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Sherry

Salads

Tomato Watermelon Salad

This is a fabulous summertime salad

You say, “Watermelon and Tomato”!  I know that sounds like a odd combination but believe me it is delicious and with all the summer tomatoes available you should be trying this asap.  I only make this in the summer when tomatoes and watermelon are the freshest. 

I have use heirloom tomatoes and just regular tomatoes.  It is the prettiest when you use, orange, red, yellow and green (these are ripe green tomatoes that I have found in the past).  The combination of the tomatoes, watermelon and the buffalo moz, basil and the frozen balsamic makes for a very interesting taste.

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 This is the first time I have made this that the vinegar did not freeze.  I put it in the freezer at 8:30 in the morning and by 6:30 that evening it was just kind of thick.  I have no idea why this happened.  This was a 25 year old balsamic that I got at WS so I know it’s a good one.  You mix this with a couple of tablespoons of water and it is suppose to freeze and then when you have it all arranged on a plate and ready to serve, you scrape this frozen balsamic over the salad and watch it melt all over.  This was still very good, but I’m still wondering why it didn’t freeze.  So if you have ideals, let me know.

This recipe was in a Food and Wine magazine a couple of years ago.  The first time I had this was at a friend’s house and I wasn’t sure if I would like it and I was surprised that the combination of all the ingredients was so good.  Hope you like it too. 

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Tomato Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • Assorted tomatoes cherry, grape, red, green, orange, yellow
  • Watermelon balls or chunks
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella sliced
  • 1/2 c. fresh basil
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

  1. Freeze the balsamic and water in a small dish until frozen solid. Arrange the tomatoes and watermelon on a large platter and top with mozzarella pieces and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil.

    When ready to serve remove the frozen balsamic from freezer and using a spoon scrape over the watermelon/tomato salad. Serve immediately.

June 26, 2009 By
4
Side dish/ Vegetables

Fried Green Tomatoes with Ravigote Sauce

It’s that time again; what are we going to do with all that wonderful produce.

Well, the very first thing I’m going to make are some Fried Green Tomatoes.  I don’t think there is anything better.  Especially if they are nice and tart. 

I remember my mother making green tomatoes and how my dad never wanted to let go of those first green tomatoes out of his garden.  He was a terrific gardner.  His garden would tower over any other garden around.  He even rigged his own pump to get water out of the lake they lived on to water his garden.  He made his own natural garlic spray to keep the bugs away and  finally when the roaming dogs wouldn’t leave his prized produce alone, he resorted to putting a small electric fence around the garden and that did the trick. 

This is another food memory I am always going to have of my parents.  It’s funny that alot of my memories of them revolve around food.  But, that is what our family has always enjoyed — cooking, eating and enjoying each other’s company.

These tomatoes were garnished with some basil and a Ravigote Sauce.  They were delicious.  There’s a restaurant I go to in Houston that serves a Bacon, Lettuce and Fried Green Tomato sandwich.  It is wonderful.  I love this Ravigote sauce too and the added basil and a touch of finishing salt made it all the better. 

As far as what I’m going to do with the rest of the vegetables, you will have to wait and see.  A hint,  tomatoes and frozen balsamic vinegar, yum. — Sherry

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Crack  two eggs in a bowl and beat with a whisk until well blended.  I sliced the tomatoes a little over 1/4″ thick. 

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Dip tomatoes in the flour mixture lightly and then dip the tomatoes in the egg to coat.  Then toss in the flour/cornmeal mixture. Friedgreentomatoes 020

 The Ravigote Sauce was wonderful with the tomatoes.  These are not my mother’s fried green tomatoes but they come in a close second.  I think the Ravigote Sauce elevates these to a new level.

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Fried Green Tomatoes with Ravigote Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/3 c. self-rising cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • vegetable oil for frying

Ravigote Sauce

  • 1/2 c. mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Creole mustard
  • 2 1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tsp. chopped capers
  • salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

  1. Beat the eggs until well blended. Mix the cornmeal and the flour in a small bowl and add the salt. Dip the tomato slices first in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture then back into the flour mixture. If you use the “wet hand” “dry hand” method you won’t end up with sticky fingers. W/H, D/H, use one hand for holding the tomato when dry and the other hand for when you dip it. I sometimes get mixed up and have to wash and start all over again. Fry these in hot vegetable oil until crisp and brown.

    For Sauce: Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl until well blended. Refrigerate up to two weeks.

    Garnish tomatoes with chopped basil. Bon Appetite! 

June 24, 2009 By
7
Appetizers/ ColdApp

Jalapeno Blue Cheese Spread

Ready for a margarita to go with this yummy spread.

Whether you are doing a south of the border meal or not, this appetizer is tasty, with a little crunch and spice.

One night at my sister’s house last week, in between tornado warnings,  barbecuing ribs, and entertaining two babies, we whipped up this yummy appetizer.

