The Photo Editor at Real Simple magazine decides to hire us to cook for a shower she's throwing her good friend Amy. She leaks that her pregnant friend has been obsessed with pickles, so we decide to overcompensate in that area and hit the Farmers market to give her lots to choose from. A bearded man with the faint smell of whiskey on his breath and an ultra pale green hat is oddly specific that sunchokes have hit the market and are kitty corner to where I stand. He's right, and their the only ones in the market so we decide to snatch some up to slice and pickle them along with picking up some sturdy green tomatoes to make a chutney. I've already pickled some Perignon shelling peas (which become much less stringy and fibrous when you blanch them first) Their peas turn an ebony black inside their spidery pink green cases, and mixed with vinegar create a beautiful pinkish hue.
- Perignon Shelling Beans
The week I'm preparing for this party, I happen to work with long time friend and food photographer Quentin Bacon.
He mentions he's just shot Kim Boyce's book "Good to the grain"
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Grain-Baking-Whole-Grain-Flours/dp/1584798300
Inspired I purchase it and get excited by the apricot and boysenberry tart (on page 152) with rustic rye flour dough. I decide to emulate a version of it for the Epstein gig, but make them mini sized, like little hand 'pies' but using sweet ripe peaches and raspberries instead.
- Kim Boyce's incredible rye flour dough, with the peaches and peach jam and raspberries placed in the center
- The beautiful grey pallor of the rustic dough
