Homemade vinaigrettes are so easy that there is no reason to ever slather your greens in store bought dressings.
After I mix the ingredients together, I like to store mine in a small mason jar, so that I can shake it well before using (in case the oil and vinegar have separated).
The addition of a small amount of mayonnaise helps keep the dressing stabilized. I usually use Champagne vinegar, but a good red wine vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice will work as well.
|
I spent a summer once on a farm in Pennsylvania. We had fresh yellow peaches every day from the Amish Farmer next door. We ate them for breakfast, sliced with their skins on, in a bowl, with unsweetened heavy cream poured over them (not too heavily, not like cereal) and walnuts if we were feeling adventurous. It was a delicious way to start the day. There was peach cobbler once a week in the summer when I was growing up. Perfect with a real pie crust on the top. And then when I started entertaining for myself, peach praline pie was one of my favorite things to make. Here are some of our favorite peach recipes. Tell us yours! Peach Lemonade | Noble Pig's Peach Margaritas | Sangria with Sparkling Wine and Stone Fruit Ginger Peach Preserves | Fresh Peach Jam with Bourbon
Peach and Pecan Chicken Salad | Peach Salad With Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts | Pork Chops with Peach-Ginger Chutney Fresh Peach Tart | Iron Skillet Peach Pie | Peach Galette | Fresh Peach and Cinnamon Ice Cream | White Peach Sherbet | Grilled Peaches Stuffed with Mascarpone Cheese and Rosemary | Grilled Pound Cake with Warm Peach Coulis and Chantilly Cream | Amaretto Peach Bake with Honey-Lemon Olive Oil Cake | Peaches in Sauternes | Blackberry and Peach Crisp | Peach and Tart Cherry Cobbler with Sour Cream Biscuits | Summer's Best Fresh Peach Cobbler | Peach and Raspberry Cobbler |
||
Does anyone remember the scene from the television show "Strangers With Candy" where the tremendously unpopular Geraldine Antonia Blank (otherwise known as Gerri), tries to woo her classmates into coming to her house for a party?
"Anyone coming to my party Friday night? We’re serving hot fruit!"
While the phrase sounds odd out of context and perhaps a bit unpleasant, here’s something that sounds good: grilled fruit.
Ribs and chicken aren’t the only things that should get grill time. There’s nothing quicker and easier than slicing a fruit or two, tossing it on the grill and dressing it with a glaze, syrup or a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon. It’s the perfect topping for a scoop of ice cream and quite a delicious and unusual way of serving summer’s stone fruit. The heat brings out the sweet sugary flavors and the grill lends a tiny bit of outdoor panache.
The best thing about this time of year is the abundance of fresh ingredients available at the Farmer's Markets and roadside farm stands. Freshly harvested arugula is widely available right now, which makes me almost giddy, I love it's peppery flavor.
This dinner or lunch comes together in minutes which works perfectly for my schedule at the moment. It's a very summery dish with little to no effort going into making it. Not to mention it's very light on the calories.
Enjoy it with a refreshing glass of white wine while sitting on the patio enjoying family and friends.
When I was a kid, rhubarb season was usually a couple of months long. You didn't have to buy it at the market because half of your neighbors grew it in their yards.
I remember going to my great aunt's house where those crimson stalks stood at attention along the side of her house. I'd rip one right of the ground and bite into it like it was a carrot. I'd do it till my eyes watered, my lips went numb, and my belly turned sour. Ah, those were good days.
Since my belly isn't as steely as it used to be, I forego raw rhubarb for stewed, sweetened dishes like crumbles, crisps, and compotes. I have made many rhubarb compotes, but this one is special. The rhubarb is tempered by sugar and enhanced by freshly squeezed orange juice, aromatic ginger, and sweet blueberries.
For the soup:
3 cups cooked turkey, shredded
1 butternut squash
1¼ cups onion
1 cup corn
4 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 corn tortillas
2 cups tomatoes
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
6 cups chicken broth
6 ounces spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
For the sour cream:
½ cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon lime juice
Zest of one lime
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
It’s the end of summer. And I always get nervous that it’s almost the end of peach season (which is true). So the race is on over here to figure out all the things I can do with peaches before the summer ends.
