Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Pecorino Romano, Toasted Pine Nuts and Basil

Last weekend my Grandpa brought me over a bag of home grown cucumbers from his garden and I have been enjoying them all week.  There is simply no substitute for growning them yourself, the ones from the store never taste the same!  I love to simply eat them with hummus for a snack, or blend them up into a cold soup, they are so good!  I was given a watermelon yesterday, and so I thought, what better to pair it with than the cool cucumbers! 

It has been hot and humid all week afterall, and I think we are all in need of a bit of cooling from the inside out.  Nothing complicated here, just the cukes and melon, to which I added a bit of fresh basil from my herb garden and some pine nuts and pecorino romano for richness.  Then to top it off I drizzled it with a bit of lemon juice and basil oil I had on hand.  So refreshing!  Simple summer produce at its best!  This is a wonderful combination you can only enjoy at the peak of summer.  Here is the recipe if you would like to try some for yourself!

Cucumber Watermelon Salad with Pecorino Romano, Toasted Pine Nuts and Basil

Serves 3

1 medium organic cucumber, sliced into rings

1 1/2 cup organic watermelon, cut into chunks

3 Tbsp pine nuts

3/4 oz pecorino romano cheese, shaved

a few fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade

Dressing:

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp basil oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

On each of 3 plates, arrange cucumber and melon decoratively, sprinkle with pine nuts, pecorino and basil leaves.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and basil oil and drizzle over the salads.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper if desired. 

Black Raspberry Ginger Lemonade with Mint

It feels like 105 degrees today and yet I still managed to spend some time outside.  I was only out for an hour, and when I got back inside I felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of water over my head from sweating so much, as the dewpoint is at 79%.  Why do I live in Minnesota again? Despite the humidity, my time outdoors was worth it.  I went berry picking.  Beautiful wild black raspberries to be specific! 

 

They are like little delicious deep purple jewels of goodness!  I actually prefer the flavor of the black ones to the red, they are sweeter and the flavor is more concentrated.  I wish I could have a large bush of them growing in my back yard, but I have to settle for going elsewere to find them.  That is ok though, it is more interesting that way. 

 

So today when I came home all hot and sweaty, full of bug bites and scratches from the raspberry bushes and I needed something cold and refreshing to drink to cool off.  I decided a black raspberry ginger lemonade with mint.  I figured I might as well make something featuring the delicious harvest I had just gathered.  It hit the spot and cooled me off.  The drink was sweet and tart, refreshing and cooling, perfect for curing the effects of the nasty humidity!  Hope it is cooler where you are, but if not, make one for yourself and enjoy!

 

 

Black Raspberry Ginger Lemonade with Mint

Makes 1

6 fresh mint leaves

about 6 ice cubes

1/3 cup black raspberries

2 Tbsp ginger syrup* or to taste

1/3 cup lemon juice

ice cubes
ice water

In a large glass, muddle mint with ice until mint is crushed up, then add berries and mush a bit to release juices.  Add ginger syrup, 1/3 cup lemon juice, and a few ice cubes, along with enough cold water to fill the glass and stir until blended. 

 

*Ginger Syrup

1 inch piece of ginger

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup agave nectar

 

Combine all ingredients in a clean jar and stir to dissolve agave nectar.  Place in the fridge and let sit overnight, or a few days before using.  Remove ginger and use to sweeten drinks with a kick!

 

Wild Iris Martini

Sometimes I just need to go for a walk by myself to unwind.  My favorite place to go for a stroll and get lost in my thoughts is through the woods, or on a path filled with lots of lovely vegetation.  It is a time when I don't have to do anything but think and walk, just enjoying my surroundings and forget about the cares and demands of the day.  I was on such a walk when I came across some irises.  I am sure at some point they had been planted by someone, as they are not a wild flower, but these appeared to be the way they were randomly among the other plants in the woods.  I guess even irises need a little freedom sometimes and not be confined to fenced in landscaped yards...sort of the way I like to be alone on my walks and get away from noise, distractions and demands of any sort. 

