end of the week food love

it's been a lovely, lovely week with michael home and it concluded with cafeneio on friday--of course i have neither pictures nor recipes, but i will share this straight-out-of-a-dutch-stilllife plate of home grown figs and grapes we took home. they are as delicious as they are beautiful. owen was smitten with the grapes--so little and sooo sweet! again, the simple and surprising pleasures of in season, fresh grown food. . . michael made his signature lime drops which hadn't been shaken since our DINK days and the fresh lime juice and zesty ginger was a perfect late summer treat. . .

last night owen and i made lasagna together for michael (alas, 3 more weeks until our next family dinner) and i experimented with sweet italian chicken sausage for a lighter version of my more traditional meat sauce (half the saturated fat as pork!) and tried the par-boil trick the trader joe's sample guy suggested--the meat was not missed! the lasagna was hearty and intensely flavorful but didn't leave you with just-ate-too-much-pasta bloat. just the smell of the onions and parsley simmering and the simple pleasure of layering the fresh mozerella and spooning spinach-rich ricotta was worth the experience. owen, of course, was all about cheese and was feeling extra "big" grating a 2lb block of parmigano reggiano. (he "doesn't love" tomato sauce and "will maybe like it when he's five"). owen in action:

here's the final dish (just a phone snapshot--the camera's on holiday) served with proscuitto-wrapped cantaloupe and arugula and shave parmiganno with our prized figs. we will definitely be experimenting with lasagna again--perhaps some late summer veggies next time. . .