The loathsome garlic and the stinking rue. -Samuel Wesley the Younger, A Satire Against Snuff

Part of the take from yesterday's market: little patty pan squash, cilantro from the great herb guy, and a variety of lemon cucumber. I'll get back to you regarding the first two, but the cucumbers made an appearance in tonight's menu.

After Marc Eisen's garlic festival, we opted for light, cool fare: corn salad with thyme from my garden, mild chilies, and home-grown heirloom tomatoes; roasted beets; herbed trout salad; and a chilled cucumber avocado soup topped with tomato salad (the sun golds are from my garden).

Kenneth and I were both irritable and unexcited as we headed out to the garlic party; our moodiness was caused in good part by today's oppressively high temperatures. Not long after arriving on Rutledge Street, though, we found ourselves relaxing, cooling off in Marc's air-conditioned home, enjoying new interesting personalities, and sampling all sorts of delicious food, almost all of which featured garlic-- shrimp grilled with garlic, garlicky breads, a delicious salad featuring pears and grapes...

In the end, I opted to take caramelized garlic and lavender ice cream served in little lace cookie nests. If you have doubts about such a dish, please know that late this morning I became convinced that I'd wasted lots of time and ingredients on a foolish novelty nothing. To my surprise and delight, the ice cream was very well received at the event. The garlic's presence was very subtle, adding a mysterious depth or headiness to the rich vanilla and floral flavors. I would only make the dish again for a similarly special occasion, but I would make a simplified version of the recipe-- one that cut out the garlic and (probably) the lavender while still capitalizing on the infusion of cinnamon and the tangy richness of crème fraîche .

Now I sit in our air-conditioned study-- blogging and playing Boggle-- while a poor shirtless Kenneth scrubs pots and plates in the dismal steamy kitchen. At least he gets to listen to Paris Hilton on American Top 40.