The wild irises inspired a cocktail that I made tonight, a refreshing gin base with fresh blueberries, a hint of lemon and floral lavander.  It's color was every bit as lovely as the iris itself, and the flavor was refreshingly floral with a hint of tartness from the lemon and sweetness from the berries.  The gin itself had a nice herbal note, which reminded me of nature and my walks through the woods. Here is the recipe if you would like to enjoy something wonderfully refreshing!

Wild Iris Martini (gin with blueberry, lemon and lavander)Serves 1

1/3 cup fresh organic blueberries
4-6 large ice cubes
1 1/2 oz lavander agave syrup*
4 oz Gin

1 1/2 oz fresh organic lemon juice
fresh blueberries
lemon slice

In a martini shaker, muddle the berries with the ice, crushing them until they are in small pieces. Add the lavander syrup, gin, and lemon juice, place top on shaker, and shake until well blended. Pour through a strainer into a chilled martini glass, adding a few fresh berries to your glass and a lemon slice for garnish and serve!

 

*Lavander Syrup:

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup boiling water

2 Tbsp dried lavander flowers

 

Combine all ingredients in a clean jar, and mix well.  Cover and let sit for at least a day in the fridge to infuse, or up to a month. 

Cherry Pistachio Salad with Sweet Lemon Vinaigrette and Fresh Mint

Often times in life simple is best.  I went on a walk last night along the Mississippi river with someone special after dinner, and although it was just a walk it was so much more than that.  It It was one of the most enjoyable walks, not to mention moments I have had in quite a long time filled with lots of good conversation.  It was a beautiful night, with a light breeze and lots of people watching of course with an awesome view of the river. Although I have to admit the company was more of the enjoyment than the act of walking itself.  I guess it doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it in good company.  It was so much better than any movie we could have gone to, or something costing lots of money to do.  I have always appriciated the simple, especially when it comes to spending time with those you care about.  Afterall, without all the distractions you can just focus on each other, and that is always best!  The same goes for food sometimes as far as simplicity goes.  Tonight I made a wonderful salad with a few fresh seasonal ingredients, cherries, mint, and local greens topped off with some toasted pistachios.  It was delightful!  So simple and quick to make, and yet so good!  The perfect accompaniment to a light tofu dish I had also made.  I have included a recipe if you would like to try some!  Take some time to enjoy the simple things in life, all too often we get lost in the details. 

Cherry Pistachio Salad with Sweet Lemon Vinaigrette and Fresh Mint

Serves 2

Dressing:

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp agave nectar

sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:
1 cup pitted halved fresh cherries
2 Tbsp fresh mint, cut in chiffonade
1 large bunch of arugula or greens of your choice
1/2 cup shelled roasted salted pistachios

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine cherries, mint, and greens.  Pour over dressing and toss to coat.  Divide salad between 2 plates, and scatter pistachios over each. 

Rosemary Gin Lemonade

If I am feeling too hot on a warm evening, honey lemonade is often my go to drink.  I make many varitations of it, herbs happen to be my favorite!  A butt kicking work day however...is another story.  Then that drink might have to be a martini.  But today happened to be both, so it was a tough descision!  Today at work it was as if everyone came back from their labor day celebrations at the cabin hungry, and hit the deli where I work hard!  I felt like I was running around like a crazy woman, and that is just the sort of day that calls for a delicious refreshing drink while relaxing at home afterwards!  Since the refreshing gin of the martini and the tart sweetness of the lemonade both sounded good, I combined them and made honey gin lemonade.  But not just plain honey gin lemonade. 

Rosemary infused!  I had some honey syrup infused with rosemary that I thought would be a nice addition to sweeten the drink and it was!  The herby rosemary was perfect with the refreshing gin, not to mention the aroma was calming!  The lemonade was just the right tart sweetness and the floral honey paired well with the rosemary!  It was just what the doctor ordered for today.  Butt kicking day no more after savoring every last drop of it!  If you had a butt kicking day, or just wish to relax, here is the recipe for this concoction!

Rosemary Gin Lemonade

makes 1

1/3 cup lemon juice

4 oz gin
2 Tbsp honey rosemary syrup*
ice
a few sprigs rosemary
a few lemon slices
sparkling water

In a martini shaker, combine lemon juice, gin, and honey syrup (more if a sweeter drink is desired), and shake until well blended.  Place a good amount of ice in a tall glass, along with a few sprigs of rosemary, and a few lemon slices.  Pour drink into the glass, and top off with some sparkling water...enjoy!

