I've mentioned a few times, round these parts, that my best friend's husband owns a food truck. Mei Mei Street Kitchen is, of course, my favorite roving eatery in Boston these days. After a bang up first year and tons of press coming their way; Andy, Mei and Irene have decided to move on to bigger, brick and mortar things. Their first restaurant is in the works as I type, and I couldn't be happier.

In the meantime, I get my Mei Mei fix once a week when their truck is at Dewey Square. One of their biggest sellers, the "magical kale salad" is my absolute favorite thing. They combine local kale and sea salt feta with crunchy panko breadcrumbs, then toss a poached-then-fried egg on top. It's glorious, and the most satisfying lunch ever.

Desperate to duplicate the magic, and armed with farmer's market smoked salmon from a local dude, I put my own spin on this hearty salad. This was delectable. The trick is quality fish, super-fresh greens, and a perfectly poached egg. The only real work is cooking the egg, making this a perfect weeknight meal or quick lunch.

Yesterday, I shared some of my favorite photos from the past few months in our backyard. Today, I wanted to put out some more glorious shots of summer. These are from all over the place-- SOWA open market, some gigs of Matty's, dinner parties at friends.

It was a hell of a final summer in Boston.

One of my hidden talents seems to be finding rental properties in the greater Boston area.

Now that our garden is in full-bounty full-swing, I find myself adding cucumbers, basil and jalapeños to anything and everything I can. Of course, I thought, this should include vodka and gin.

We picked up a handle of Tito's Handmade Vodka and Right Gin because (A) they're delicious and (B) both are made from corn, unlike many vodkas and gins, making them gluten-free! Being allergic to alcohol with wheat in it was what caused Matt to figure out he had food allergies in the first place-- he'd occasionally stray from his usual (rye) whiskey cocktails and before you know it, he'd be short of breath and his skin all splotchy. It's slightly terrifying, witnessing this, and makes you want to ensure it never happens again. And though it's been an arduous task for him to cut out wheat across the board, it's been well worth it to watch his complexion brighten and even his demeanor change.

So, that being said, this vodka and gin was a great choice to infuse because it's a smooth, blank canvas. You can buy flavored vodka all day-- but it's never quite as good as when you do it yourself.

Back in August, our friend Justin texted Matty in need of musical entertainment for the bar he is tending these days.

Justin's my buddy from college--and has always been a bit of rambling man, if you will. In the winters, he spends every day doing what he loves--skiing, and teaching others to ski, on Loon Mountain. However, when the season ended and he remained in the state of New Hampshire, he knew he had to find something to do for the warmer months.

So, for whatever reason-- I'm a Massachusetts snob, who knows-- when I heard "bar in New Hampshire" I pictured spending my Saturday pounding Coors Light in a dimly lit dive while Matt played guitar. And that didn't sound horrible, of course. But it didn't sound great, either. Couple that with the absolutely staggering hangover I awoke with Saturday morning after a Red Sox game on an empty stomach the night before-- and I wasn't exactly raring to go to this gig.

So, I know we're going about two hours away, but I don't know it's Laconia when we are getting ready-- so I throw a toothbrush and some other shit in a bag, try not to puke, and I get in the passenger side of my car, all but bawling with how I am feeling. Matt asks if I want to just stay home a few times, but I know I would be livid with myself if I did-- it's his first out-of-state gig and I haven't seen Justin in months. So I tough it out, slap an address in my GPS, put my feet on the dashboard and sip ginger ale the whole way up 93 North.

When we're about fifteen minutes out, my best bud Courtney texts me and mentions she is super jealous we are going to see "Justin and Corey!"
"Corey is here, too?" I reply, unaware that our other buddy from Boston has decided to flee north and bartend alongside Justin.
"Yep!" Courtney replies, and then, "hope you remembered sun screen."
At this point, I call her, because I have no idea what she means.
"Did you bring a bathing suit?" she asks immediately.
"What?" I reply. My fucking head hurts.
"Did Justin tell you anything about where you are going?" she asks.
"Clearly, no." I say, still trying not to puke.
"You're going to a fucking yacht club," she says, laughing. "So."
"Ohhhh," I reply. "Welp. Better shake off this hangover."
So we make it to our destination, Akwa, I see the absolutely beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee is right before us, and my jaw drops.
And then I puke next to my car.
But then it gets so much better.

FREE HEADSHOT DAY!

FREE RIDE DAY!

The end is near, my friends.

Before we know it there will be Halloween candy on shelves, leaves on the ground, and the bountiful harvest of heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn that I swoon over weekly at the Farmer's Market will be swapped for gourds and roots and apples.

And while I do love fall, summer will always have my heart.

So, in celebration of the almost-end of corn season, I wanted to share a recipe that I have been making all summer long-- a potato salad with sweet corn, salty bacon, and tangy greek yogurt. This is great to bring to a party, served alongside some grilled meat, or just out of the bowl for an afternoon snack.

Enjoy these long days while they last!

So, Matt and I haven't exactly been the quickest to get on the wedding-planning train.
That's probably because we're actually in the process of making some big decisions about where we will be living in the next year (more on that to come, promise)--and planning a wedding on top of that is not exactly feasible.

But before all of this, we were pretty hellbent on getting wed by the Atlantic ocean. We looked at one place only-- the gorgeous Thompson Island right off the coast of Boston-- and that was it for me.

Happy Tuesday!

If you're anything like me, you still have some booze kicking around from Labor Day weekend. Perhaps it's a bottle of Rose that swayed you by the label... or perhaps it's a box of white zinfandel someone rightfully abandoned on your counter when the party was over.