hello again & summer saturday in the city

hello again, lovelies!  for those regular readers & stumblers-upon who may have been disappointed by my negligence over the past few months, my apologies.  it is quite embarrassing that my last post featured a 'winter romance'!  but now, entering late summer, i realize that over this period the last pages of a certain life chapter have been closed, the next opened, though with only a brief introduction thus far & no certain resolution planned, full of ambiguity & excitement & ambition & a healthy dose of fear of the unknown...

{beets at union square farmer's market}

that being said, i think i have finally emerged from the paralyzing transition which bridges the gap between student & young professional, and now with quite an appetite to record & share, again, the beautiful happenings i am lucky to experience & those delightful things that catch my eye & transport me, if only for a moment, to my own idyllic world.

{delicate currants}

today was an early greeting from a beautiful summer's day, sunny & warm & breezy, rushing to be ready to be apart of it, a long-awaiting call & exciting news from a great friend, temptation to purchase the entire line of fresh products, then a soujurn downtown in breezy off-white lace for a mimosa-filled midday meal.

{to all of my british friends - i miss sunday lunch terribly, but wish for your own sakes that london revered brunch as does new york.  it is positively the best meal(s) of the week.}

weaving my way across town, i stumbled into the bustling union square farmer's market {previously featured during the autumn here} and, as i have been many times before, was immediately inspired by the abundance, variety, enthusiasm for local produce & the colors.  inspired not only to look & smell & linger, but full of visions of feasts of mid-summer vibrancy, to cook & to share.  today's market was dominated by stone fruits: nectarines, peaches & plums of all varieties, including the most delicate tart-sweet sugarplums.  and beets, too, and stacks of ears of corn & heaps of freshly picked greens.

{tiny sugarplums}

later, finally the chance to leisurely indulge in a stack of untouched magazines {vanity fair, bon appetit, the new yorker}, a summer's saturday was firmly devoted to rejuvenation.

{watercolor of magazines via pinterest}

expect, going forward, the blog as it was, geared slightly more toward art, focused upon new york.  i hope you are looking forward to the renewal of enchantée as much as i am! and bon soir!

xx hillary

simple fall dessert: swirly baked apples

have been so so busy & unable to blog & am feeling just terrible for it.  but i'm becoming more accustomed to my crazy new schedule & life in nyc, so this will improve, je te promets.  i just think that these swirly apples are beautiful & so easy & actually relatively healthy.  have you been enjoying the gorgeous fall produce thus far?  must run, but hope you're having such a lovely weekend.  xx hillary

fragrant & fresh: union square farmer's market

hello lovelies!  a taste of today's trip to union square farmer's market ... lost in the joy of farm-fresh produce, charmed by the bright flowers, new yorkers with most adorable dogs (miss you, nala!), apples appearing in bushels & bushels {i chose the prettiest ever blushing french breakfasts}, quarts of cider & piles of plums & petite pears. oh & local grapes, have you ever tried true concords? & with autumn beginning, still the remnants of late summer with sweet corn & heirloom tomatoes.  ohh i do adore seasonal, local fresh produce.  now for writing & organizing before meeting best girlfriends.  i hope you had the most lovely & relaxing saturday, at the farmer's market perhaps?  have a beautiful weekend.  

xx hillary  

perfect plum pudding: rustic plum & port tart

image via {bon appetit}

c'est officiel: with a temperature drop of 20 degrees yesterday, autumn has graced the east coast.  i could not be happier with the cool, crisp air this morning & thoughts of cozy fall cooking.  on wednesday i discovered this delicious & simple tart on bonappetit.com & think it would be the perfect dessert to celebrate the beginning of my favorite season. with only seven ingredients, including the accompanying vanilla ice cream, i plan to pick up my plums at the farmer's market tomorrow & cannot wait to enjoy.  give it a try too & do let me know how it goes.  happy fall.  xx hillary

p.s. access the recipe {here}

summer sweet: just peachy

image via pinterest

hello mes chéries!  it's late august & can't you just smell the peaches ripening? they are perfect & irresistible & so beautiful in their blushing innocence.  the star of so many dishes, sweet & savory, it's difficult to decide with which recipe to begin.  shall we start with dessert?  here are some of my favorite ideas & recipes:

