Produce is pure joy this time of year and I want to extend it all year! Have you ever wished for sweet earthy basil in November? Dreamed of nectarines in December? How about the pleasure of white eggplant in January? You can have all those delights and more all year if you use a few simple techniques to keep your Summer produce safe and tasty.
Here are a few general tips to remember:
Freezing:
Fruit
berries, peaches, plums, bananas, pineapples, apples, avocadoes, tomatoes
Should be washed, patted dry, peeled as necessary, remove any pits, slice stone fruit/pineapples/apples - then lay fruit pieces flat on a wax paper lines sheet pan. Freeze in a single layer - then store in tightly sealed freezer bags.

Cruciferous Vegetables and Leafy Greens
broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, chard, arugula, radicchio, sorrel, fennel, etc
Trim, wash - then blanch for a few seconds. Freeze in a single layer on a wax paper lined sheet pan - then store in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Label each bag with a permanent marker as a few months later it may be hard to remember which bag is tuscan kale and which is chard.

Herbs:
Basil, flat leaf parsley, lemon verbena, tarragon, oregano, opal basil, thai basil,
Pull off the leaves from the stems, gently rinse, dry flat on paper towels. Roll up the towels and store in a tightly sealed freezer bags. You may also puree the herbs with a pinch of salt and store in a freezer safe container with a tight lid.

Canning for preserves, jams, pickles
Tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, green beans, beets, cucumbers, okra, cabbage and radishes are all delicious pickled! There are recipes all over the internet and can be customized based on your tastes. Make sure you wash, dry, fill properly and seal thoroughly so no harmful bacteria can develop. I prefer pickling with a mix of apple cider vinegar, seasoned rice wine vinegar and agave. Do you have a favorite pickling recipe? Share it with us and get featured in our next newsletter!
Berries, stone fruit, tomatoes, bell peppers are all great preserved as purees and spreads. The same rules of canning apply - and in some cases sugar and a bit of lemon juice should be added to enhance the flavor and texture over time.

Dehydration
Tomatoes, berries, stone fruit, beets and herbs are all great stored via this method. If you don't own a dehydrator, sheet pans in a regular oven on a very low temperature will do the trick. Once throughly dried, store in air tight glass jars with lids.

Art Dinners are Smokin' Hot
Our last Art Dinner with Photographer Eric Killen featured two different menus inspired by Eric's series Water and Sky.
Check out all the fun Untapped Cities had with their review here
Check out the menus on our FB fan page here

This is a Journey into Art. Wednesday September 5th
A very special evening of All Five Senses with Musician, Writer and Performer Louis Schwadron of Sky White Tiger. Louis will present the music, story and visual creation for his upcoming concert Spectacular The Way of The White Sand
Chef Patricia will pair 4 courses taking your taste buds on a journey as the story unfolds. A very special evening indeed. 30 seats only $45 p.p. (tax, tip & drinks additional). RSVP required.

Art Dinner with Larry Frank Wednesday September 19th
Our Next Art Dinner with painter Larry Frank highlights his work described as "sun-filled aesthetic that characterizes most of his canvases conveys not only a sense of warmth, but also a mood of optimism, even jubilance. "
*This dinner has 15 seats left. Please rsvp asap if you would like to attend. The private dining room of Nomad Restaurant.
4 awesome course for $45 (tax, tip & drinks additional)

We love to collaborate!
Are you an artist who would like to collaborate and experience your work translated into a menu? Contact us with a link to your work and let's make art for All Five Senses!

Great Summer Dinner parties have a few musts:
*must use great local produce
must minimize party kitchen time
make host and guests feel light and satisfied

Here is an easy recipe for dinner everyone can enjoy!

Summer Happiness Cocktail

Parmesan Frico with Grilled Yellow Tomatoes
Pate Filled Yukon Gold Potatoes
Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Figs and Wild Greens
Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini Penne Pasta
Grilled Stone Fruit with Lemon Marscarpone

The Game plan:
1. Day before boil potatoes, boil pasta, marinade steak, sweeten marscarpone, make frico
2. Day of a few hours before hand: turn on grill to medium high, gather steak, shrimp, potatoes, zucchini, figs, yellow tomatoes, fruit. Grill all and set aside
3. Just before guests arrive: set out frico with chopped tomatoes, fill potatoes with pate, slice steak and figs - toss with greens, toss pasta with zucchini & shrimp - add parsley citronette, place fruit on a platter with bowl of marscarpone.
4. Enjoy your guests, and your great dinner with your guests!

The Recipes: serves 8
1. Parmesan Frico with Grilled Yellow Tomato Salsa
oven to 400, line a sheet pan with parchment paper, mound 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan (12 oz total) on sheet pan about 1" space between each. Bake until flat and golden approximately 8 minutes. Slice 4 tomatoes and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill the slices 1 minute per side. Chop and drizzle with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 6 chopped basil leaves, salt to taste.
2. Pate filled Yukon Gold Potatoes
peel 10 medium yukon golds and boil 5 minutes. Slice each in half, slice sliver off each bottom to make a flat base. gently scoop out the center of each half making a small well. I use a melon baller. teaspoon works too. Store in fridge. When you're ready to grill, drizzle with olive oil and grill 1 size flat 1-2 minutes. Remove from grill and fill with 1 teaspoon of pate of your choice.
3. Flank Steak Salad
marinade 3lbs flank steak with 1/4 cup tamari, 1/4 cup white wine, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 chopped thyme sprigs. Next day remove the meat from the marinade and grill 6 minutes each side. Set aside. Grill 12 figs 30 seconds each side and set aside. Place 1lb of clean mixed green on a platter, slice flank steak and arrange on top, slice figs in half and arrange around the platter. Drizzle with 1/4 juice lemon juice, 1/4 cut olive oil, pinch of salt
4. Shrimp and Zucchini Pasta
Boil 1lb of penne pasta 7 minutes. Drain, toss in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 Tablespoon white balsamic, 1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley, pinch of salt. Store in a bowl. Next day grill 2 lbs medium shirmp (tossed with 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil), 1-2 minutes each side until color changes. Toss into pasta. Slice 1 medium zucchini lengthwise, grill 2 minutes each side. Chop and toss into pasta. This can be made up to 48 hours ahead.
5. Grilled Stone Fruit
Slice 4 peaches, 4 plums, 4 nectarines in half and remove the pits. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Grill 2 minutes each side. Set aside. Combine the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons of agave or honey and 1 pint of marscarpone - stir well. Serve the grilled fruit on a platter with a bowl of the sweetened marscarpone.
6. Summer Happiness Cocktail
Combine 1/2 cup Campari, 1 cup Passion Fruit Juice, 2 cups Cachaca, 1 litre limeaide, 1 bottle cava or prosecco- combine in a punch bowl. Ladle the cocktail over ice into each glass.