-a-stick to share for the line waiting. The ripest, sweetest mango I've ever had in this town. For $7 (both of us) we shared queso and jalapeno pupusas - the fried corncakes of El Salvador - with salsa and pickled cabbage on the side, and a sweet pile of platanos with frijoles and cream. One dollar for a sweetly chilled Coco helado on the way out and life has never been better.

The vendors have been at the ballfields every Saturday and Sunday for a long time - the one we went to, since 1990. After excitedly telling some friends about this food mecca, I heard numerous casual rumors that the vendors would be forced to leave if not in compliance with NYC Department of Health. If this happened, something very good about Brooklyn would be gone. Like the rug suddenly ripped out from beneath. The only thing I can do is to go back again this weekend, get the grilled corn, some empanadas and share the love with my friends.

Red Hook Ballfields
Clinton and Bay Streets
Red Hook, Brooklyn