Montecito Country Kitchen Is Pitchin’ Summer

Pascale Beale-Groom, proprietor of the Montecito Country Kitchen (montecitocountrykitchen.com) cooking school and purveyor of finer cooking goodies, is working her way through a Vivaldi-esque cookbook sequence, and fittingly Summer is just released. Michel Richard of our lost, lamented Citronelle provides the foreword, and while Beale-Groom’s straightforward cooking has none of the visual puns Richard indulges, she does have the ability to yoke unique pairings, like a peach and heirloom tomato salad that practically says summer in neon. The book suggests lovely, Provence-inflected menus perfect for Santa Barbara, and even lays out when to make what for those who have trouble with kitchen timing. Beale-Groom will sign copies of the book at Barnes & Noble (829 State St.) on Sunday, July 27, from 1-3 p.m.