You all know I love strawberries. My favorite picking place lost their pick-your-own field in a nasty early spring storm but I went down on Friday to Northfield and got two flats of pre-picked. It was still cheaper than getting them at the grocery store and much tastier.
After 14 jars of jam, we’re scrambling to get them finished up before they get too mushy. Lots of strawberry shortcake and spinach strawberry salad. Thinking back to a breakfast that YA ordered at the Highland Grill last January (ricotta and jam on toast), I came up with this recipe this morning:
Strawberry Cheese Toast (for 1)
1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted
2 slices of pepper jack cheese
4 T. strawberries, mashed up a bit
2 T. blueberries
Put slices of cheese on top of the toast. Spread mashed strawberries over the cheese and then sprinkle blueberries on top.
It was fabulous – I’m having it again tomorrow!
What’s one of your favorite summer recipes?
Trail Baboon 
This is how I make my famous Green-and-White summer potato salad. It is famous in my immediate family.
1 bottle of dry white wine, chilled
9 red (or Yukon Gold) potatoes
2 medium or one huge cucumbers
2 green bell peppers
mayonnaise
1 or 2 grocery store bundles of fresh dill
Start by pouring a glass of the wine. Really nice whites (like bottles selling for 12 bucks or more) don’t need to be chilled much. The plonk I can afford is best served just a degree above freezing. Suit yourself.
Peel the spuds. If there are a few bits of skin left, don’t worry. Cut up the potatoes until you have same-size pieces, then toss them in a pan of water and boil them. This is the only tricky part. You want your potatoes cooked through but not mooshy.
While your potatoes boil have another glass of wine and take on those veggies. Peel the cukes. Once again, God won’t punish you for leaving little bits of skin on. Open the cukes and scrape out the seeds and that sloppy stuff in the middle. Dice them. Dice the peppers.
Have another glass of wine and check on the spuds. Should be done. Toss the water and let things cool, then dice the potatoes. Combine the potatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Now you want to snip the fresh dill. I use kitchen scissors for that, and the goal is to get a big bundle of fresh dill reduced to little green whiskers. As for how much dill to use . . . well, it doesn’t seem to matter. I like a hell of a lot of dill. Ready for another glass of wine?
Combine everything. Now add a tiny amount of mayo. I can’t say how much, but I like potato salads that have the bare minimum of mayo, like maybe three or four tablespoons for this salad. You could add a bit of freshly ground pepper, but I never do. Mix well. Pretty, isn’t it?
Put the salad in the fridge for a couple of hours or more. While it chills you might want to finish off the wine. Bon appetit!
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If I go downstairs now and put the wine in the fridge, it will be nicely chilled by lunchtime, right? Sounds like that’s the most important ingredient!
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Better ease up on the wine until you have remembered to salt the water in which you’re boiling the potatoes or your potato salad will be pretty bland. 🙂
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Or those eating the potato salad, having also imbibed, Just Won’t Care.
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Oh man, with all the fresh goodness that’s available from the local farmers’ market right now, the possibilities are endless. When you add to that the fact that I live in a neighborhood with some pretty spectacular ethnic specialties that can turn a pretty pedestrian meal into a culinary feast in a flash, the sky’s the limit.
Take Lebanese toum, or garlic sauce, for instance. To a healthy dollop of toum add some extra virgin olive oil and about a Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice. Stir until it’s well combined, and voila! you have yourself a versatile sauce that can be used to dress a salad of whatever herbs, greens and vegetables you have on hand. At the moment napa cabbage makes a fresh and crunchy main ingredient for a slaw-like salad. Add in some sliced pungent radishes, chopped scallions, halved cherry tomatoes, a sliced banana pepper – sweet or hot, your choice – a chopped avocado, and a handful of cilantro. Pour garlic sauce dressing over and toss to combine. Easy, no fuss, fresh and so delicious.
It also makes a great pasta sauce when combined with a couple of cups of chopped fresh tomatoes – I like to use a mixture of different cherry tomatoes – and a handful of torn basil leaves. If you’re feeling extravagant, toss in some sliced kalamata olives, capers and a some crumbled fresh mozzarella. Toss the whole mess with some fusilli boiled in generously salted water until al dente, and you have yourself a feast.
