Make it a Mocktail

Recently while traveling to do a weekend of volunteer work, one of my longest and most cherished childhood friends put me up at her place. After day one and arriving in a whirlwind I slumped in my chair at her bar, anticipating a good drink and dinner, since she was sipping something that appeared to be delicious and was preparing food. To my shock and amazement, the delicious beverage was a mocktail! That’s right, all the wonderfulness of a cocktail, but without the alcohol.

So, you may be thinking, but isn’t the wonderfulness of a cocktail the alcohol? Sure, at first glance, this is usually why we choose to have a cocktail. But stop and think about what actually makes a cocktail fun? It’s not just because it has alcohol. Usually the fun part is the muddled herbs, the rose water, the fruit, the party swizzle stick, the bendy straw, and the list goes on….

Therefore, when looking for a fantastic drink to have with dinner, the right choice may just be the mocktail! Honestly, it was one of the most satisfying drinks that I have ever had, and I didn’t have to worry about how many I could drink, I had as many as I wanted!

Here is a Basic Mocktail Recipe:

Muddled Mint, Half a Lime Freshly Squeezed, Ice, Lime Flavored Seltzer Water. Stirred and served with a Bendy Straw.

Remember, this is just a base idea. The possibilities are endless with the combinations that can be created here. There’s lavender, thyme, lemon, raspberries, simple syrup, bitters, ginger, vanilla, insert more ingredients here……

Special Occasion Grilling

Grilling is a classic summertime activity. By this time of year, however, I start to get in the habit of just picking up the same old items to BBQ. What if you’re craving something more than hotdogs and hamburgers? What if you were hoping for a gourmet style meal with your significant other? What if you have friends coming over to impress? Here is a quick, easy, and delicious recipe for special occasion grilling.

Cilantro Tuna Steak
purchase a tuna steak per person (unless they are huge and you want to go halves)
place the steaks in a ziplock bag
pour in 2-3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
chop up a bunch of cilantro and place in the bag, per your personal taste
chop up a bunch of scallions, add to bag
optional: add juice of a lime
make sure to add salt and pepper
close the ziplock and move the contents around so that the steaks are well covered.
allow the steaks to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes
the general grilling rule is 3:30 minutes on each side for 1″ steaks
the temperature should reach 125 degrees
eat them immediately

We love eating this on our porch with a salad and a glass of white wine while watching the sun set. Hope that it becomes a favorite of yours as well.

freshies!

freshies from the farmers market

Oh how I love the summertime when the fresh vegetables are just teeming in the gardens. My Saturday morning stroll at the farmers market was pure success. Fresh chard, basil, cilantro, chives, and tomatoes.

Here is what I was inspired to make with the goods.

This pasta: Herb Pasta from Bon Appetit  Instead of using spaghetti, I had fusilli on hand. My other substitution was using the Basil and Cilantro instead of the Parsley. It proved to be a delicious cold salad for lunch.

This side dish: Sauteed Swiss Chard from Epicurious

This salad: baby spinach, cucumber, avocado, chives, cilantro, tomato, dressed by Briana’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette and accompanied by Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese melted on top of garlic topped toasted english muffins.

When is your next farmer’s market trip?  What is your favorite summertime dish? Feel free to share it with us.

Join the CSA Crowd!

It’s that time of year again.  When the industrious gardeners begin to plan how they will set up their plot.  They are just itching to get their hands dirty.  I don’t blame them.  In fact, put that on my list of future goals to attempt….be a gardener.

Since my life is full of other activities that I am allowing to consume my time, I will still enjoy the freshest local vegetables by joining a CSA.  Maybe you’re in the same boat that I am.  What is a CSA?  “Community Supported Agriculture.”  A local farmer sets up a program where you purchase a “share” of food that they grow or raise.  Usually this involves picking up your share once a week and enjoying the goods that are in season.  There is nothing like fresh food on your plate!

Each CSA is unique, so be sure to do some research and know what the farm you are buying into is providing.  Some farms offer only vegetables while others also have a meat option.  Last year, the CSA that I was a part of offered vegetables and local food products from the area.  Not only did I receive a head of lettuce, but I also experienced wonderful locally made bread, sausages, pesto, vinaigrettes, eggs, etc.  For foodies like my husband and I, this was a marvelous treat every week.  We also ingested items that we had never even tasted before.  Previous to receiving it in my CSA box, I did not even notice fennel in the produce department at the grocery store.  Folks tried to tell me how great Kimchi was, but I didn’t believe them until it was in my own CSA box.  This process of discovery was exciting.  It was a real-life culinary educational course that tasted amazing along the way.

Have I convinced you yet? To find out the CSA offerings near you, a simple Google search will usually produce results.

What a great opportunity for your family to support a local farmer and be true localvores! What a great topic of conversation in your circle of friends.  In fact, I have some girlfriends who live many miles away, yet we can discuss each of our CSA experiences together.Join the fun!

Recipe Sharing

When I moved into my very own apartment it was a gracious gesture that my family came over to see the tiny space. The whole apartment was smaller than most homes master bedroom and we sure were stuffed in there. As a housewarming gift I received a beautiful metal box containing a treasury of family recipes.  My grandmother painstakingly spent hours typing (with an actual typewriter) the details of each recipe on the 4×6 index cards. At the time I had no idea how valuable these would prove to be.  Looking back, what would I have done without this wealth of knowledge passed down to me?  Really, what would any of us do without the process of recipe sharing?  We find them everywhere. Our friends pass them along to us, magazines are filled with them, type any ingredients into a search engine and there will be a website or blog with a recipe waiting for you.  In honor of sharing our favorite recipes, here are the top requested recipes that I enjoy making.  These recipes comfortably serve 4, adjust accordingly.

A Summer Salad:

Mixed Greens, Mango, Cucumber, Green Onion, Celery, Radish, Pepitas, Topped with Briana’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette.  Toss all items together in a mixing bowl, serve.

Shrimp Pink Primavera:

1lb medium or large Shrimp, 2 tbsp Olive Oil,1 Red Onion, Salt, 2-3 Cloves of Garlic, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 1 Summer Squash, 1 Zucchini, Splash of Red Wine, 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning Spices, 1 tbsp Basil, 1 Bove’s Marinara Sauce, 1/3 cup cream, 1 lb Spaghetti, Shaved Parmesan for Sprinkling

Heat a large skillet with the Olive Oil over medium heat. Mince the Red Onion and place in skillet. Sprinkle with Salt. When they turn translucent add Garlic.  Then mince and add the rest of the veggies.  If at any point they seem to be sticking, add more olive oil.  Add the Splash of Red Wine and the Italian Seasoning and allow them to cook until soft, but not mushy.  While they saute, if you have bought frozen shrimp, defrost them now.  Once the veggies seem done, stir in the Bove’s Marinara Sauce and Cream.  Cook the Pasta (if you are gluten free, rice pasta works for this recipe as well)  When the sauce and veggies are warm, add the Shrimp and cook them for a few minutes.  They will curl up slightly.  Don’t keep them on the heat too long, because then they will get tough and chewy. Pull off the burner.  Add the Pasta and Sauce together per plate, Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Flourless Chocolate Cake:http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Flourless-Chocolate-Cake-14478   Click the link for the recipe. I ALWAYS use Ghiradelli chocolate when baking.

Enjoy!