Nova Clutch

What's in season: Blueberries

I've never picked blueberries before because I grew up in England and it wasn't warm enough for the little blighters to grow. Well, not then, but with all this heat, I think they're probably growing them these days.

So picking them at Schmidt's Berry Farm in Pennsylvania last weekend was a new experience for me. And what a good one. None of the back-breaking crouching of strawberry picking. None of the prickly hedges of gooseberry picking. No, this is back straight, almost falling-off-the-branches picking for the internet generation! Meaning it was easy, like we expect it to be.

The blueberries were so tasty, not too sweet, plump and bursting, that before I knew it, I had picked 7lbs of blueberries. What on earth do you do with that many blueberries?

I'll tell you. Pictured here are mini blueberry tarts with cream cheese custard that I made for Marc's July 4th party and Lizz's delicious blueberry crumb cake that she made with some of hers. She also made blueberry pancakes, a pie and has another load in her dehydrator for dried blueberries (perfect for scones). Next on the list is some blueberry ice cream, blueberry lemonade and perhaps some blueberry juice while I'm watching the Wimbledon
finals this weekend.

July 4th fireworks from DUMBO

There's only one real reason to have a rooftop terrace in Brooklyn and that's to see the magnificent fireworks from here on July 4th. Well, that and the growing vegetables, drinking cocktails and general revelry that comes with it. And although we didn't have our usual blowout party this year, we did watch the fireworks and make all the noises that one is compelled to make when you see controlled pyrotechnics. I have to say, they were bloody good this year with some fancy ones in the inventory; smiley faces, pretzels, the big apple and some stars. Luckily for us we see the two shows at once from our vantage point – one looking over New York City and the Empire State and Chrysler buildings and one over the iconic Brooklyn water tanks. I have to say, I think I prefer the Brooklyn side...

How to cook quinoa

I mean, I had no idea. I can be a lentils and rice kinda girl (being of Sri Lankan origin and all that) but I had no clue what to do with this grain. It sounded like one of those earthy crunchy foods, that tastes of nothing, is pakced with protein and is really good for you.

So when Gourmet magazine landed on my doorstep this month and I saw a quinoa recipe, I dug out the Fairway box from my cupboard. It couldn't have been easier – cook the grain in boiling water, like rice, for ten mintues. Then drain it in a sieve and steam it over an inch of water, covered with a kitchen towel and lid for another ten. Bingo, fluffy ancient grain!

You then toss it with lime, cilantro, black beans, chopped scallions and tomatoes. We ate it with grilled giant shrimp also tossed in lime and cilantro and a strawberry, spinach and pecan salad. The quinoa ("keen-wah", not "kwin-noa") has a firm texture, a nutty taste a little like couscous, but far more interesting. Yes, it's good for you. More importantly, it's really tasty.

Manu Chao at Prospect Park

My father rather wistfully got me a wicker picnic basket, complete with its own cloth napkins and salt and pepper shakers two years ago. This would have been an ideal gift if I lived in the same country as him, and didn't have to then lug it home on a plane with me, amongst my other English gifts and purchases. I couldn't carry it that journey (because of all my Topshop shopping) and my friend Karen graciously brought it over the next time she had a job in New York.

So at the opportunity of having a picnic in the park to listen to Manu Chao live, I insisted we bring the picnic basket with us, you know, for Karen. Michael grumbled the whole way there (it was heavy with all the food, china plates, rosé in a thermos) that it was absolutely unnecessary. I insisted he was just upset that he didn't have the E Type Jaguar to put it in. It would have sweetened the deal a little, but the F Train had to suffice for now.

Manu Chao tends to conjure the image of backpackers milling around English bars in Thailand, and thus a slight wincing feeling in me. But that's ok when you're sitting in the park with a picnic in Thailand-like weather. I'm not sure I would have felt the same standing in line for hours on a day when the heat nears the 100° mark. Quite honestly, it just felt like we were listening to the Clandestino CD with a canned crowd in the background, but no matter. Perhaps it would have been different if we were in the canned crowd. We were too busy tucking into grilled flank steak sandwiches with homemade aioli, arugula and ciabatta and some orzo salad and some lovely dark and stormies that Jen made. We finished it off with some delicious nectarine cakes , Manu Chao bouncing around in the background.