Zucchini Blossoms with Roasted Eggplant

This post is also available in: French

This week we're inspired by summer markets, their amazing bounty and breathtaking color.
It all began when I found Easter egg radishes and zucchini blossoms on the same day and came home ecstatic, ready to get them on our dinner plates.
There is something so entirely lovely about zucchini blossoms and their culinary potential. They have a delicate, slightly sweet taste with subtle hints of pumpkin. When eating them, I often feel as if I am in a fairy-tale - they are flowers, after all.
They were fresh, so I left them raw, although they are also very good sauteed or roasted. For the filling, I went with baked eggplant, herbs, and homemade tahini.

Then there were these very photogenic black raspberries, a gift from a friend up north. A bit like a cross between raspberry and mulberry in taste, they were delicious in homemade ricotta, sprinkled with some coconut sugar. 
All this is best eaten outside, at a picnic table or on a porch. Maybe even while the summer sun sets.

Zucchini Blossoms with Roasted Eggplant
for about 9 zucchini blossoms - gently washed and dried
1 medium eggplant
2 garlic cloves - minced
4 tablespoons cilantro - chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F. Slightly oil the eggplant and prick with a fork a couple of times. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft all the way through. Peel, chop, and place in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Pulse several times to make a chunky puree. Adjust salt and pepper.
Carefully stuff the zucchini blossoms with the eggplant and enjoy fresh.

Garden Juice

This post is also available in: French

Here's a juice we cannot get enough of this summer. When heirloom tomatoes begin to shine in their rainbow of colours, when cucumbers are sweet and herbs are in abundance - that is the time for this healthful drink.

All the credit for this juice goes to my husband, a lover of V8 in the past. I especially like it with the addition of dill, it's such a characteristically summer herb. Include some salt and pepper to spice things up, my husband even likes to add Old Bay. As you can imagine, this juice could also satisfy a Bloody Mary fan. You know, minus the kick.

I didn't specify any amounts in the recipe. All of the veggies included, especially heirloom tomatoes, have a crazy size range in the summer. Just try to have an even ratio or use more of your favourite vegetable for a stronger taste.
We've been having a very rainy summer with loud daily thunderstorms. We wouldn't mind it wasn't for Paloma's newly developed fear of thunder and lightning. Otherwise a very brave girl, she weeps under the blanket for the whole length of a storm. Hopefully she will grow out of it soon. Any similar stories among the crowd?

Garden Juice
summer tomatoes
cucumbers
bell pepper
celery
carrots
fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, cilantro, mint, oregano
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, any other spices of choice

You will probably need a juicer that is not centrifugal - single or double gear. When juicing, alternate soft and hard vegetables and herbs, using a fruit attachment. Add salt, pepper, and spices to taste at the end. Simple!

Some Things

This post also available in: French

We often think about making Golubka more personal, wondering how much information is too much. One thing we like about the blog format is the speed of sharing ideas, thoughts, and resources. There are so many inspiring and informative things we run across on the internet on a daily basis, it's hard to keep them to our own selves. This process of sharing and being shared with is so wonderful and supportive to any creative process, or simply to an inspired way of life.
So here are some things, food-related and not, that we've been enjoying on the net. Hopefully, we can make this a weekly/monthly Wednesday feature, what do you say?

Mark Bittman does it again, Got Milk? You Don't Need It

Have you seen the flower-covered walls at the latest Dior couture show? A look at how they were installed.

South River Miso is hand crafted, wood fired, organic (we got the one year chickpea miso and it is amazing)

NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts

Loving the Where the Wild Things Are tag over at Hungry Ghost, along with the rest of the blog

The Glow

Marketers vs. home cooking, great interview

Can't get enough of this simple dish lately

This photo blog

For fans of Woody Allen, this documentary (it's on Netflix)

For fans of Ferran Adria, this one (also there)

David Lebovitz's Jerusalem post, so hungry now

If you haven't seen the Herriott Grace film, you're in for a true treat

And this post 

Summer Fruit Samosas and a Guest Post for My Sweet Faery

This post is also available in: French

Thank you all for participating in the Wholistic giveaway. The rose mist goes to The Best Decade, please email us your address and we'll send it your way.
Today we've got a guest post over at our lovely French translator's blog, My Sweet Faery. Geraldine always finds the time in her busy schedule to translate our posts and recipes, thus making them available to more readers. We are so grateful to have such a friend and collaborator, and I think we learn from each other. Thank you for making Golubka bilingual, Geraldine!

It's true that sometimes the best dishes are born when you don't plan for them, but rather throw something together spontaneously, working with what's in the fridge that day. That's the story with these fruit samosas. I had lots of stone fruits and berries on hand, as well as a couple of young coconuts that were awaiting their turn.

Head over to My Sweet Faery for the rest of the story and recipe in English and French.

Apricot Lavender Tart and a Giveaway

This post is also available in: French

It's time for apricots, that sweet part of the summer when the sun gets bright enough to make their delicate skins blush.
I have a habit, partly encouraged by this blog, of making at least one celebratory dish for a fruit in season, especially if it's a fleeting one. I feel a bit late on this, and if you haven't had your good dose of apricots yet, you might want to soon. Next thing you know, you'll have to wait until next summer.