*To make honey rosemary syrup, combine 1/4 cup boiling water, 1/4 cup honey and 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary in a container.  Cool, cover, and place in the fridge and let sit at least a day or up to a few weeks.  Works well in lemonade to sweeten as well as drinks!

Golden Quinoa Salad

I do not like calling things "healthy", but I do enjoy eating healthy things if that makes sense.  For some reason the word healthy sounds like unappetizing bland food, but it doesn't have to be.  I was feeling like I needed something protein packed and energizing, and well I guess you could say nutritious, so I got to work creating a grain salad.  Since quinoa is a powerhouse, I thought it would be the perfect base for my salad.  I raided my fridge and came up with a color scheme, gold!  Mostly because I needed a bit of sunshine, even in my food being that it is winter.  I grabbed a golden beet, a carrot, some golden raisins, as well as some pecans, and walnuts for protein.  For my dressing I made a citrus vinaigrette laced with tumeric to give my salad a lovely color.  The finished salad was delicious but most importantly it was satisfying and beautiful!  The bright citrus along with the toasty nuts, sweet raisins and crunchy veggies was wonderful!  Here is the recipe if you would like to eat a bit of sunshine!

Golden Quinoa Salad

Serves 3

2 cups water

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 medium golden beet, cut julienne
1 large carrot, cut julienne
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1 cup golden raisins

Dressing:
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool. When quinoa is cool, combine with the beets, carrots, walnuts, pecans, and raisins.  Whisk together dressing ingredients, and pour over salad.  Toss to combine, and for best flavor let sit a few hours or overnight in the fridge before serving. 

Winter Kiss

It was up to 40 degrees yesterday in Minnesota, and it felt downright tropical!  The snow was melting by the buckets...then today hit and it a chill filled the air.  The temperatures dropped and the ice pellets fell.   Why ice pellets?  It is supposed to snow this time of year, not send down tiny hail!  When I got to my car after work, I discovered that the ice had formed a thin, but rock hard, and immoveble layer of ice on my windows.  I had no choice but to stand and scrape...and scrape, and scrape some more.  It hardly budged, and as I was driving home trying to warm my fingers and see through the small holes I had scraped in the windows, I was dreaming of something warming I could ingest when I got home.  Yes, I could make a hot cocoa, or maybe a hot toddy...but I wanted to be creative, and since it is New Year's Eve, I thought it would be a good night for something a bit more special.  Bourbon sounded wonderful!  I wanted to include bourbon since it warms you from the inside. 

I had this really good drink at Heartland Restaurant in St. Paul recently called the Cardinal's Kiss with bourbon, walnut liqueur, and bourbon soaked cherries which was delicious!  I thought why not make my own twist on it, since I had some bourbon soaked cherries in my fridge.  So I combined lemon and orange juice (so the drink would not be entirely booze, plus it gave it a nice citrus note), cherry soaking liquid, and a dash of almond extract (for a nutty flavor) with bourbon.  It was warming, and like a warm kiss...everything that walking outdoors right now was not.  The perfect drink to shake off the winter chill.  If you are chilled, you should fix yourself one of these!  Happy New Year everyone!

Winter Kiss 

Makes 1

4-6 large ice cubes

3 oz Maker's Mark bourbon

1/2 oz cherry soaking liquid*

3 oz orange juice
1 oz lemon juice

1 tsp pure almond exract

4 bourbon soaked cherries*

Citrus zest for garnish

In a martini shaker add the ice, bourbon, cherry liquid, orange juice, lemon juice, and almond extract and place top on shaker. Shake until well blended. Place about 4-5 bourbon soaked cherries onto a skewer, and place in a lowball glass. Pour drink through a strainer into glass, and serve with a citrus zest garnish!
 
Bourbon Soaked Cherries:

In a glass jar, cover 1 cup dried bing cherries with enough bourbon to cover.  Place lid on jar, and let sit at least overnight before using.  Store in the fridge.