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Yum!
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Sounds delicious…
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Sherrilee, have you gotten a new stove yet?
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Actually we’ve taken an interesting turn regarding the stove. There were two broken bits, as you will recall, one that couldn’t be replaced. So I told her (the technician) not to bother fixing the other bit. In messing with it and then putting it back together, she somehow “fixed” the irreplaceable bit! I’ve been watching it for a week and it is indeed now working. So now that it’s been a full week and it’s still working, it’s time to call Service Plus back and have them send somebody out to fix the other bit. So now new oven for now. YA is very unhappy as she was looking forward to a new appliance!
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My stove is still chugging along as well. I figure, why replace it until it actually gives up the ghost? The key pad’s days are numbered, no doubt about that, but I’m working around some of the issues and have gotten quite adept at it. The longer I can hang on to my $$$$s, the better.
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Rise and Shine Baboons,
My favorite summer and garden recipes are myriad:
Wilted Lettuce
Rhubarb Margaritas
Charred Corn and Tomato Salad
Bacon And Tomato Sandwiches
Rhubarb Pie (with strawberries)
Rhubarb Jam
Tomato basil soup
Caprese salad
I think some of these recipes are in the Kitchen Congress. Our raspberries have been bountiful, thanks to Ben’s Chicken Poo. Those rarely make it into a recipe because I just eat them on my oatmeal in the morning.
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I don’t believe we have the Charred Corn & Tomato Salad yet!
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I will put it up tonight. Working today. It is the best.
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Charred Corn Salad with Basil Vinagrette
from the Splendid Table
Corn
• 6 ears corn, shucked
• Canola oil
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Basil Vinaigrette
• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) container small heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1. For the corn: Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat.
2. Brush or rub each corn cob with the canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the corn on the grill and char each side, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Stand each ear up, stalk end down, in a wide, shallow bowl and, using a knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob. Set aside.
3. For the vinaigrette: In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil and garlic until the basil starts to break down. Add the vinegar. Continue pulsing while adding the oil in a steady stream, then process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, and red onion. Drizzle the basil vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
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Soup for breakfast. Delightful mix of steroid and pain killers. In the back.
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I AM FEELING VERY HOLEY NOW.
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Amen
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i recently read an article that declared an avocado a day as the true answer to immortality. i love avocados so this is good news also has them on sale for about a buck a piece so i stock up and now keep a daily eye on ripeness and readiness last nights midnight snack was 1/2 avocado 1 hard boiled egg diced 4 t minced onion 1/2 tomato diced 2 tablespoons durkees sauce 2 tablespoons chipotle salsa
lettuce and a tortilla are the presentation method used last night but doritos would be good too
tim jones
>
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I like chilled soups – Tomato Basil has been mentioned, and I love Potato Leek, and there’s a wonderful Cantaloupe Mint… will return later with ingredients.
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Can’t find cantaloupe one, but here’s a Chilled Cucumber Soup for when those cukes get away from you (size-wise) before you find them:
2 large (or 3-4 small) cucumbers
¼ chopped onion
3-4 C. buttermilk or yogurt, or a combination
dill weed, salt, and pepper to taste
(anything else you’d like in there)
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My simplest recipe is a tomato stuffed with cottage cheese. Nothing better.
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My mom used to make a strawberry Pie that was WONDERFUL. I know Bakers Square had it too, but moms was on graham cracker crust and that made all the difference. Course no one makes something as good as mom does.
Except Chocolate chip cookies. Mom was pretty thrifty with the chocolate chips and her cookies were hard and dry.
But Chocolate Chip “BARS”… spread the dough out in a pan… those were always good!
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I just got home after an all day meeting of my regulatory board and a 5 hour drive back from Grand Forks. I may post some recipes tpoorrow.
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I think I may have posted this recipe before, but here it is again in case you missed it. We are coming up on zucchini season.
MOM’S BEST ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
5 tbsp. Bisquick
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 eggs
2 tbsp. butter
2 c. zucchini
Blend the Bisquick, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; add the eggs. Grate the zucchini and add to the above mixture, making a batter.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat and pour batter into pancakes in frying pan. Fry 3 minutes on each side. Serve while warm. Makes 8-10 fritters.
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