Kiawah, Thursday

Oh... We're running out of days.

The sun is brightly shining, contrary to weather predictions. We've decided to stay local today. Leftover beautiful burger from King Street Grill for breakfast, then a late morning beach ride sets the leisurely pace. Then, we shower and hang out, leaving around 1:30pm for a short drive to Stono Farm Market and a late lunch at the Tomato Shed Cafe.

Super-casual kitchen table ambience with great, honest farm-style cooking. "Who's Your Farmer?"

BZY chooses a crabcake with three sides--strawberry pickled beets, Geechie Boy Grits, tomato pie. While I go with the vegetable plate; choosing the beets, the grits, the tomato pie, and a puréed sweet potato with goodies, including pecans. We both have homemade lemon chess pie--excellent crust and very sweet lemoni-ness. I love me some lemons.

After lunch we drove to the Charleston Tea Plantation, caught the last trolley tour of the day (3:30pm), and totally enjoyed Charlestonian and former history teacher John Kennedy's narration. Which is delightfully interspersed with recorded commentary by Bill Hall, founder and still owner (co-owner with the Bigelow Tea people) of America's only tea garden.

We'd planned to visit the Angel Tree, but the skies opened up with another unusual deluge of summer rain. Rain's been ubiquitous here in the Low Country of late. Our charming little tea shrubs need only 52" of water per year. Preferably, one-per-week. So far, we've mostly managed to run between the raindrops and schedule around the frequent cloudbursts. The exception being our initial beach bike ride which was VERY wet.

I'm cool with a very quiet late afternoon and at-home evening featuring our first T.V. viewing of the week (Anthony Bourdain), and snacking on what's here--cheeses, almonds, peaches, chocolate.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Kiawah-Charleston, Wednesday

Breakfast in Charleston this morning. Not too early, but we headed out into a surprisingly perfect, sunshining morning. We'd expected rain and an inside day at Charleston Museum and historic home tours.
Un-uh. We'll be outside on the streets and basking in the sunlight (and humidity).

Saffron Bakery-Cafe-Market

We've chosen Saffron Bakery and Cafe for our mid-morning breakfast in Charleston; both opting for the Mediterranean Omelette: roasted red peppers, spinach, green onion, feta and chopped fresh herbs. I opt for the accompanying grits, while BZY has one of the bakery breads on offer. Lovely.

We park just off East Bay and walk immediately to the Waterfront Park and spend our alotted 20 minutes in a swing overlooking the harbor and the Arthur Ravenel Bridge to Mount Pleasant

Arthur Ravenel Bridge to Mount Pleasant.

We continue along the waterfront, eventually walking Broad Street--Gallery Row--where we find small hidden courtyards, local gallery owners and artists eager to engage, and plenty of gorgeous architecture, vegetation, and historical significance.

Moss-covered bricks top this vine-covered wall.

After ice cream, we meander back to the car and off in search of Geechie Boy Grits. We've been give a lead to a market on Main Street near the Maybank Highway intersection. Ambrose Family Stono Farm Market it is!, where we happily find the wonderful grits we enjoyed at Husk on Monday evening.

Gheechie Boy Grits
Cook grits with half water-half chicken stock
Thin with cream
Stir in a bit of butter

If that wasn't enough, we rested a bit and had dinner at Chez Fish on Johns Island, close to home. Very good. Loved the location and the decor makes you smile. Some of the very best sweetgrass baskets being woven near the entrance.

My Fried Goat Cheese-Heirloom Tomato Salad.

BZY chose the seafood platter--flounder, scallops, and shrimp--and a she-crab soup opener. Finally! She's been obsessed to indulge. Excellent. I paired a fried goat cheese, heirloom tomato salad with the larger serving of she-crab soup, as my dinner. Excellent. Topped that with a chocolate-praline mousse.

BZY's entree.

The fat lady sang.

Dinner from the Farmers' Market

CA bought two lovely New York Strip Steaks at Fresh Market and we grilled our Farmers' Market bounty and steamed the green beans.

Just olive oil with a bit of Herbs de Provence. Baste, roast, turn, baste, roast. Until onions are caramelized.

 

Started with these...

 

Secret ingredient in the green beans: rendered bacon fat. Just one small teaspoon. Worth the calories!

 

 

 

Farmers' Market

I guess it should be no surprise that the local farmers' market gets better each week, until it slowly fades away until next May. CA asked for vegetables to grill--although we actually oven-roast most of the time.

 

 

The small round red tomatoes are (L to R) Black Krims, Bellas, Oxheart. The tiny blush yellow are Garden Peach. The reddish gourd-shaped little guy on the extreme right is a Turkish eggplant. I do so prefer the French word, Aubergine, to Eggplant.

 

 

 

 

Mix of early pear varieties. I usually bake pears in butter, sugar, and cream--using an early Martha Stewart recipe.

From one of my first Martha coobooks. An attractive idea for this (at the time) young working mom..

 

 

 

Since I'm starting the Whole 30, I'm planning on using this recipe.

 

 

-source-

 

The pears were purchased from this charming farmer. I've promised him a copy of Martha's pears in cream recipe.

 

I topped-off my market visit with lunch here. Repeated the cucumber and avocado soup I had a couple of weeks ago. Very refreshing. Especially love the dollop of coulis--basil, tomato, and maybe jalapeño.

Ladies who Lunch

 

Summer Pizza

Started today at the gym, but soon visited the Woodstock Farmers' Market with best friend RvH.

 

Which transated into tonight's dinner...

 

We've been making Naan bread pizzas all summer. Quick. Easy. Delicious.

Brush Naan with either olive oil or low-fat mayo. Top with grated quesadilla cheese and favorite ingredients, i,e., heirloom cocktail tomatoes. To-die-for sweet and delicious. Each color has a unique flavor.

 

Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

Grind a bit of pepper, drizzle on balsamic reduction sauce, sprinkle top with julienned fresh basil.

 

Absolutely delicious. Somewhere between dinner and dessert.

 

Fun Kids Club: Farmers Market

More climbing, dancing, and listening to live bluegrass music than actual farmer's market shopping today.