Mid-Summer's Eve (+ Lemony Chive Dip with Sugar Snap Peas)

My family likes to make fun of my fickleness: First I am certain that April is my favorite month, in the same way that Thursday evening is my favorite part of the week--with everything stretched out before you, the trees just barely fuzzy and gold, Friends and Seinfeld on, because it's still 1995. Oh, but then May, with its riot of lilacs and dogwood! Who can resist? Forget it though, because it's really June, the year's big TGIF, with its peonies and endless days, the kids tumbling joyfully from their school year, the evenings so long it's like you get a whole other day attached to the end of the one you just had.

So we had a little Summer Solstice party to celebrate. And really, we were cheating, because Ben isn't even done until today, while all the other kids were out on Friday. Who cares, though.

Although if you're the only one still in school, take precautions so you don't get screwed out of your fair share of the summer fruits that everyone is lying around gorging on while you finish up various probability graphs.

Summer!

Birdy and I got loads of (cheap) flowers from the beautiful u-pick place.

I pickled shrimp.

We served a lovely lemony dip with sugar snap peas. Half raw, half blanched, as per various preferences around here.

And we made flower crowns, using twine as a base, and attaching the flowers and ivy leaves with short lengths of coated floral wire. Ava was, as in all things, brilliant and meticulous.

Make sure to pick sturdy flowers--the kind that don't drop all their petals in a fright when an ant breathes on them. Daisies are ideal. We used the crown-making method here.

Ben, 164 months.

Ben, 8 months. I thought this was the party with the flower crowns, but it appears to be the one with the dragonfly wings. Ah, Santa Cruz.

Flower crowns and sugar snap peas! What could be better?

Sublime or ridiculous? You decide.

Birdy experimented with a grass version, which was extremely fetching. Put a flapper dress on that girl, and she'd be good to go.

Happy summer, dear friends!
 
Lemony Chive Dip with Sugar Snap Peas

This is the same dip I was making for asparagus earlier in the season, and it’s a current favorite: light and lemony, easy-peasy, with just a little punch from the chives. It is also very good with tiny boiled potatoes and/or radishes. In another few weeks, it will be good with blanched green beans.

Sugar snap peas (or any other veggies!!!)

½ cup each mayo and sour cream (you could also use yogurt or buttermilk instead of some part of the Fatty McFattersons)

Zest of 1 lemon and the juice of half of it

½ teaspoon sugar

¾ teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)

1 tablespoon finely slivered chives

“String” the peas by snapping off each which will tug along with it the tough string down its side. If you want to blanch them, bring half a large pot of water to a boil and drop the peas in. Drain them after 30 seconds, and run them under cold water until cool, then lay them on a dish towel to drain and dry.

Whisk together the dip ingredients, then taste for salt and lemon, adding more as needed. Serve with the peas.