Fourth of July

I tell you what: I was SERIOUSLY excited to be at the farmers' market. I guess I was on some sort of binge purchasing expedition after 5 days of sub-par vegan subsistence eating in North Carolina last week (more on that in the next post). Plus, I had an empty fridge that needed to be filled. I've been shoving fruit in my face ever since - as fast as I can: cherries, strawberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, blueberries... who needs vegetables?! And all organic to boot!

Well, I'm not so crazy about nationalism, but I am crazy about a dinner theme. So I was cooking for my Grandpa tonight, and decided to go the traditional 4th of July route. In the end we ended up having a little party with my parents and a friend joining us for dinner as well.
Here's the plate: potato salad, corn & watermelon (both from the fammy! - that's my love name for the farmers' market), and Amy's California Burgers. Trying to push all the right 4th of July culinary buttons. All was delicious! I'm a half-bun person, when it comes to burgers, that is.

Just about the only potato salad I've ever really loved: it's from "Vegan Mediterranean Kitchen" by Donna Klein. It's so simple and so freakishly delicious.

I really embraced the holiday theme with dessert. Shortbread crust, vanilla pudding filling, topped with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Those blueberries were grown by a family friend who I used to babysit! Now he's growing some super awesome organic blueberries that are *definitely* the best I've tasted. That's pretty rad.

also, isn't that a fun tart pan? One of the two new tart pans I bought last month in Fort Bragg.

One more glamour shot. Ooooh, yum!