The Vineyard's Citrus Cooler

The Vineyard's Citrus Cooler

My dear friend and neighbor Tracy Laverty ( you can visit her great design blog at http://rightupmy-alley.blogspot.com/)  spends every summer at their family’s summer house on Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts.  I love hearing Tracy tell stories of picking fresh blueberries on the lane, sailing trips out on the ocean, cookouts on the beach and new culinary delights she tried.  Plus she always has a great story to tell with a famous person or two.  Like when President Obama and his family stayed in the house next door!  One of their favorite things to do while on the island is to visit to the local farmer’s market. They always pick up fresh beautiful fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables and this amazing and refreshing citrus cooler.  So fresh they squeeze the citrus fruits right before your eyes.  Tracy treated me to a glass and showed me how they make it on Martha's Vineyard.  If you don't have time to make the simple syrup...just stir a tablespoon or two of sugar into the citrus juices, add ice and enjoy a taste of the Vineyard! If you want to make a whole pitcher full of the Citrus Cooler, simply squeeze equal amounts of lemons, limes and oranges into a pitcher and sweeten with simple syrup or granulated sugar, add ice and water to taste!

½ a lemon

½ a lime

½ an orange

3 tablespoons simple syrup

ice and ice cold water

Simple Syrup:

4 ¾ cups water

2 ¼ cups sugar

In a sauce pan combine water and sugar and boil gently for 10 minutes.  Cool and store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.  Squeeze half a lemon, half a lime, half an orange into a pretty glass.  Stir in 3 tablespoons, more or less to taste, simple syrup.  Fill glass half full with cubed ice and fill glass with ice cold water.  Add a cute paper straw and stir well. Enjoy immediately.

Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Crostini

Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Crostini  

I like to buy pre-sliced baguettes to make this great appetizer.  But you can slice them yourself or even make them your self.  Check out my baguette recipe in the "Breads and Jam" section of my blog.  This crostini is perfect along side a nice bowl of soup and or a salad as well as standing alone.  

                                                     

1-2 baguettes, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

a pinch or two of dried herbs

*

14 ounce jar artichoke hearts, not marinated, drained

8 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained

4 ounces green chilies

juice from half a lemon

scant pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup Parmesan cheese

First, lay sliced baguette pieces out on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Mix the olive oil, garlic salt and herbs together in a small bowl.  With a spoon put a little olive oil mixture on top of each baguette piece and spread it around with the back of the spoon.   Next in food processor, pulse artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, green chilies, and lemon juice until chopped.  Next add red pepper flakes.  Saute this vegetable mixture for 10-20 minutes.  Stir in mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese and mix until combined.  Spread a little roasted red pepper and artichoke mixture on each baguette piece and place baking sheet under broiler for a minute or two watching all the while so they don't burn.   Tops with bubble and brown.  Remove from oven and garnish with a little fresh thyme.  Serve while hot.

Watermelon and Feta with Mint

Watermelon Checkerboard Salad

                      

With the world turning green again, we are all gearing up for summer!  Hip Hip Hooray!   Watermelon is a favorite summer staple and this refreshing appetizer salad adds another fun twist on it's traditional serving ideas.  It's just so beautiful!  We had a salad like this on a Caribbean cruise once and I simply loved the artistic element with such a unique flavor combination.

1/4 of a watermelon cut into 1/2 inch squares

block of feta cut into 1/2 inch squares

fresh mint leaves

a couple fresh limes, squeezed

Arrange watermelon and feta on a platter in a checkerboard pattern and garnish with mint leaves.  Drizzle with fresh lime juice.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

We just got back from out trip to Solomon's Island!  We had a great time!  We ate our share of fresh seafood...some delicious rock fish, fresh oysters, Maryland crab, took a nice hike to the sea shore and through a bald Cyprus swamp.  The kids enjoyed collecting sea shells and fossils on the beach.  Although we enjoyed dining out, I am really craving some good home cooking!  Here's a favorite fresh and healthy hummus appetizer or snack that we like at our house. I added roasted red pepper to the classic hummus for a more colorful and flavorful version.  Hummus is a great dip for cut vegetables or as a spread on wraps.  It is so healthy and flavorful.  Love the red pepper!

15 ounce can or approx. 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, reserve liquid

7-8 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained

1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste or ground sesame seeds)

1 clove garlic, minced

6 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons liquid from chickpeas

Dash coriander

dash cumin

                                               dash cayenne pepper                                                   

Using a food processor or blender and blend all ingredients together and let stand at room temperature ½ hour before serving or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Flat Bread with Caramelized Balsamic Onions and Whipped Gorgonzola

Flat Bread with Caramelized Balsamic Onions and Whipped Gorgonzola

This amazing appetizer was inspired by one we enjoyed at Trio, in Salt Lake City.  You can make a homemade flat bread OR you can buy some at a favorite bakery.  I like to roast the onions, garlic and tomatoes ahead of time, in the morning if necessary, to keep last minute preparations to a minimum.  The whipped Gorgonzola can be prepared ahead of time as well.  Purchasing your flat bread will definitely cut back on prep time too.  The roasted garlic adds a flavor extravaganza to the flat bread.  And Gorgonzola and the balsamic onions are always a delicious hit.  This is one of my husbands favorite appetizers especially with the roasted garlic, (and mine too!)  This makes a great light dinner when served with a salad, you could add a nice bowl of soup too.  Feel free to add all or some of these toppings to your flat bread depending on your mood or guest list!  You can serve a solid chunk of Gorgonzola cheese on the platter, instead of whipping the Gorgonzola,  yet another time saver!   