Here is what we did with our share. A classic, simple summer tart with a nut crust and white cream, only the apricots are combined with lavender, and encased in a jelly-like orange and honey glaze to make things a tad more exciting.
I made it yesterday, and more than half of the tart is already gone. Paloma alone ate three slices.

Now to the giveaway, we are really excited about this one.
Our friend Elena has a natural skin care line, Wholistic, and they've finally launched their online store. You hear about all-natural products so often, only to find out that the all part has been greatly exaggerated and skewed. Wholistic skincare is actually all-natural, handmade with organic ingredients, free of synthetics and chemicals. It's a true commitment, making such pure stuff of the best possible quality, and what Elena has come up with is truly admirable. We are so proud that Wholistic was one of the few companies selected by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to be listed in their Market Shift report.
Skin is our biggest organ, and it readily absorbs anything you put on it, just like our stomach when we eat. Wholistic products are made with food-grade ingredients and are actually safe to eat.
Aside from the purity issue, this skincare is serious joy for all senses, addictive really. We are giving away my personal favourite, the Rose Hydrating Mist, which is refreshing, smells amazing, and is perfect for the summer. Just leave a comment here until 7/15/12, 12pm EST, and we'll pick the winner then.

Lavender Apricot Tart
(Makes one 8-inch tart)

Honeyed Lavender Apricots
5-6 ripe apricots - thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
1/4 cup raw honey

Arrange the apricots on a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray. Mix lavender and honey together in a small dish. Gently warm this mixture placing the dish in a larger bowl with hot water. Sprinkle or brush the apricots with lavender honey. Dehydrate at 115F for 2-4 hours.

Crust
1 cup almonds - soaked overnight
1/2 cup cashews - soaked for 4 hours
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup soft dates - pitted, more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until thoroughly mixed and sticking together when pressed between fingers. Then evenly press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch spring form and create an about 1 1/2-inch wall on the sides.

Vanilla Cream Filling
1 1/2 cups cashews - soaked for 4 hours
1/2 cup meat of fresh young Thai coconut
1/2 cup almond milk - homemade if possible
seeds of 1vanilla bean
1/2 cup light agave syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil

Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy. Fill the tart crust and  place in a freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Once the surface is firm, arrange the apricot slices on top.

Orange Honey Glaze
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
about 1/4 cup (1/4 ounce) Irish moss - thoroughly washed and soaked in hot water for at least 10 minutes
1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup

Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender until completely smooth. Pour over the apricots on the tart and refrigerate until firm. 

Travel Notes: San Francisco

This post is also available in: French

Here's the thing, we are in love. Butterflies in the stomach, silly smiles, breath taken away - the whole deal. Our crush? San Francisco.

San Francisco with its tasty, Eucalyptus kissed air, views that become more stunning around each corner, Victorian houses much like pastels in an artist's box, mindblowing farmers' markets, friendly locals, and contagious West coast positivity.

We were charmed even before stepping off the plane, while marveling at the velvet-like hills on our descend into the city.

At the Ferry Buidling market

We tried to go everywhere and see everything, which is quite a lot. Let's get down to business and talk about our favourite places.

Muir Woods

First off, the Ferry building, a waterfront marketplace full of artisanal shops. We went there every day out of the five days in San Francisco, no joke. Think specialty cheese, bread, coffee, pastry, and a whole lot of other unique items. There is also an outdoor farmers' market on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. No wonder we couldn't get out of there.

Every morning we would get green juice from one of the grocers inside the building. Another amazing indulgence was a candy-cap mushroom popsicle from Far West Fungi, a specialty mushroom shop. Decaf cappuccino from Blue Bottle is always very good.

The majestic Pacific

Cacao nib rocher / lemon meringue cake at Tartine bakery

Apart from the Ferry Buidling, the Mission district completely stole our hearts, neighborhood wise.
Tartine Bakery is in the Mission, and while we heard a lot of positive things about it, we had no idea what kind of crazy treat we were in for. The energy of that place is so happy, you feel it even when standing in line and eyeing the decadent cakes, croissants, scones, and tartines. There is live music on Friday evenings, and every single thing sold is beyond delicious. They have two beautiful cookbooks, which I highly recommend if you are into bread, pastry, or just great food photography.

Bi-Rite Market is right down the block from Tartine, a very nice neighborhood grocery with local produce and lots of other foodie-friendly stock.

Muir beach overlook / Far West Fungi mushroom shop at the Ferry Building

Happy 75th birthday, Golden Gate

Impressive porcini mushrooms at Far West Fungi

Veggie soup / garden roll at Cha-Ya vegan Japanese

Another noteworthy and far healthier place in the neighborhood was Cha-Ya, a vegan Japanese restaurant. They offer clean food, letting the ingredients speak for themselves. We ate there twice and each meal was truly memorable and left us with a light, nourished feeling.

Rose garden in Golden Gate Park

Other notes:
- XOX Truffles in the North Beach/Washington Square area - free small truffle with any drink, our favourites were red wine and earl grey truffles
- The view from Hamon Tower at the de Young museum is great, especially at sunset. Also, the Jean Paul Gaultier retrospective is on view now and well worth the visit.
- SFMOMA has a really nice collection, not as overwhelming as, say, the NYC MoMA. It is possible to see the whole thing in one day, and the building is cool.
- San Francisco is a transit first city. It is so pleasant to see places, where public transportation works so efficiently. We didn't miss having a car once. Wish this was more common in the U.S.