• grilled vanilla peaches: perfect finale for a simple bbq.  essentially toss with lemon juice & grill in a foil packet, then brush with the essential combination of brown sugar & cinnamon & vanilla, and serve over ice cream.
• lavender peaches over pound cake: peaches + lavender = divine.  stew peach slices with lavender & vanilla, spoon over tangy sour cream pound cake & top with whipped cream sweetened with the remaining lavender syrup.
• peach melba spoom: light & delightful.  frozen meringue = fat free ice cream. swirl it with seasonal pair peaches & blackberries for gorgeous contrast that begs to be served a clear glass.  night in with the girls?  yes, please.  
• peach ice cream with armaretti cookie crust: broil peaches with brown sugar & fold into softened vanilla ice cream, then pack into crust of the delicious italian almond cookie.  top with whipped cream & more crumbled armaretti.
• individual peach crisps: dinner guests adore their very own dessert {fact}.  use ramekins or little crocks, so widely available now.  top peach slices with buttery oatmeal crumble & bake until bubbling.  serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.  

peaches are so inspiring.  so many savory dishes as well: did you know peaches also pair beautifully with basil & proscuttio? oh & in white wine sangria!  & the peach palette generally, that beautiful blush... perhaps there are more peachy posts to come.  have the most lovely day.  xx hillary 

summer savory: the best pesto

image via {here}

hello lovelies!  a recent re-organization of my cooking magazine archive {yes archive, what is wrong with me?!}, brought me back to my very favorite pesto recipe.  a celebration of availability of basil en masse that is synonymous with august, the recipe invigorates traditional pesto with some non-traditional ingredients, such as roasted almonds & ricotta & truly works beautifully with pasta.  and so easy in the food processor, although you could also use a blender.  if you dislike olives, you can leave them out, but i would recommend that you do try: their briny saltiness is the perfect complement to the creamy pesto.  i once served this with peak-of-season corn for the most delicious dinner.

roasted-almond ricotta pesto with olives 

adapted from gourmet august 2009 {p. 108}

with food processor running, drop in 1 small clove of garlic and allow to finely chop.  then stop motor and add 2/3 cup roasted unsalted almonds {find these at the market or roast them yourself in a 350 oven until you can smell the nutty goodness}, 4 cups fragrant basil leaves {yes, this is a lot}, juice of half a lemon, 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano, 1/4 teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then process until finely chopped.  add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil with the motor running, blending until incorporated.  then transfer the pesto to a bowl & add 3/4 cup ricotta {the freshest you can find} & 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamanta olives {buy pitted or use the tool featured here.  salty goodness}.  season with salt to taste.  then toss with one pound pasta {whole wheat if you would like}, thinning with some of the cooking water.  serve with extra parmesan and bon appétit!

i can just smell the basil already. & pesto is so easy to experiment with: an infinite number of ingredient combinations of nut, leafy green, oil & cheese, suitable for any season.  do try and enjoy this recipe as basil peaks. & feel free to ask me any questions.  have the most lovely thursday.  weekend is so soon.  xx hillary 

p.s. step-by-step with lovely photos here. 

my marylebone: farmer's market & more

hello dearies!  after days of packing and unpacking, traveling sans internet, catching up with family, and of course, playing with my beloved golden retriever, oh and a much-needed mani-pedi {gold nails and coral toes!}, i should be back to blogging daily!  but before i move on to those things that will come, a look back to my {former} neighborhood, the-hidden-jewel-of-london : 

my final bustling sunday morning at the marylebone farmer's market, savoring the beauty of it all, some vendors selling crisp lettuces, juicy tomatoes, sweet cherries, delicate flowers, and fragrant lavender, others baked goods and oh-so-british savory pies, still more with dairy, cheeses, farm-fresh eggs ...  british organic farmers, artisanal bakers, and passionate producers, making it so easy to eat so well ... 

eating seasonally, just from the source, is so much more fun than from a silly supermarket, don't you think? {oh and tastier and better for the environment and less expensive too!}

and then a final stroll down marylebone high street, with so many delicious restaurants: french, tapas, british organic, and my very favorite pub, painted in dark grey, isn't the little man on the sign so darling? and a famous travel bookshop, and perfect bouquets ...  

... and, best of all, no swarms of tourists ...

and, lastly, a walk through regent's park, treading slowly and leisurely, but deliberately, to let it all sink it, an ancient weeping willow under which to read, families laughing and playing, a moment of solitude and reflection amongst the roses, and heading home, the unmistakable perfection of colonnaded rows of gleaming white pre-war buildings, property of the crown.  and me, excited to begin, but teary-eyed for it to end ...  

but, you must remember, marylebone is our little secret, as in no telling the tourists!  

now off to run errands and see oodles of family and a best friend. so happy to be home.  have a perfect summer's weekend.  xx hillary