Watermelon Lemonade Cocktail

As the summer fades to a close, this cocktail is the perfect celebration of everything you have enjoyed these last few months.  The sweet and nostalgic taste of the watermelon pairs perfectly with the tangy lemonade, add a splash of vodka and you have a perfect and easy cocktail to serve at your end of summer party (the "mocktail" version isn't half-bad either!).  The store-bought lemonade makes this cocktail even better because of how quickly you can throw it together.  Use whatever organic lemonade you prefer.  Also we had a yellow watermelon hence the color, I think if you used a traditional melon it would turn out more pink.  Cheers!

Makes 4 cocktails

1 mini-watermelon cut into 2 cups of watermelon cubes
2 cups of Newman's Own Lemonade
1 shot of vodka per drink

1. Combine watermelon chunks and lemonade in a blender and puree until smooth (about 1 minute).
2. Let sit on the counter for 2 minutes
3. Pour into chilled martini glasses and top with vodka if serving.  Enjoy immediately.

Arugula with Strawberries, Basil and Goat Cheese

This salad is so perfectly balanced with sweet, salt and spice that it can stand alone as a main dish (at least for lunch).  Before all the strawberries and fresh basil are gone this summer, please promise yourself to make this at least once.  It can even be easily assembled at work if you want to bring it for a tasty and fresh lunch.

 
Ingredients (makes one salad)

2 handfuls arugula
5-6 strawberries, stems trimmed off
8 basil leaves
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
1 tablespoon olive oil
pepper/salt

1. Arrange arugula and basil leaves on a plate.
2. Top with trimmed strawberries
3. Combine goat cheese, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small tupperware or dish and stir to combine before dressing the salad.
4. Dress the salad and serve immediately!

Strawberry Lime Popsicles

I recently waxed poetic about my nutribullet blender and I'm happy to announce it can make things better than smoothies.  It can make popsicles!  Putting these together was a fun experiment.  The only thing stopping me from adding a splash of tequila to the mixture and calling them strawberry margarita pops is that we didn't have any left!  Enjoy the last full month of summer and make these for your friends.  Popsicle molds are worth the $5 Target investment (provided you don't buy other things) and will last more than a season.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped strawberries
3 limes (or 10 baby key limes)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Combine chopped strawberries and sugar in the base of the blender.
2. Juice the the limes and add the lime juice to the fruit.
3. Hit the puree button and let the blender work its magic for about 1 minute.
4. Put into popsicle molds and wait about 6 hours until the liquid is frozen
5. Dunk in tequila for an extra treat

Pesto Potato Salad

This salad is basically an Americanized version of Salad Nicoise but I can't think of a way to say Salad Nicoise and still make you interested in this post because of this recipe 2 years ago .  However, I really can't express how delicious American potato salad can be when you remove the mayonnaise.  Swapping in pesto is really a great option this time of year when you want to be more figure friendly.  You can make this without the ham if you want this to be vegetarian friendly too.  What are you waiting for?  Go make this now.

Ingredients for 4 as a light dinner

6 medium yukon gold potatoes cut into sixths (or whatever you prefer)
1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed, then cut into 2 inch pieces
1 small squash, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small onion, diced
1 cup of pesto
2-3 pieces of black forest ham, torn into pieces
1 hardboiled egg
olive oil
salt/pepper

1. Start by making your hardboiled egg (the Rachel Ray way).  Put an egg or two in a pot of cold water, put on the stove and heat until boiling.  When boiling, turn off the heat and wait 10 minutes.  Drain in and ice bath.  You have a boiled egg.
2. Meanwhile fill another pot of water with cold water.  Add cubed potatoes and cook until water is boiling and potatoes can be pierced with a knife (about 25 minutes).  You don't want these too mushy, so keep an eye on them.
3. At the last 2 minutes of the boiling, add the chopped green beans.
4. Drain beans and potatoes and set aside
5. In the same pot, heat some olive oil.  When hot add tomatoes, onion and squash and saute about 4-5 minutes until soft.
6. Add potatoes, beans, and sauteed mixture together in a bowl and dollop pesto evenly over the veggies.  Mix carefully, using a bit of olive oil if you need to make the pesto more pliable.
7. Add crumbled hardboiled egg and evenly distribute torn pieces of the ham.
8. Salt and pepper to taste and serve while warm.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Inspired by the butternut squash enchiladas as Cactus restaurant here in Seattle, I threw together these tacos last week on a complete whim.  David was unsure about how these would turn out, but he went along with the plan (as long as I promised not to put any zucchini in as well).  These turned out to be pretty darn good and won even David's seal of approval.  Enjoy on homemade tortillas for an extra special treat.

