FOR A HOT SEPTEMBER NIGHT

A DRINK

Blackberry Martini
You can find this recipe over at Food52 in my Cooking What I Want column.

A DINNER

Heirloom Tomato and Nectarine Salad
Don't toss the ingredients in a bowl. Instead, layer on a large plate or platter. Assemble this salad right before you serve it because once the salt hits the tomatoes and stone fruit, you will have the beginnings of an herbacious summer soup.

Core and slice 4 large heirloom tomatoes. Spread slices out on a platter. Halve and remove pits from 4 ripe nectarines. Thinly slice the fruit and fan out around the tomato slices. Throw down a few handfuls of green leaves (basil, parsley, mint, arugula). 

Use your vegetable peeler to shower down paper-thin sheets of firm cheese (parmesan, piave, asiago, manchego). Sprinkle and splash with coarse salt, olive oil, and gooey balsamic*. 

Some possible additions: Marcona almonds or pine nuts, prosciutto, thinly sliced red onion, grilled peaches, blops of crème fraîche. Just keep on layering until it looks like dinner.

Keep any leftovers and serve over pasta the next day (after removing any brown slices of nectarine).

*Make your own gooey balsamic by reducing down (by half) an inexpensive bottle of balsamic vinegar. Cool. Store as you would any vinegar.

A DESSERT

Nutella Chocolate Pots with Crème Fraîche and Sea Salt
Printable Recipe
Yesterday, I was making chocolate pots, drinking coffee, and engaging in my monthly hormonal horror show: the inhalation of an entire jar of Nutella. But this time I shared. One spoonful for me. One for the chocolate pots. On and on until Bella stopped me with: "Mom. Chill."  You can skip this adulterant and keep things all pure and dark chocolaty. Or play on by adding rum, almond paste, orange zest, or any other favorite flavor. This recipe is very forgiving.

Adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe for Chocolate Pots.

Makes 10 "pots" (use ramekins or small drinking glasses) that are about 3/8 cup each.

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3/8 cup Nutella (or Nocciolata spread)

1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract

2 eggs

crème fraîche

Maldon sea salt

Place chocolate and salt in bowl of a food processor. Pulverize until it's almost as fine as powder.

Pour cream and milk into a medium-sized pot. Heat until it's just under the boil. Turn off the heat. Pour into a pitcher. Carefully pour hot cream/milk down the food processor tube onto the pulverized chocolate. Add Nutella. Let sit for 1 minute. Process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides. Add vanilla extract and eggs. Process for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides. Pulse a few times. Make sure it's smooth. Pour mixture into a pitcher. Pour into 10 small pots (ramekins or small drinking glasses). Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Take out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. Top with a teaspoon of crème fraîche and a pinch of Maldon sea salt.

A SONG
"I Don't Recall" by Lavender Diamond
Listen over and over again while doing the dishes.