There's something so relaxing about preparing a dish hours before dinner. Spending all the time you want making it look perfect and then taking photos of it while it's still daylight.
Compared to what I usually do...which is whip up dinner right before Ryan gets home and then snap a picture of it in the dim light as it's whisked to the table.
Being outside is just so much more inspiring. If it were possible, my kitchen would be outside. With a stony spring for my sink, a huge trunk for my worktable, and ever-perfect lighting.
The middle tomato in the picture above is a peach tomato. Try one if you get the chance. They are quite a treat. We received the lemon cucumbers below in our CSA basket one week. They did not have a strong flavor...but they were too beautiful to pass up.
I decided to make a shaved squash salad by literally shaving slices of zucchini and yellow squash and arranging them with tomatoes.
I topped it with my favorite Asian concoction...sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, minced ginger, and crushed red pepper.
Then later that night I whipped up fried rice as the main dish...I have to show you the picture to prove the point I made earlier.
Yup. Late dinner = Lighting issues + zero plating technique.
It was the best fried rice I've ever had, though. Unfortunately, I can't remember where the recipe is from. I'll get back to you on that.