Caramelized Onions:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  On a large rimmed baking sheet melt butter and olive oil in preheating oven.  Toss onions and garlic in melted butter and oil.  Season onions and garlic with some salt, pepper and brown sugar and toss.   Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing a few times throughout.  Toss onion mixture with a little Balsamic Syrup, until onions are lightly coated.  Roast 5 more minutes.  Spoon onions and juices onto platter with flat bread.

Balsamic Syrup:

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Combine vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.  Or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Drizzle over platter of flat bread just before serving.

Whipped Gorgonzola:

1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbled

1 tablespoon milk or more if needed

Whip Gorgonzola and milk in food processor until creamy.  Place on plate with flat bread. 

Roasted Garlic:

1-2 heads garlic

olive oil 

salt and pepper

a little butter

Cut top 1/4 off head of garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add a dash of butter and wrap each head of garlic in foil.  Place cut side up on baking sheet or small roasting pan and roast at 300 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove form oven and check clove of garlic for doneness by piercing with a knife.  If cloves are soft garlic is done.  Roast 10-15 more minutes or until garlic is soft.  Place head of garlic next to flat bread. 

Roasted Tomatoes:

1-2 cups cherry, plum or Roma tomatoes halved

drizzle of olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme on a baking sheet.  Roast at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until soft.  Spoon tomatoes and juices onto plate with flat bread to serve. 

Homemade Flat Bread:

1/4 cup warm water

1 1/4 teaspoon yeast

1/2 cup milk, room temperature

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon salt

2 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour

fresh herbs mix, chopped, if desired

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Stir in milk, 1/2 cup room temperature water, oil and salt.  Add 1 cup flour and whisk unitil smooth.  Add remaining flour 1/2 cupat a time. and incorporate with hands until dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto well floured surface and knead for 8 minutes adding more flour as needed.  Lightly oil mixing bowl and return dough to that bowl.  Turn dough over in bowl to oil the top of the dough.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 90 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees or heat grill.  Divide dough equally and press with oiled hands into a 10-12 inch circles.  Place dough on oiled baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with bakers spray and rise again for 30 minutes.  If grilling, lightly oil both sides of dough with olive oil and place on hot grill. Grill flat bread until golden brown about 2 minutes per side.  Remove form grill and sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh herbs.  To bake flat bread, bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes, spray with water a few times during the first 10 minutes to create a crisp crust.  Cut flat bread with a pizza cutter into wedges.

Presentation:

Assemble wedges of flat bread on a serving platter or large plate.  Arrange caramelized balsamic onions, creamy Gorgonzola and roasted tomatoes and head roasted garlic at the points of the flat bread wedges.  Garnish with some fresh herbs and drizzle flat bread with some remaining Balsamic Syrup. Add a mini knife or two for people to spread the whipped Gorgonzola with and to scoop out a clove of roasted garlic with a small knife and spread on flat bread. Top with caramelized balsamic onions and roasted tomatoes. Ohh, I can taste the excellent flavors already!

Fresh Mozarella Bruchetta



Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta

With the holidays fast approaching, we will be needing lots of appetizers and special dishes.  So I wanted to post this awesome bruschetta.  It's the perfect appetizer but I also enjoy it as a light dinner served with a soup and salad.  It's just so healthy and fresh, I could eat it all the time!  You can make this with or without the fresh mozzarella, for a vegan version, either way it’s really excellent.  Here I’ve combined the best ingredients from two friends recipes, Carrie Spencer's and Teresa Boswell's.  I love to use homemade baguettes for this recipe.  Whenever I make baguettes I freeze a few to make bruschetta with.  Of course you can use a store bought baguette as well. 

1 ½ cups chopped Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
handful fresh basil chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoons garlic salt
several grounds fresh ground pepper

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Cover and refrigerate at least an hour if possible. 
 
1 baguette or crusty Italian bread, sliced ½ inch thick
8 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Combine olive oil and garlic salt and brush surface of both sides of bread.  Place bread on baking sheets and place under broiler for 1 ½ minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Watch the browning process closely, so they don't burn.

 ½ -1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick

Place a slice of mozzarella on each piece of bread and place under broiler until cheese is melted slightly, about 45 seconds.  Remove from oven and place a spoonful of tomato mixture on top of each slice of bread. Place bruschetta on large serving platter and garnish with a handful of fresh basil leaves.   Serve immediately, although you can serve it cold if necessary.