Summer Fresh Melon Appetizers

Tom and I are still pinching ourselves!  We have moved to Half Moon Bay, and are just a 5-7 minute walk to the beach... we fall asleep after watching the sun dip into the Pacific Ocean, listening to waves crash and the fog horn blowing continuously.  (not complaining - I LOVE it!)

We are having the best time exploring our neighborhood, including the Andreotti   Family Farm, open every single day, and less than a 2 minute walk from our house. (on the way to the beach)  I never know what I will find to bring home for dinner!  Summer squash, golden beets, fennel, sun ripened tomatoes....

Last week, they had just picked big, ripe juicy cantaloupes from their field just behind the "barn". Could not resist bringing one home!

Have to share my super-easy, but sort of fancy Melon Prosciutto Appetizers.  We ordered something similar at an Italian Cafe last summer while exploring the North Beach neighborhood in the city, and have been trying to recreate it ever since.  This time, I think we created perfection. Absolute delish for summer!

Ingredients:

1/2 ripe cantaloupe melon
8 oz. prosciutto sliced thin
1/3 cup good extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground pepper
balsamic glaze

1. Seed and peel cantaloupe, cut into 2-3 inch chunks. Wrap slices of melon with with prosciutto.  Set aside.
2. Drizzle olive oil onto plate or serving platter. Grind fresh pepper over olive oil. (to taste)
3. Arrange melon and prosciutto wrapped pieces on top of olive oil and pepper on platter
4. Drizzle balsamic glaze over appetizers.  I keep some the glaze in my frig for occasions like this, you can buy pre-made or super easy to make your own.

Yum.

Early Morning Beach Walks

Some Sunday Mornings are just too beautiful to not share.....

Again, have to pinch myself that I am soooo lucky to live close to Half Moon Bay.  Just a 20 minute drive in our new mini cooper over the coastal mountain range and we are walking on the beach.  Tom and I love to grab a granola bar, pour coffee into our travel mugs and head out for a walk.

Captured this on my iphone last weekend, when we drove down to take the product photos of our new hand blown glass sea urchins that will soon be on our site.

Take a beach break and enjoy the waves!

(yes, that is the Ritz Carlton in the background)

Harbor Seals

Just a quick photo montage from yesterday's jaunt down Hwy 1.  Bean Hollow Beach is a wonderful beach to explore about 15 miles south of Half Moon Bay, not a great walking beach, but so many tide pools to explore among the rocks and lots of sea life to view.  It is one of my very favorite places to go to enjoy listening to the wind, the sounds of crashing waves and catch a few harbor seals taking a Saturday afternoon nap.





Tidepools.....

 Dark Purple Sea Star

Rock Crabs scurried into all the cracks - really hard to get them to stay still for a photo op!

Green sea urchins with purple spines

Harbor Seals.... we counted over 30 seals and pups sprawled all over the rocks.  Tom scrambled down the rocks and was able to capture a few close-up.  Don't worry, we didn't get very close, there was still a deep lagoon between us and the seals!  

I am so happy to have my camera back!  Hope you  all had a wonderful weekend - 

Half Moon Bay Fish Market

One of the secrets to making a fabulous meal with seafood includes a trip to a favorite fish market for fresh choices.  Cannot count the number of times that we've left the beach, headed for home and have made shopping at the Half Moon Bay Fish Market a regular stop.

Great shop owned for many years by the same family - family photos and memories tacked up all over the tiny market.  They have thought of everything -

Great people to help - always friendly.  They treat us like long lost friends whenever we come in, even tossing in a few extra oysters on occasion!

Blue Point Oysters are always on the menu... (not mine, but Tom's!)

Fresh local dungeness crabs live, also cooked and cleaned ready to take home and dip in melted butter. (YUM!)

Salmon fillets, or whole salmon for the more adventuresome.  Not this girl - I don't like the bones! (or the heads)

Live crabs and lobsters available, as well as fresh squid, prawns, and jumbo shrimp!  We frequently pick up fresh clams here too for clam linguine and yummy clam chowder.

On several occasions we've also picked up the most incredible Ahi - melt in your mouth with just a light searing on the outside.

They have it all do you don't have to make another stop. Lemons, seasonings, fresh baked bread from Half Moon Bay Bakery...

Specialty private label sauces to complete your meal...

Forget the wine?  Half Moon Bay Fish Market has a nice selection to choose from, most of which are local California wines.   They even sell fresh flowers for the romantics!

Stop by and see our friends next time you take a drive down California's Hwy 1 past Half Moon Bay.
Phone: 650-726-2561
Website:
http://www.bizglimpz.com/HMBFishMarket

And to show off your seafood creations, 

how about these fun serving pieces?

Polished Fish Servers

Scallop Appetizer Dish

Large Oyster Shaped Serving Platter

Fun cocktail napkin boxes!

Coastal Themed Wine and Cocktail Glasses

Hot Chocolate Warm-Up at the Ritz!

Having been a little cooped up this past week, we relished our quick jaunt to the coast to check out the shore at Half Moon Bay. I wanted to see if the tsunami waves had washed up anything interesting... I think the most interesting part was that there were NO shells, and NO sea glass.  Usually we scoop up all kinds of flotsam and jetsam, this past Saturday the beach was wiped clean.

The tide was still pretty dangerous and more than a little ferocious. We still thought we might be able to get around one of our favorite points at Half Moon Bay. (where I usually find all kinds of purple sea urchins and periwinkle shells) Yeah....probably shouldn't have tried that, as we got a little bit soaked trying to out-run the sets of waves back to safer ground!

