Corn is one of the foods that says summer to me.  Fresh corn cut off the cob can be transferred into tasty summer dishes.  A simple corn saute is heightened when you throw in a handful of fresh herbs.  This summer I have enjoyed having an herb garden.  I love being able to walk outside, clip a few herbs and add to a dish I am cooking.

One of the best things is being able to grow different herbs that you don’t regularly find in your grocery store, like thai basil or lemon thyme.  They are also one of the few things I do not kill in the garden.  I can cook, but gardening has been challenging.  I did manage to grow one solo jalapeno pepper.  Let’s not talk about the tomato plant.

This saute is brought together in minutes which is great for an after work meal.  I used basil, lemon thyme and a little bit of sage.  You can create your own mix.

Here are a few other corn recipes you might enjoy:

Fresh Corn Salad with Lime Jalapeno Vinaigrette
Mexican Cream Corn
Corn with Roasted Chiles, Creme Fraiche & Goat Cheese

Corn Saute with Fresh Herbs

2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, chopped
4 cups fresh corn kernels
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup assorted fresh herbs chopped

Melt butter in large skillet over media heat.  Add shallot and saute until golden brown.  Add corn kernels, salt and pepper.  Saute until corn is tender.  Remover from heat and mix in the fresh herbs.

I discovered the recipe for this Cantaloupe, Red Onion and Walnut Salad while doing a little menu planning for a lunch this weekend.  Since I was working from home I decided to make this for lunch today.  With our heat wave going I love being able make something without having to turn on the stove or oven.

This is a brief post but I wanted to share this with you before the weekend.  This salad would be a great one to bring to a potluck or picnic.  We are celebrating my sister in law’s birthday tomorrow.  How are you spending this last weekend in August?

Cantaloupe, Red Onion, and Walnut Salad

by Giada De Laurentiis

Orange Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, and raspberry vinegar in a small bowl.  Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Salad
1 cantaloupe, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups arugula
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Combine the cantaloupe, red onion, arugula, and 1/2 cup of the walnuts in a large salad bowl.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.  Garnish with the remaining walnuts.

I never fry food.  I might love french fries but at home I oven bake them.  Then one day I saw a picture with a stack of crispy onion rings and that was it, I whipped out the Ipad and went to Google. Do you remember those bricks of onion rings Tony Roma’s served alongside a tangy barbeque sauce?  Now those were dangerous.

Gathering all the ingredients I soaked the onion rings in buttermilk and set up my station to dunk, dredge and dunk again. I slid them gently into the oil and watched the oil bubble around them until they were a golden brown.  I dropped them onto a stack of paper towels to soak up the excess oil and sprinkled them with sea salt.

My efforts were rewarded. The beer in the batter creates a light crispy coating around the onion rings.  Stack them up and serve them while you are outside grilling.  They will disappear quickly.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

2 yellow onions, sweet ones like Vidalia
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
12 ounces beer, medium body
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a Dutch oven heat oil to 350 degrees F.

Cut onions 1/2-inch thick, separate into rings and soak in buttermilk for 1 hour.

Combine 1 cup of flour,  salt, pepper, mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl combine beer and 1 cup of flour, mix thoroughly.

Remove onion rings from buttermilk, shake off excess, dredge in flour, shake off excess, then dip in beer batter. Drop some onion rings in oil and continue process, being sure not to crowd rings as they will stick together. When golden, remove and let drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Our hot summer weather arrived just as school is resuming. It took me all summer to finally try out homemade snow cones.  Seeing these cute paper cups started me thinking of how fun it would be to make our own.  The choices in flavors are endless with markets bursting with ripened fruit.

Last weekend my niece helped me make these as our weekly treat. They are like a slurpee in a cone and a perfect snack for a hot summer day.

Snow cones are easy to make and when made at home are not too sweet.  These consist of pureed fruit, a little sweetener and a bit of lime. I crushed the ice in a blender. One of my nephews requested plain mango so we whipped up a batch of those too.  You could substitute raspberries or another favorite fruit.  A paper cup and a straw would work fine if you don’t have the paper snow cone holders.

