I daydream about the ease and speed with which I will now be able to make dough, pesto (no more mortar and pestle!), fluffy whipped cream, perfectly smooth crepe batter, etc.  I imagine myself flitting around the kitchen in a cute apron doing other things, like making flower arrangements, while the machine works for me.  Even though I am generally cooking in sweaty running clothes topped by my dad’s old oxford shirts, rather than a skirt and apron, and making a huge mess all the while.. not nearly so chic.  But that’s why this is the daydream version.

ANYWAY, sorry, that is mostly irrelevant, except to explain why I was so excited to find this tomato tart recipe from the estimable David Lebovitz.  Well for one thing, I almost had a fit over how delicious the roasted tomatoes were that I made earlier this week for my pesto pasta and urgently wanted more things to do with the wonderful summer tomatoes, but for another, it gives me an excuse to use the food processor (for the tart shell)!

It is simply a tart shell, tomatoes, herbs, and goat cheese. YUUMMM.  It is basically a big party to show off the tomatoes. 

Also, if you read David’s blog entry about making this with his friends in France, it all sounds so charming that you practically have to make it, just to try to relive some of that wonderment.  I’m going to serve this with rose over ice, just so I can try to recapture his experience.  No I’m not kidding.

Finally, can we just talk about how wonderful the packaging for the flour is in France??  I’m obsessed with it– the two-color palette, the fonts, the Matisse-esque birds…

Recipe and story on David’s blog here.

Loving the styling and photography for Aubin & Willis’s summer lookbook.

Also, I love their logo/typography/packaging details! …

 Erin Martin

 New York Times

Don’t you love how during summer, it seems like weekends turn into progressions of outdoor meals?  Mimosa brunches in the yard, lunches at sidewalk cafes, afternoon BBQs, dinner under the stars…

This past weekend, especially with the World Cup going on as well as the NBA finals, felt like a lazy series of BBQs at friends’ houses.  So fun.  But I’d imagine pretty much any outdoor meal in one of these settings would be pretty wonderful. 

Do you read Smitten Kitchen?  If you don’t, you should.  Deb, in addition to being a very funny and endearing food writer, has the best recipes and reading the blog will make you want to cook more. 

Recently, it’s been making me want to bake more, which admittedly isn’t very hard to do since I’ll take any provocation to bake, but her summer dessert recipes are just too tempting, as they take perfect advantage of summer produce and flavors.

Above and below, this week’s two escapades.  First, on Monday, I made this Raspberry Tart below, which I served to two people who claim not to like fruit desserts.  They both licked their plates.  That’s only barely metaphorical.  One of the yummiest summer desserts I’ve ever made.

Then, last night I went for the Cherry Brown Butter Bars at top, and they might have topped the Raspberry Tart.  I get so excited when new things arrive at the farmers’ market, and these bars were the perfect excuse to pick up some of the amazing cherries out there right now!

Next up, this Lime Yogurt Cake with Blackberry Sauce.  Dear friend Kristin, who I love to talk Smitten Kitchen with, made this one recently and said it rocked her world.