i finally made the zuni chicken last night. i welcomed guests into my 100 degree kitchen and made them sit down and wait for it. the extra special heirloom roses i had on the table couldn't handle the heat and were mush by the time dinner was served. had i known the weather a few days ago, I may not have sought out the perfect 3-pound bird, salted and sprigged the shit out of it two days early, only to have to roast the sucker on 95 degree day.
bread salad with heirloom tomatoes and currants

i love this zuni book so much.

zinnias still making me crazy at the studio. marigolds now too.

we did a fun wedding at The Foundry with Diner (they cater now, so if that isn't inspiration to throw a party, what is?) but had a bit of a mishap with wind and ceremony urns outside that I'll write about soon. never stop learning lessons in this business, my 5 years of weddings and I still say to myself, "next time I'll know what to do..."
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(The top picture I really love. I've gotten tired of shooting in the front of the shop, so I played with shooting this simple arrangement in our dark hallway behind the store. I looks like a painting I want to crawl into it and take a nap, except as you know i don't nap. I've been thinking about making simpler arrangements. This has 4 elements - zinnias, feverfew, crabapple and asperagus fern - all locally sourced. The guys at Dutch flower line miss my business this summer, but the local material is vibrant beyond compare. However, before we all start drinking that cool-aid, I want to spend some time writing down my thoughts on the local/seasonal debate; because there are a lot of angles to consider...)