Strawberry Mango Snow Cones
adapted from Tyler Florence

2 mangoes, peeled and chopped
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 lime juiced, plus wedges for garnish
1/4 cup simple syrup
8 cups ice

Put the mangoes and strawberries into a blender or food processor. Squeeze in the lime juice, add the simple syrup and puree.

Crush ice in a food processor or blender until it is very fine, like snow. Pile the crushed ice into cones or dessert dishes; pour the fruit puree over until you can’t see any more white. Garnish with lime wedges; serve immediately.

Simple syrup is easy to make.  In a saucepan mix 2 parts sugar to one part water.  Bring to a boil and let the sugar dissolve.  Take off the stove and let cool.

This Grilled Chicken with Fireworks Sauce has become my go to barbecue this summer.  The sauce is sweet and slightly spicy making for a delicious addition to your sauce collection. I made it for a few get togethers with friends and even used the sauce for dipping a few homemade onion rings in.

We finally have had summer like weather here in southern California.  Not that I was complaining.  I was pretty happy with the cool summer we have been enjoying this year.  But all good things must come to end so the saying goes.  If you are enjoying one of the last weekends of summer with a barbecue make this sauce and see for yourself.

Spicy Dry Rub

2 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Grilled Chicken with Fireworks Sauce

by Cooking with Rachel Ray
4 servings

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for rubbing
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup smoked sweet paprika
2/3 cup ketchup
Juice of 2 lemons (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 pinches of cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2-1/2 pounds), pounded 1/2 inch thick

Preheat a grill to medium-hot or a grill pan to medium-low. Place the 3 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the paprika and cook for 1 minute more. Add 1 cup of water and the ketchup, lemon juice, orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and cayenne pepper. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and simmer until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve half of the sauce to serve at the table.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the Spicy Rub on both sides.  Grill for 3 minutes on each side. brush some of the sauce on both sides of the chicken and continue grilling until cooked through and still juicy, about 3 minutes more per side. Serve with the reserved sauce.

Do you love strawberry shortcake? These cookies are little bites of Strawberry Shortcake.  I found these gems on another blog and had some strawberries in need of cooking.  The fresh taste of strawberries bursts through each bite.  They are from Marthastewart.com.
They are best eaten the day of baking. These cookies would be perfect for a picnic or a barbeque. If you have leftovers heat them up in the oven briefly before serving. This will restore a crispy outside.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

seen on Martha Stewart Living

Makes about 3 dozen.
12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

I just returned home from a long weekend in beautiful Napa where I had the Strawberry Hazelnut Salad I am going to share with you today. But first, let me share a bit about my trip.  I was there for business but managed to fit in a bit of fun too.  Our host Joanne inspired me to try canning before summer ends.  She shared her Drunken Figs with us Saturday night.  I am going to try and wrangle the recipe out of her to share with all of you.  They were delicious.

Meadowbrook Farm was our home base for the weekend.  One afternoon I took a long walk around their vineyard, met Drambuie their horse and visited the chicken coop.  The apple trees were heavy with apples.  Oh the cooking possibilities their garden held.

I met new friends and had the opportunity to sample wine from their vineyards. I must admit it was very cool.  One of them was MadoroM Wine.  Marissa and Andy Amador collaborated with winemaker Mike Blom to create Cabernets and Merlots.  I believe we sampled a 2004 or 2005 Cabernet and it was lovely. Our hosts have a private label Meadowbrook Farm and they served us both their Cabernet and Chardonnay.  Sadly I don’t believe it is available for sale.

Saturday we went to Tra Vigne for lunch.  I first visited there about ten years ago and had a few memorable dishes.  This time we sat out on the patio and enjoyed another wonderful meal. One of the dishes we tried was Grilled Padron Peppers topped with grey salt.  They were simple but oh so good.

I had their Strawberry Hazelnut Salad.  Of course I had to try and recreate it for you. I wish I had the amazing balsamic vinegar I purchased but it has not arrived here yet.  More about that later, in the meantime enjoy the salad.

