This is my third summer here in New York. This is also the third year I haven’t bought an air conditioner for my side of the apartment. It’s flipping hot in here! Here are some of my survival techniques to keep me from turning into a warm puddle of vanessagoo:

• A lot of water
• Iced coffee
• The ice cream truck
• Sunbathing at the park
• Wearing my bathing suit all weekend
• Spray bottles
• Whining about the heat in a blog post
• Trips to my local grocery – it’s truly like 60 degrees in there
• Cold showers + window fans
• And, of course, hanging out on The Sistaster’s side of the apartment. Right in front of the air conditioner.

Oh, and eating cold foods. I’ll start the dog days off right by sharing my recipes for a cool summer soup and a refreshing but hearty salad. I promise you’ll like them, even if you’re smart enough to have an air conditioner.

Time: 50 minutes, plus chilling time for the soup
Serves: 4

Chilled Avocado Parsley Soup

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup packed chopped Italian parsley
juice of 2 limes
3 cups cold water (or half veggie broth)
3 avocados, peeled and quartered
1 tsp salt
1 small cucumber, cut into tiny dice (to serve

(more…)

McCarren Park Farmers Market - I got there a little late but there were still some pretty veggies to be had. That first photo is of garlic “scapes.” When I asked the vendor what to do with them he said I could 1) whack my sisters’ behinds with them and 2) tempura them and serve with a wasabi sauce. I plan to do both of these things in a hurry – I guess they’ll only be around another week or so.

“O Giglio e Paradiso” Street Fair. I like to call this “wiggly Jesus” fair. I ate some charred corn on the cob and some jalapeno poppers.

The first of the “Pool Parties” at McCarren Pool. A flock of hipsters sunning themselves on the flaking concrete like so many beached seals… ironic (a pool party in a huge dried-up pool) and terrific! Sun, $3 veggie dogs, FREE ice cream, Brooklyn Brews, slip-n-slides, dodge ball hilarity, excellent people watching, and bands! The only question for next time is to come early to enjoy the height of the sunning ‘n slidin or to come later and see the headlining band. Did I mention that this whole event was free? I heart summer.

Is it just me or does this photo of Manhattan’s Fourth of July fireworks look suspiciously like the farfalle (aka bowtie) pasta dish I just made?

More photos taken from my Brooklyn rooftop here.

It’s too hot to cook so imagine my excitement when my darling boyfriend Jerry told me we were leaving the big dirty city for a refreshing long weekend at a B ‘n B in the Catskills. Which was great. Except it wasn’t so much a romantic Bed and Breakfast as it was a room in a dorm for the friends and family of campers of a Latvian Lutheran Summer Camp.
But hey, we had a superfun time and became real wilderness people for a weekend: hiking, biking, canoeing, swinging… A big thanks to my new Latvian friend Alvis for being such a hoot- he’s a great host, big thinker, and looks cute in a bandana. Paldies!
So on to my recipe of the week: this is one for a barbeque potluck (at a Latvian Summer Camp or elsewhere) or just for a quick easy dinner when it’s too hot to cook anything too difficult. It’s a little bit inspired by some yummy olives we ate over the weekend, sort of like a pasta salad we had, and also modeled a bit on Rasols (Latvian Potato Salad.) BTW, there is some evidence that the largest salad ever was made in Latvia, but when I tried to confirm at the official Guinness Book of World Records site all I found out is that as a country Latvia has the largest shortage of men. Well guys, now you know where to go for your next long weekend.

Serves: 4
Time: 40 minutes

Red Pepper, Olive and Tofu Summer Pasta Salad

1 lb bowtie pasta (I used spinach flavored)
2 red peppers, diced
1 jar (5 oz) garlic stuffed green olives, cut into slices
1 bunch green onions, chopped
16 oz extra firm tofu, cut into ¼ inch cubes

Dressing

2 red chile peppers, minced
¼ packed cup fresh oregano, minced
3 Tbl red wine vinegar
3 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl juice from the olive jar
½ tsp salt
fresh ground pepper

(more…)