Ingredients

8 homemade tortillas
1 shallot, diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 medium head of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces
1 can of black beans drainer
goat cheese for sprinkling on top

1. Drizzle olive oil into a large saute pan.  When oil is hot add shallot and cook 2-3 minutes.
2. Add potatoes and stir with shallot.  Then add broccoli and combine.
3. Let the veggies cook for at least 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, sprinkle salt and black pepper on top for taste.
5. Next, stir in black beans to allow them to warm up with the other veggies
6. Once heated through, you are ready to serve.
7. Fill like you would any other tortilla and top with goat cheese and salsa as an extra treat!

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

We did a lemon chicken recipe a while ago, but after having some inspiring wings at a BBQ over the weekend, I decided to revisit the recipe.  There is definitely a kick to this recipe using both black pepper and cayenne pepper but the lemon mellows it out nicely.  Of course you must serve these with Bleu Cheese dip!  Make this for your 4th of July BBQ tonight!

6 medium size chicken wings
zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy!)
salt
olive oil

1. Lay chicken wings in a glass baking dish or other pan to marinate.
2. Cover evenly with lemon zest, garlic, oregano, peppers and salt
3. Drizzle again with olive oil and let marinate at least an hour
4. When ready, heat broiler or grill (depending on the weather of course).  When hot, add chicken and cook until internal temperature is 165 or juices run clear when cut
5. Serve with Bleu cheese dip

Spinach and Bacon Crepes

One of the best things about crepes (blintz, swedish pancake, whatever you call it) is that you can fill it with almost anything you heart desires!  Traditionally we have sweet crepes filled with jam or nutella, but this morning I really wanted some protein to kick off the weekend.  Crepes can be cooked in a pan and you don't even have to flip them over if you time it just right.  These are sinfully easy but light on your waistline.

Crepe batter

1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon melted butter
splash of vanilla extract (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix well until combined, about 15 seconds.
2. Place in a bowl in the fridge and let sit at least an hour to allow the mixture to bind together, this will help later when you are cooking the crepes.
3. When you are ready to cook the crepes, heat a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Lightly brush with butter or drizzle a hint of olive oil in the pan.
4. Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into the hot pan and carefully swirl the batter around by tilting the pan.
5. Cook just under 2 minutes and the top will be set
6. Repeat until batter is gone.  This recipe makes about 8 crepes.

Spinach Bacon Filling

4 cups spinach
3-4 very small new potatoes or fingerling potatoes, sliced very thin
4 slices bacon
salt/pepper
parmesan cheese

1. Heat a separate skillet over medium high heat.  Add bacon strips and let cook until desired crispiness.
2. Remove bacon from the pan, leave the bacon fat in and add the thinly sliced potatoes.  Allow them to cook until crisp and brown, about 7-8 minutes.
3. Add the spinach and use tongs to help it wilt down
4. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and grated parmesan
5. To assemble the crepes, fill evenly with the spinach filling and roll.  Serve with hot sauce if desired.

Basil Lemon Vodka Martini

Here is your cocktail to say farewell to summer.  This is so good, you will be waiting in earnest for the fresh basil to arrive again next year.  I modified a recipe from a fun site called "Tasty Trials", check out their other great recipes.  This makes 2 cocktails served in martini glasses.

15 basil leaves
Simple syrup (from 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water)
2 1/2 shots vodka
1/3 cup lemon juice

Do ahead - Prepare syrup.  Combine sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium high heat and stir until combined.  Then boil until liquid is clear (about 4-5 minutes).  Let this cool for at least an hour.

Cocktail - Tear basil leaves into a cocktail shaker.  Top with syrup, vodka and lemon juice.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Muddle the basil with the end of a wooden spoon.  Fill the shaker with ice and shake well.  Pour into chilled martini glasses.

Cheers!

Entertaining - Hosting a Late Summer Picnic

One of the best parts about the end of summer are the sun filled lazy weekends of August and early September.  By  now most of the Summer weddings are over and everyone is taking a breather before heading back to school.  I love to put together a basket of food and enjoy and go for a picnic to the local park with friends and family.  These recipes are easy, transport well and will be a hit with everyone you invite!

Bleu Cheese Greek Yogurt Dip + Veggies
Gazpacho Blanco and Prosciutto Bruschetta

or

Sun dried Tomato Bread
Cheese plate (A creamy goat cheese or medium cheddar would be perfect!)
Charcuterie selection - I recommend a country pate or pork rillete

If you plan ahead, you can also bring some wine (I love the Bandit Box wines for picnics...they are easy to transport!).  Just make sure to bring solid colored cups to hold your beverage.

