Summer

Gazpacho, what a perfect name for a chilled soup. Ever since hearing of the exotic "gazpacho," I have been intrigued and perplexed by its very foreign name. I came to learn that the soup's roots lie in Andalusia in the southern region of Spain. Gazpacho originated as a cold soup of stale bread, garlic, oil, and vinegar. Once tomatoes were brought from the New World and added to the traditional recipe, the summertime soup became even more refreshing. Over the years the soup has transformed, sometimes omitting bread, and in some tomato-less variations including almonds, cucumbers, and grapes. When I tried gazpacho for the first time, I realized what I had been missing and what I had misconstrued as foreignness was just my lack of knowing how incredibly simple it is to make.

With no cooking involved, all that is needed are fresh vegetables, a good sharp knife, and a blender. I've attempted to make gazpacho before but haven't always been successful with achieving the right vegetable combination or the texture. It's entirely about having that just-so touch witth the blender.

What does one do with 2 dozens limes, freshly picked from a friends tree and a few too many strawberries bought at the local farmers market? Strawberry Limeade Soda anyone??

I tend to be fairly conscious on my weekly trip to the farmers market. But sometimes, “a special” gets the best of me. A flat of strawberries at a special price was something I could not pass up.

Strawberry protein smoothies, a batch of Strawberry Shortcake Cookies for friends, and a strawberry-blueberry crisp made a very small dent in, what felt like, a bushel of berries. I began to think about what else I could create.

I have been making a lot of fruity “sodas’ this summer, using Pelligrino as the carbonate and wanted to have something new on hand when the kids arrived home from camp. Last year, I made a Fresh Strawberry Lemonade, so why not use the limes I had on hand and make a limeade-strawberry cocktail? So I did.

Summer time means grilling time. And I have been doing a lot of it lately.

One of the perks of living in a condo is that you reap all of the benefits of grilling without all the hassle: The gas tank on the grill is always full. The grill is so big I could cook a whole pig on it if I wanted to (I don't, but it's nice to know that I could). And best of all, the grill smell doesn't get trapped inside the house (cause let's face it, that steak you enjoyed for 7:00 o'clock dinner last night doesn't smell so great at 6:00 am the next morning). Neither does extra strength Febreeze.

So this past Sunday after returning from the farmers' market with bags full of red bell peppers, zucchini, and eggplant, I knew I had to make some marinated grilled vegetables. A good portion of them went into this Farro and Grilled Vegetable Salad, the fourth salad of my Super Satisfying Salads Series.

What is farro? Farro is the mother of all grains. Really. This deliciously nutty, chewy whole grain was used by the Egyptians over 6,000 years ago.

My kids looovvveee popsicles and at some point during the day someone always has a Big Stick or a red-white-and-blue Rocket Pop in hand. While I can be happy with a cherry-pineapple flavored Big Stick, I prefer more of a tropical taste when it comes to popsicles.

Last week I was working away at my desk and I literally jumped up to make these. The idea of watermelon, coconut and lime came over me like a wave. Before I knew it these were headed to the freezer.

Have you made popsicles at home? It’s so easy, especially with the right mold. It takes nothing to whir some flavors up in a blender, the possibilities are endless.

I think the coconut cream I use in this recipe gives this a more “adult” taste. Coconut cream can usually be found in the Hispanic section of your grocery store or as a drink mixer in the liquor aisle. I also use it to make coconut ice cream.