Yesterday, I had the good fortune of going to the Union Square Greenmarket on a weekday. Rather than avoid the Saturday crowds, I was able to easily peruse the produce available and brainstorm the dinner I had planned with Stevie and Georgia. 

Despite Stevie’s warning “I’m willing to bet the farmer’s market does not have any summer squash yet either,” I emerged victorious with beautiful yellow summer squash in tow, as well as some fantastic shell peas I couldn’t refuse. I knew I had a half of an onion and some carrots in my fridge, and suddenly my veggie dish came to life.

Georgia got off work a bit later, so Stevie and I started chopping and cooking. I began slicing my veggies while she split cherries into halves for a clafoutis. To sip on while we waited on Georgia (and the wine!), Stevie prepped her Cocchi Americano cocktails, made with orange slices, soda water, and Cocchi, a white wine aromatized with many herbs and spice – entirely refreshing in her very hot apartment.

Georgia arrived with wine and Kalamata olives in tow. For the cous cous, we heated up the water to a boil, added some salt and olive oil, and then added the grains. Once covered, the flame went off and the cous cous was left to steam for a few minutes. Stevie chopped arugula, diced olives, and zested/squeezed lemon into a bowl, which I garnished with some parmigiano. In the meantime, my little veggies were sauteeing in a pan over low low heat.  The cous cous was added to the arugula salad, and supper was served.

Georgia had brought a lovely Pouilly-Fuisse and a Roero (a region in Piedmont that, like Barolo, uses the Nebbiolo grape to make wine). We sipped on those, digested, then transitioned to dessert. The cherry clafoutis came out of the oven just in time, and after she’d dusted it with powdered sugar and let it sit a moment, Stevie served us. A dash of lemon juice and it was deightful, tasting like a thick, eggy crepe with the fruit inside rather than on top!