Get out there and enjoy these last few days of Summer!

Summer Succotash with Croutons

I'm not really sure if this is a real succotash recipe or not so I hope I don't offend anyone.  In our farm box this week we got three ears of corn, a pint of cherry tomatoes and green onions.  I spent a while thinking of what I could make with these ingredients without a lot of extra effort.  The result is this one pan dish that is breakfast for dinner you will eat again and again.  A fried egg on top is absolutely a requirement!

Ingredients

2 cups day old bread cut into crouton shape or bite size pieces
3 ears corn, kernels cut off the stalk
1 cup pre-cooked fava beans (lima or garbanzo beans would be just fine too)
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large green onion stalk, thinly sliced
3 strips bacon
4-5 basil leaves
eggs to fry (1 per person)
salt/pepper
olive oil

1. Heat large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add two or three swirls of olive oil.  When hot add the bread and saute until crispy and brown.
2. While croutons are browning, prepare vegetables, cutting the corn and tomatoes.
3. When bread is cooked, remove from pan to a small bowl and add another swirl of olive oil to the saute pan.
4. When oil is hot, add corn, tomatoes, fava beans and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Let cook about 10-15 minutes until everything starts to caramelize.
5. Meanwhile cook bacon (I put mine on papertowels on a plate in the microwave and cook one minute per slice).
6. Thinly slice green onion and basil, set aside and then chop the cooked bacon.
7. When corn and other veggies are done, remove from the pan and place them into a separate dish 8. Reheat the pan with some more olive oil.
9. Add eggs when the oil is hot and fry eggs to your desired doneness.
10. Plate the dinner with croutons on the bottom, topped by veggies, bacon, basil, green onion and topped off with an egg.
11. Serve with hot sauce if desired!

Apricot Freezer Jam

Here is a jam recipe for one jar of jam.  A few weeks ago I bought some apricots at the farmer's market that were very ripe, so ripe in fact I needed to make them into something as soon as I got home.  I discovered that freezer jam is actually a pretty easy way to convert fruit into something delicious with not a lot of effort.

3 ripe apricots
1 teaspoon citric acid (or juice from 1 lemon)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fruit pectin
1/4 cup boiling water
1 standard jam jar or container

1. Wash and dry apricots.
2. Place in a bowl and use potato masher to mash the fruit.
3. Add citric acid and sugar to the fruit.  Stir to combine well into the fruit.  Let stand 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile prepare pectin according to package directions.
5. Set clean jam jar on the counter to be ready for the fruit.
6. Add prepared pectin to the fruit mixture and stir well
7. Add to the jam jar and cover with plastic wrap.
8. Let stand covered on the counter 24 hours before sealing and placing in the freezer.
9. When ready to consume, let defrost in the freezer and consume within two weeks.

Gazpacho Blanco + Cantaloupe Prosciutto Bruschetta

The first time I heard of white gazpacho was at a recent dinner at one of my favorite restaurants "Hitchcock".  This was part of a chef's choice order and I could not have been more pleased to discover it.  This gazpacho is the perfect dish for someone who doesn't like tomatoes but is still looking for a similar option.  A cool soup is also ideal for really hot night when you don't want to stand over a hot stove.  These two dishes can be served separately but are delicious served together!  My suggestion here is to buy a loaf of delicious artisanal bread, a light sourdough is perfect, you will use the whole thing I promise!

Gazpacho Blanco

2 slices of the bread, crusts removed
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 glove fresh garlic
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

1. In a shallow pan soak bread in vinegar + 1/2 cup of water
2. After 10 minutes, add bread, garlic, almonds, 2 cups water and olive oil.  Use an immersion blender to blend all ingredients together.
3. Salt and pepper to taste and then let sit in the fridge for an hour or so.  We didn't find it necessary to strain this but that is also an option.

Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Bruschetta

2 cups cantaloupe diced into small pieces
1/5 pound prosciutto end torn into pieces or diced finely
4-5 slices of your favorite bread
olive oil
salt

1. Combine cantaloupe and prosciutto in a small bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and lightly salt.
2. Meanwhile toast slices of bread.
3. When bread is finished toasting, lightly brush with olive oil and then top with bruschetta mixture.
4. Serve immediately.

NOTE - Prosciutto ends are something new I'm seeing and it really worked well here.  Ask your local deli if they have the ends and you might even get it for free!

