Eggs in a Row (Portuguese Baked Eggs)

Among my friends and I, weekend brunch is one of our most sacred traditions. So it was quite a downer when, after a few visits, it became apparent that the fanciest place for brunch in town didn't approve of our entourage. Maybe it's because we currently max out at two gray hairs per head, maybe it's because we wore t-shirts on our first visit, but the aura of antipathy fast became a palpable presence. Mimosas shouldn't come with a side of sneering. With the only remaining venue for elaborate breakfasts being my own home, it was time to devise something that could combine delicious flavor, elegant presentation, and the ability to be assembled before I open my eyes in the morning. That's how I settled on the idea of baked eggs, and, as a proud Luso-American, when I found a recipe for Portuguese Baked Eggs, I knew we were in business.

The breakfast business

Cool As (Blueberry Tzatziki Salad)

The season dovetails nicely in that the finest of summer's greens, cucumbers, berries, and peaches become fresh and locally available just in time for the last few barbecues before labor day. Steaks and ribs tend to take center stage at such gatherings, but a clever assembly of bountiful produce can still manage to be a showstopper. The heirloom cucumber on our backyard deck has coiled forth in riotous abundance, overshadowing the meek carrots and beets I tried to nestle below, and I've over a dozen cucumbers to contend with. In order to thin the herd, I decided to make a rendition of tzatziki, spiked with darkly sweet blueberries and served as salad.

Also thicker and chunkier than most tzatziki, but I like it that way

Taking it Slow (Pork Carnitas)

One of the things people tend not to realize about working in a bakery is that it is hot. Those cheerful, toasty ovens feel like blast furnaces on days when it's already over 90 in the shade. The never-ending quest for cool leads us to all manner of salads, ices, and chilled soups, but there's still something inherently more cheering and satisfying about warm food. The trick, then, is to produce a hot meal without raising the temperature of your kitchen, and for that the slow cooker is a hero once again. Throw in the ingredients and they can gently braise all day as your house remains marvelously cool.

Marvelous