screen and sun

photograph by rinne allen

overgrown

photograph by kristen bach

end of summer garden frittata

our summer garden is looking like a wild jungle right now.  i always have a hard pulling out our summer plants that are still growing tomatoes and peppers.  so we are still harvesting the plants bit by bit until the first frost comes. 
when we need a quick dinner on the fly, frittatas are my go to dish.  we usually always have eggs on hand and you can throw in mostly any vegetable.  so last night we harvested some cherry tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and cilantro from the garden and made this yummy dinner....in just a handful of minutes!
ingredients
8 eggs
1/4 cup of whole milk
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
spring onions
potatoes (cooked)
sweet peppers
cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves of garlic
a small handful of cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
directions
-pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
-boil the potatoes until al dente
-in a cast iron pan add olive oil and heat to medium high heat
-add the diced onion and diced potatoes
-cook them until they begin to show some color
-add peppers and garlic and cook for a few minutes
-remove from heat
-in a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk together, salt and pepper to taste
-pour egg mixture over the vegetables
-evenly sprinkle the tomatoes, cilantro, and spring onions
-return to medium high heat for 2 minutes
-place pan in the oven for 3-5 minutes, watch carefully!
-top with fresh herbs or microgreens and serve with a baguette and a side of fresh salad to complete the meal!
 

photo and recipe by kristen bach

summer, cicada

photograph by kristin karch

color blast: zinnias

sometimes flowers do not even need to go in a vase...they are just beautiful on their own...

arrangement & photographs by rinne allen

grilled asparagus with tomato jam

kids start going back to school this week.  i always feel like the last 2 weeks of summer is about cramming all of the dinners, projects, and trips that didn't happen throughout the summer. 

we had a little dinner party and invited some kids and friends over for a feast.  we grilled some salmon and asparagus and made some pesto with basil from the garden.  a wonderful celebration of summer with friends.

tomato jam
serve over 2 bunches of asparagus or green beans, grilled
tomato jam ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil, more if needed
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 1/2 pint of garden fresh tomatoes, diced or halved if using cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp maple syrup
s & p
directions
-on medium heat slowly cook the onion for 10 minutes or so
-add garlic clove
-add the tomatoes
-turn up to high heat and stir tomatoes until tomatoes cook down.  add some water if you need more liquid
-once the tomatoes have finished cooking down, add syrup and salt and pepper to taste.  
-spoon over your grilled asparagus or green beans
-enjoy!

photo and recipe by kristen bach

currants

photograph by rinne allen

vegetal

i have a favorite spot i go to in maine, chase's daily. it is hands-down one of my favorite places, anywhere. part restaurant/part market, their food is delicious and their presentation is divine. i always get swept up in their produce...take for instance, these huge greens bundles, for only $4 (they literally take two arms to carry):

each year, i buy one, come home and take photographs, then do a flower arrangement or two, then eat the leftover greens. the funny thing is that when i was buying my bundle this year, an older woman leaned over to me and said, "you know i just take pictures of mine and make flower arrangements, and occasionally eat the greens". i laughed; we were kindred spirits...

of course, you may always add in something flowery, if you like:

arrangement, words, and photographs by rinne allen

bird prints

photograph by kristen bach

barnacles

photograph by kristen bach

sand drawings

photograph by kristen bach

summer fair

photograph by kristin karch

green woods

photograph by rinne allen

zinnia color!

the zinnias in the garden are electric right now! paired here with purple shisho, lemon balm flower & melon vine, their colors vibrate in this quiet setting.

arrangement and photographs by rinne allen

this time, last year

the good thing about having a blog for so long is that is acts like a time capsule...i often go back and look at last year to the year before to see where we were or what we were doing...i look back at the seasonal blooms too, to see what was blooming when in our yard. this time it was interesting to peek at last year's arrangements, because we are about two weeks ahead of last year now...things that normally bloom in early july are already open. here are some pics from last year that show what was blooming and what i was arranging with.

words & photographs by rinne allen

berry picking time!

it is berry time around here! we recently went to one of our local u-pick farms, buffalo creek, and picked blueberries & blackberries...look out for a recipe using them soon! and, wherever you are, try to find someone growing berries and go pick them with friends or family...it will make you appreciate the time it takes to harvest them and help you enjoy them even more!

photograph by rinne allen

summer wildflowers

photograph by rinne allen

shadows

photograph by rinne allen

wild blackberry cobbler

yesterday we went back to our friends wild blackberry patch so we could make a cobbler.  after an hour of picking and many poked hands later we all brought them inside to assemble our cobbler.  the house was soon filled with the smell of summer and chatter of summer memories from childhood.  a perfect summer afternoon!

wild blackberry cobbler
5-6 cups of wild blackberries...or however many you can find
a heaping spoonful of flour
a cup or so of sugar
the biscuit top
1 1/4 cup of AP flour
1/2 cup salt (add more or less to get to your desired sweetness)
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 1/3 tsp of vanilla
1 egg
1 stick of chilled unsalted butter, cut up into small pieces
-pre- heat oven to 375 degrees
-mix the berry mixture in a cast iron skillet
-mix all of the biscuit ingredients together and spoon on top of the berries
-bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes
 

photos and recipes by kristen bach

twist

photograph by kristen bach