Sweet Summer Fun

It's August.  And not just August, but almost the end of August.  For most parts of the country, that means summer is almost at an end.  For us in San Diego, it means the weather has finally become summery.  And now we're doing our darndest to try and make the most of those last minutes of summer.

All of a sudden we're planning more beach trips and pool time.  Hanging out with friends, planning parties.   We even snuck in a summer concert last weekend! 

Summer in San Diego is also race season, and every weekend the Del Mar races host concerts following the last race.  On Friday we ditched the kids, met up with our friends at the races.

We got there in time to watch the last race and place a $1 bet, which we promptly lost.  Then we grabbed dinner and drinks while we waited for the show to start.

We heard the music before heading to the stage to watch Michael Franti and Spearhead perform.

Mrs. Pirate had picked the concert.  She'd been to a couple of his concerts and said they were always a good time. 

And it was a good time!  At one point Franti put himself out in the crowd, bouncing around, singing, and introducing us to his high school volleyball coach.

Thatboy wasn't excited about the evening before we left.  It was Friday night, we'd just gotten back in town, really he just wanted to curl up on the couch for the evening. 

But by the end of the night, I think he had changed his mind.

In addition to taking advantage of summer activities, I'm also feeling the pressure to make use of summer produce while I still can.  Gorgeous basil, corn, peppers, tomatoes.  We're going through oodles of gorgeous yellow grape tomatoes in our house.  And corn is getting thrown in just about everything from salads, polenta, risotto - even pasta!  I can't claim the original idea of using corn in a pasta dish, but after seeing it on all sorts of blogs this summer I thought it was an idea that I had to make my own.  And it was delicious!  Make it soon - because I can guarantee it won't be as tasty with the frozen substitute.

Summer Penne

1/2 package of penne pasta
4 slices bacon
3 cups of fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
shaved parmsean cheese

1. Cook penne according to package instructions.
2. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon from skillet and set aside.
3. Place 2 cups of corn, onion, pepper, and mushrooms into the pan with the bacon fat and cook until veggies are tender crisp.
4. Add the wine and chicken broth to the veggies and simmer until reduced.
5. Place the remaining cup of corn, milk, and thyme in food processor and puree.  Add this mixture to the veggies and simmer about 5 minutes, until thick.
6. Add pasta to the vegetables and heat until the pasta is warmed through.  Top with crumbled bacon, basil, and parmsean.