Strawberry Hazelnut Salad

Serves 4

Mixed greens
1/2 cup strawberries stemmed and sliced
1/4 cup hazelnuts toasted and chopped
3 ounces goat cheese, shaved

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Place the mixed greens on a platter and top with the strawberries.  Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the top and finish with the shaved goat cheese.  Serve with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette.

I mixed up balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a tablespoon of dijon mustard and finished it with salt and pepper.

I am in Napa enjoying the beautiful scenery while working.  The vines are heavy with grapes as harvest approaches. This time of year tomatoes are fresh and bountiful.  The Italian dish Bruschetta marries  the flavors of just picked tomatoes with garlic and fresh basil.  Roma tomatoes are commonly used but I have also used heirloom tomatoes.

I serve them as an appetizer but also have been known to make them during the week for a quick snack or to serve them with a salad for a light dinner.  This is the basic bruschetta but if you are looking for more adventures you can visit Epicurious.com for one with Red Onions or a Sundried Tomatoe, Feta Cheese Version over at Kitchensimplicity.com.

Tomato, Garlic and Basil Bruschetta

6-8 roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded & diced
3 cloves garlic, minced plus 1 cut in half
6-8 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
1 baguette

Preheat over to broil.

Cut the baguette into slices.  Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Brush with olive oil.  Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly browned.

Remove from the oven and run each with a half of the garlic.  Place the toast on a serving dish.

In a bowl toss the tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Place a spoonful of tomato mixture on each piece of bread and serve immediately.

If you want to make ahead you can brown the bread and toss the tomato mixture.  Plate just before serving to avoid the bread turning soggy.

It may be Wednesday but it’s not too early to start planning next weekends breakfast.  Weekends are about slowing down and reconnecting with family and friends. There is nothing better than a leisurely breakfast around the kitchen table.  The smell of hot coffee brewing and chatting with those you love.

I first made these casseroles for my family on Christmas morning a few years back. Last year I made it for our staff Christmas breakfast. Our unseasonable cool summer has me thinking about fall already and cold Saturday mornings.

This egg dish is like an omelet in a cup.  You can take this recipe and customize it to what your family wants.  Substitute sausage or turkey bacon.  Add a few vegetables, combine your favorite cheeses.  If you are making it for a big crowd, double the recipe and place in a 13×9 baking dish.

If you are looking for other inspiration Eating Well has a lighter version with turkey sausage and Epicurious.com has a fancier version with sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.

The great part is you can prep and assemble the day before.  You wake up turn on the oven and pop them in.  Sit down and drink a cup of coffee or tea while waiting or them to bake.

Individual Bacon and Cheddar Breakfast Casseroles

Serves 6
4 ounces French bread
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices crisp bacon
2 cups whole milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Toss the bread, cheese and bacon in a bowl.  Divide into 6 10-ounce ramekins or a 2-quart casserole dish.

Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the bread mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 25-30 minutes for individual ramekins or 40 minutes for the casserole.

Substitutes:    Mix 1 cup Monterey jack with 1 cup cheddar cheese.  Add ½ chopped jalapeno.  Serve with salsa.

I have wanted to try one of the “fool” recipes I keep seeing in magazines and on other blogs.  Tonight I finally took action.  It is a very simple dessert taking less than ten minutes to whip up. It is related to trifles and tiramisu, a combination of pureed blackberries and whipped cream.

I cut down the sugar and added the juice of lime.  It is a cool summer treat for a hot summer night.

Blackberry Lime Fool

1 pint blackberries
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar, divided
Juice of 1 lime

Puree blackberries in a blender or food processor.  Strain to remove the seeds.
Add the lime juice and 1/2 of the sugar.

Whip the whipping cream until it starts to form peaks.  Add the remaining sugar and continue to whip until stiff.  Fold in the blackberry puree.  If you want a rustic look leave it more streaked.

Place in serving dishes and refrigerate.