This summer the road bike and I have hit the pavement from Seward to Homer and all over our beautiful little town, up hill and down. It is my favorite way to stay in shape and the great hill workouts I get way out East Road are the best. My town cruiser bike and I pedal out to the Homer Spit with the ocean and mountain views and a good head wind gives me some good lunch-time exercise, as does pedaling up to Baycrest Hill. Once I get to the top I hop off and soak in the expansive jaw-dropping view of Kachemak Bay. I ask myself daily how I was so fortunate to end up living here.

Riding a bike allows one to see the sights in much more detail than when you whiz by in a car at 35 miles an hour. Biking one's way around town is a much more civilized and relaxing way to travel, and I understand why the Europeans love it. All I need now is a wicker basket mounted on my bike with a loaf of French bread, a bouquet of daisies, a bottle of wine and I would look like I had just left the daily market in Florence, Italy.

I've experienced some great sights and sounds pedaling about this summer and here are some that make me smile the most: Meeting up with husband and wife biking buds, who pedal their way from East Road out to the Spit and back every day. We smile and wave and exchange pleasantries as we pass each other. Last weekend, my Anchorage son, whom I don't get to see enough, and his friend accompanied me on a ride. I had fun showing them my daily bike ride route. This morning I saw a gal come down her driveway riding her bicycle with a wicker basket the size of a laundry basket bungee corded on the back of it. Running beside her was her dog. My guess is the dog runs along until she tires out and then is allowed the luxury of riding back in the basket. And then there is my friend Taz, who has a cart attached to the back of his bike that his canine companion, Zip, rides in. A favorite sight is seeing throngs of kids riding their bikes and hearing them laugh. Bike riding was a favorite childhood activity.

All this exercise makes me crave healthy, good-for-you things from my garden, the Homer Farmers' Market and the bounty of the bay. I am in heaven when I am enjoying a locally grown and caught meal. It just doesn't get any fresher or better.

Here's a recipe I found in my latest summer fun read "A Homemade Life," by Orangette blog writer, Molly Wizenburg.

"The poaching method used for this dish begins with a skillet of water seasoned with salt, crushed whole garlic cloves, and branches of Italian parsley, and it ends with a plump, snowy-fleshed piece of halibut, silky and fragrant. Along the way, the water is transformed into a salty, herbal broth -- like seawater, but better -- which infuses the fish and coaxes out its clean, sweet flavor. The garlic softens and mellows, ceding its sharp bite for round edges, winding itself gently around the fish and following it to the plate. Finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a slip of olive oil," writes Wizenburg of Lynne Rossetto Kasper's recipe.

The key to this preparation is freshness. This dish is built to showcase the clean, delicate flavor of fresh fish. Make sure you use a good, fresh head of garlic. There should be no green shoots poking from the top, and each clove should feel smooth, solid, and not the least bit spongy. And be sure to use an olive oil that, as Kasper says, you would want to eat from a spoon. From there, it's hard to go wrong.

Poached Halibut with Sweet Garlic, Parsley and Lemon Recipe by Lynne Rossetto Kasper - Serves 2

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

8 branches Italian parsley

1 teaspoon salt

Water

2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets, skin removed, or another firm, white-fleshed fish such as cod

Additional Italian parsley branches, for garnish

2-4 juicy lemon wedges, for garnish

Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

Salt

Pepper

Place the garlic, Italian parsley and salt in a 12-inch skillet or saut pan. Add water to a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 5 minutes. It should smell very fragrant.

Meanwhile, measure the thickness of the halibut fillets. They will cook for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

When the poaching liquid is ready, slip the fillets gently into the pan. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes per inch, adjusting the heat so that the liquid just trembles: it should only bubble a little, and very gently. To test the fish for doneness, make a small slit with a paring knife in the thickest part of the fillet: all but the very center of each piece should be opaque.

When each fillet is ready, use a slotted spatula to transfer it to a serving plate. Garnish the plates with sprigs of Italian parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately, allowing each eater to season their fish at the table with olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon.

Note: If you choose to halve this recipe, do not halve the amount of poaching liquid and aromatics. Halve only the amount of fish.

Until next time enjoy our incredible summer and enjoy the sights and sounds from atop your bike seat.