Summer Squash Rice Quiche

I made some Korean tacos recently and made a boatload of rice.  Trying to figure out what to do with the leftovers, I started thinking about arancini (Italian fried rice) and decided to try and turn this rice into a crust of sorts for a summer dinner quiche.  Don't let the word "quiche" fool you here, this is not a heavy dinner by any means.  It is perfect with a simple salad and glass of white wine.  This is summer in a pan!

Ingredients


2 1/2 cups cooked and chilled white rice
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
salt/pepper
1 lb summer squash (zucchini or yellow squash)
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter or spray a springform pan (or other cake pan).
2. Combine 2 1/2 cups plain cooked rice with 1/4 cup melted butter.  Place in pan and evenly compact.
3. Beat 2 eggs.  Add thyme, salt/pepper, onion and stir to incorporate.
4. Pour egg mixture over the rice.
5. Thinly slice squash and place evenly across the top of the egg and rice mixture.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
6. Put in the oven and cook about 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Remove and sprinkle goat cheese on top and put under the broiler another 5-10 minutes until goat cheese is nice and browned.

Strawberry Pineapple Vodka Cake

I've officially crowed this cake the top sweet of the summer!  I needed a simple and delicious cake to bring to a weekend gettaway with friends and the only thing I had on hand were strawberries, pineapple and vodka (like that is really a problem?).  I wanted to make a cake that would accentuate all of the flavors and this cake really fits the bill.  A nice caramel sauce with the fruit and vodka is pretty much heaven!  I modified the cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen and here is the final product!  You will want to make this in a spring form pan so you can easily flip the cake (since it is baked upside down after all).  Word to the wise, put the cake pan on a cookie sheet or another pan because some of the liquid will drip out and you don't want caramel sauce getting on your oven coils.

Ingredients

3/4 stick butter

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 can 16 oz pineapple chunks, 1/2 cup juices reserved and set aside
1 pint strawberries, tops removed and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 stick butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup vodka

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter or spray the cake pan and arrange cut fruit on the bottom.  Set aside for now.
2. Place 3/4 stick of butter in a small pan on the stove.  Watch it carefully and when melted, add the brown sugar.  Stir well and let cook about 5 minutes, until starting to bubble.  When bubbling, remove from heat and carefully pour over fruit in the cake pan.  Immediately put the pan you used to make caramel sauce in the sink and add hot water to prevent caramel from sticking to the pan and ruining it.
3. Combine dry ingredients and mix well in a bowl.
4. Beat remaining 3/4 stick of butter 2-3 minutes in a separate bowl.
5. Add sugar and beat with butter another 2-3 minutes.
6. Add eggs and beat to incorporate.
7. Add vanilla and vodka and beat until incorporated.
8. Slowly add flour to liquid mixture, beating until incorporated (generally about 1/4 to 1/3 of the mixture at a time).
9. Pour cake batter slowly over the fruit and caramel mixture, using a spatula if necessary to spread the cake.
10. Place the springform on a cookie sheet and put in the preheated oven.  Cook about 35-40 minutes until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
11. Be careful when you remove the cake from the oven that you let it cool down before handling.  The caramel is extremely hot!
12. Remove the springform from around the cake, place a plat on top and carefully flip the cake so the fruit is on the top.  Carefully remove the springform bottom plate and rearrange any fruit that has moved.
13. Serve warm with ice cream!

Entertaining - Hosting a Summer Cookout

When the weather is beautiful and the sun setting well after 8 PM, it is the best time of year to have a barbeque or cookout.  Setting a table outdoors means easy clean up and a few extra touches go a long way to delight your guests.

Tips for Success

Procure a large tray to help carry several items to your outside venue
Buy funny and cute plastic plates that can be easily thrown in the dishwasher
Invest in a large pitcher for drinks (Goodwill sells these by the dozen and for super cheap)
Paper napkins are your best friend!
Fresh cut seasonal flowers are the perfect adornment to your outdoor table

The Menu

Appetizer #1 - Hummus and veggies
Appetizer #2 - Grilled Radicchio with Goat Cheese
Appetizer #3 - Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Entree - Hot dogs or bratwurst served with Homemade Sauerkraut
Salad - Fava Bean and Potato Salad
Side Dish - Corn Salad

Dessert - Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes

Drink - Gin and Lemon Cocktails

Single Girl Dinner #3 - Strawberry and Bleu Cheese Salad

I haven't posted in this category for a while.  For those of you new to this blog, the "single girl" dinners are meals that I eat when David is out with his friends and it is just me for dinner so I can experiment and do different things.  This salad is so fresh and delicious and perfect for the upcoming summer nights.  Of course anyone can make it, but this recipe is just for one salad so make sure to multiply the ingredients as necessary.