Still so much beauty. Sometimes it's just a matter of actually seeing it.  Look how these prehistoric-looking barnacles and dark blue mussels have clung to a crevice in a basalt beach rock just waiting for the tide to surge in.

Coastal flowers are beginning their annual show of color; dark fuchsia pinks, butter yellows....

Thank goodness the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay welcomes wet sandy beach combers to their outdoor patio! It's one of our favorite places to relax on a weekend (or weekday escape!) afternoon.   The patio at the Ritz faces the Pacific Ocean looking Northwest - perfect for watching crashing waves, swooping sea birds, and pink sunsets.

Awaiting guests on the patio, big round brick gas fire pits are lit with cozy fires, and surrounded by generous comfortable, Adirondack chairs.  We always meet interesting people gathered around from all parts of the world, simply enjoying the afternoon in the sea air. (The picture is from a previous trip)

The best part?  At 4:30 the Chocolate Bar is open on the patio!  Three choices of hot chocolate can be had - milk, dark or white.  Too many choices!  They even sell entire kits for roasting your very own S'mores over the fire, roasting sticks included. Yummy, ooey-gooey chocolate chunk cookies are always on the menu too.

Their  gourmet hot chocolate can be ordered with, or without your choice of liqueur, and then topped off with whipped cream, crushed coffee beans, white chocolate stir sticks, crushed cookies. Of course my particular favorite is always available- mini marshmallows!  I had a little Baileys and a little Frangelico, Tom opted for Gran Marnier.

Yes, life is good.


Shared on Savvy Southern Style - "Wow Us Wednesdays"


http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/wow-us-wednesdays-8-and-sisters-home.html

Weeknight Escape Sunsets on our California Coast

Dear Friends,
Wish I could tell you that I packed up some kind of culinary delight picnic dinner but, alas, I had too much work to do.  My over 40 brain can only handle so many tasks before it hits the overload button!  Had to settle for the "gourmet" deli at Safeway for "California Dreamin" sandwiches, chips (in the crunchy bio-degradable bag!) and some lovely cold beer.

You heard that right, I drank beer. It was absolutely the perfect drink  for a hot sunny early evening at the beach.

(PS  I DID NOT find this conch shell here - my mom gave it to me years ago, thought it might be a good photo shoot prop)

Packed up the beach bag:

1. Wine Charms to re-shoot
2. Shells to use as props (kinda heavy)
3. beach towel
4. camera
5. iphone
6. extra bag for shells or sea glass
7. sweatshirts (just in case)
8. napkins (I am a messy sandwich eater)
9. sandwiches
10. chips
11. beer
12. wine/beer opener (stays in the bag)

What do you think of our view from our impromptu beach towel picnic spot?  Not too bad for a Wednesday night after work.

Photo shoot was a little tough, light was not quite right, my pretty little charms were not showing up right on the sand beach.   So frustrating! Oh well, just gives me another excuse to go back to the coast this weekend...

We met several people also enjoying our sunset, and they were kind enough to volunteer to take our picture. Yes, that is my WSU Cougar Mom sweatshirt!

And now for our stunning sunset......

I think I have become a California girl.

P.S. Please please make sure to stop by the Everything Coastal Style Blog today and meet Tricia Rose, the creator of "Rough Linen"! 

California Coastal Scenes.....

Happy Monday! Hope you enjoy my first experiment with some of my favorite California beach walk photos - hope you also like a little Jimmy Buffett!  Video is full of some of my favorite shells, coastal spring flowers, sea life and my favorite places to explore.....

 

Beach Walks...

Have to confess, I was feeling a little down yesterday afternoon. Hate those feelings of being overwhelmed with frustration, worry, and just plain cranky.   I pride myself on being positive and upbeat most of the time, and have learned, especially in the past 2 years, that all things will pass. It's just the waiting for them to pass that makes me a little antsy... Does this ever happen to you?   You know.. that prickly, uncomfortable yucky feeling? 

My solution, usually, is to take myself for a walk at the beach.  I need this "zen" time, and am keenly aware of it especially when I get into a funky gray mood.  REALLY trying to soak up what is surrounding me; the sight and smell the late spring coastal blooms, I listen to the ocean wind, the sweet call of seabirds, the crashing surf, marvel at the sun glinting off of the majestic Pacific Ocean,  and simply enjoy the warmth of the sun's rays soaking into my skin.  Within  a short 5 minute time-frame,  I am myself again. 

Drove to  Half Moon Bay late yesterday afternoon, walked a different way than I usually do, and  discovered a whole new stretch of beach to walk on.  Shallow tide pools full of neon green sea anemones to explore, new rocks to climb over, new shells to pick up, a whole new view to see... 

Isn't that the way real life works too?  Turn the corner from your well-worn path, the tried and true, and all of a sudden new thoughts flood your brain with inspiration? You begin to see your "issues" in a whole new light, easily solvable, or at least manageable, and no longer overwhelming.

How quickly I was once again reminded that my problems and worries are simply a grain of sand.... very finely worn sand....

Ahhhhh.... Much needed (required!) beach walk. Warm sun, golden sand, gentle sea breeze, pretty shells in my pocket. Oh, and for the bonus treat,  a few pieces of tiny sand-surf kissed sea glass.

I feel so much better. Now, I have a new place to take Tom for a picnic!  Going to the grocery store this afternoon to pack up for a romantic moonlight walk, complete with a nice red wine, yummy cheese, maybe some crusty crunchy french rolls...

I am so lucky.