Ingredients

1 small head butter or red lettuce

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1 small salad onion, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh strawberries, tops removed

1/3 cup bleu cheese crumbles

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

fresh black pepper

1. Clean and rinse lettuce and rip or cut into desired size.  Place on plate.

2. Top salad with cucumber, salad onion, strawberry and bleu cheese.

3. Drizzle olive oil and then vinegar over the veggies

4. Top with fresh black pepper

5. Enjoy with a delicious glass of white wine!

Lavender Ice Cream

Our ice cream maker was one of the best presents we received when we got married.  I spent a lot of time making frozen yogurt last summer and this summer I'm determined to make a lot of real traditional ice cream.  This is my first pass and it is excellent!  The ice cream is really simple and has a perfect subtle lavender taste.  A big thank you to Christine for bringing me lavender sugar and inspiring this recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons chopped lavender
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

1.  Take a large heavy sauce pan (or enamel pan like Le creuset) and heat heavy cream and 1 cup of whole mean over medium heat.  You will bring this to a simmer (about 10 minutes).  Make sure to stir and watch that this does not boil!
2. Meanwhile, put 1 cup of sugar into a bowl and the lavender.  Use your fingers to rub the lavender and the sugar together to combine the essence of the herb and the sugar.
3. In another bowl, whisk together egg yokes and 1/4 cup sugar.
4. Here is the tricky part.  Once milk and simmered.  Remove from the heat.  Take a 1/2 measuring cup and scoop out warm milk/cream mixture.  Slowly and carefully whisk into egg mixture to temper the eggs and bring to the same temp as the milk.  Feel free to repeat this process with another 1/2 cup of milk mixture.
5. When eggs are tempered, slowly stir them back into the pan of milk/cream mixture carefully whisking to combine into the milk.
6. Cook this mixture over medium low heat until it coats the spoon.  About 10 minutes.
7. Move liquid to another bowl and add remaining 2 cups milk, vanilla and pinch of salt.  Stir to combine.
8. Cool mixture completely in the fridge, do not skip this step or you will regret it.
9. Put in ice cream maker of choice and go per manufacturer's instructions.

Mini Greek Salad

The other day I got these amazing lemon cucumbers in my farm share and a plethora of basil.  With a bit of feta and olive oil I made this incredibly refreshing salad.  You could easily substitute regular cucumbers in place of the lemon cucumbers.

Ingredients


2 medium lemon cucumbers (about 2 cups chopped)
12-14 leaves of basil thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta
olive oil to taste
salt to taste

1. Combine chopped cucumbers, basil, feta in a bowl and then drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt to top!

Salad Nicoise

This salad can be made almost any season of the year and is most delicious when fresh in season vegetables are used.  I tried a new salad dressing here and it elevated this dish to a whole new level!

Ingredients


1 lb small new potatoes
1 lb romano beans
1 small red onion thinly sliced
1 small head of fennel
1 can of tuna in water (drained)
10 pitted nicoise olives chopped
2 tablespoons capers
8 oz sour cream
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
juice from one lemon

1. Start by boiling water for potatoes.  When water is boiling add potatoes and cook for about 20 minutes
2. In another pan, fill with water and when boiling add beans and cook for two minutes.  Immediately drain and blanch by running cold water over the beans.
3. Put the beans in the serving dish you will use and put in the fridge
4. Thinly slice the onion and fennel, add to the dish with the beans
5. Chop nicoise olives and set aside
6. Mix sour cream, mustard and lemon and set aside
7. Drain the potatoes and let cool for a few minutes
8. Add the potatoes to the serving dish with the other veggies then add the drained tuna.
9. Top with nicoise olives and capers
10. Serve on top of lettuce leaves and have dressing on the side so people can add as much as they like!

Dessert Caprese - Apricot and Mozzarella

I love mozzarella more than anyone I know so I experiment with it a lot in the kitchen.  While making a salad, I realized sliced apricot and mozzarella was the perfect savory and sweet combo and this easy appetizer/snack was born!  Try and find the freshest mozzarella possible and almost ripe apricots...you could easily swap in a peach here instead of the apricot if they are in season.

Ingredient


1 apricot per person (thinly sliced)
1 mozzarella ball

1. Arrange slices on a plate and top with chunks of mozzarella.  Serve with a nice riesling and enjoy!