You want a beautiful glass to serve this in and any kind of cracker will do.
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Jalapeno Blue Cheese Spread

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 3 oz. cream cheese
  • 5 oz. blue cheese crumbled
  • 16 oz. sour cream
  • 2 jalapeno peppers chopped fine
  • 2 Tbsp. vinegar
  • 2 oz. pimientos chopped
  • 1 c. pecans roasted
  • Assorted crackers

Instructions

  1. Combine gelatin with water in a custard up, let stand. Place cream cheese and blue cheese in a 2 quart bowl. Microwave at 50% power 60-90 seconds until softened. Mix with sour cream until smooth, set aside. Microwave gelatin on high 30 seconds or until boiling. Stir in vinegar and blend into cheese mixture. Add the peppers, pecans and pimentos. Pour into mold (or margarita glass) and chill several hours. Turn onto red leaf lettuce line tray (if you have molded it in a dish) and garnish with jalapeno flower or slices of jalapenos. Serve with crackers on the side.

Recipe Notes

(Hint: have all ingredients ready before starting. The gelatin may set too quickly if you start adding cold ingredients and you don’t have everything else ready to fold in.) Also, anytime I use a mold, I line it with plastic wrap then all you have to do is flip it out and peel off the plastic wrap. I usually do this recipe in either small margarita glasses or one of the giant ones. I have substituted pistachio nuts for the pecans and then sprinkled pistachios on top. Either way, it’s unbelievably good. —

 

 

 

 

June 22, 2009 By
2
Appetizers/ ColdApp/ Sauces

Green and Yellow Tomato Salsa

Good friends, good wine, good food, what more could you want…

We had the perfect dinner a couple of weeks ago.   A good friend came over while her husband was out of town in Colorado.    We swam, cooked, ate, drank a lot of wine and had a deliciously good time.  We love cooking together and trying out new recipes.  I don’t think we have ever cooked anything together that we didn’t think was fabulous.  When we do our day after Thanksgiving feast, we always come up with some great things to try.

This was the first time to use our new teak dining table and  my new hanging lanterns and it all made for a perfect evening.

Continue Reading…

June 22, 2009 By
0
Appetizers/ HotApp

Salmon Cakes with Edamame and Wasabi Topping

The Edamame and Wasabi Topping adds just the right kick.

I can’t begin to tell you how great this little appetizer was last night.  I have been wanting to try making this for a long time so when buying the Salmon, scallops and shrimp for the kabobs we did, I just bought a little extra salmon.  I made my salmon cakes similar to how I make crab cakes.  I tried them with Panko bread crumbs and also Italian style bread crumbs.  I preferred the Panko.

A couple of years ago I tried this great sushi recipe of Tyler Florence’s and he used this wasabi topping.   I poached my salmon in a little chardonnay and water with lime slices but any kind of cooked (leftover) salmon will work fine.  I wouldn’t use canned salmon though.  I used the wild Alaskan Salmon so it was very red and beautiful.    The rest of the dinner was great, will post pictures of that .  It was great relaxing by the pool and being able to use our new teak dining set.  — Sherry

I forgot to put the pickled ginger on when I first put these together.  I went back and added the ginger to the ones we had not already gobbled down.    It really makes a difference.

The pickled ginger was really good on these.

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Salmon Cakes with Edamame and Wasabi

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked salmon crumbled or flaked
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped chives
  • 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp or more panko bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
  • Panko bread crumbs for breading
  • oil for frying
  • Picked ginger for garnishing
  • Wasabi Edamame puree for garnishing

Wasabi and Edamame Puree

  • 1/2 lbs. pkg. frozen edamame in pods
  • 1 Tbsp. wasabi paste
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 3 Tbsp. water
  • 1 Tbsp. canola oil

Instructions

  1. Mix the salmon and all other ingredients except for the ginger and wasabi puree together in bow. Make small cakes about 1 1/2″. Coat the cakes in the panko bread crumbs. Fry in oil until nice and brown and drain on paper towels. To assemble, put a folded piece of pickled ginger and a dab of the edamame wasabi puree in center. I’m thinking the next time I serve these for a party I’m going to take a cucumber, score it with the tines of a fork, cut in 1/4″ slices and put the little cake on top. Will be easier to eat without crumbling apart. This made about 10 small cakes so you may want to double the recipe. Next time, I may thin down the wasabi topping and drizzle some on the plate.
  2. For Wasabi puree: Put all this in blender or mini processor and blend until you have a smooth paste.
June 13, 2009 By
0
Appetizers/ ColdApp

Avocado Bacon Canapes

Avocado and Bacon, Yum!

I have made these little canapes many times for parties and they are always a hit.  Even with the bacon they still have a great summery taste.  I have cheated before and used guacamole but the presentation isn’t as nice.  Hope you try these, I think the recipe is a “keeper”.  —  Sherry

 

Avocado and Bacon Canapes
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Ingredients
  1. 8 slices of smoked bacon
  2. 1/4 c. lemon juice
  3. 1/4 c. water
  4. 1 avocado, peeled and sliced thin
  5. 1/2 c. Hellman’s mayonnaise
  6. 1 Tbsp. butter, softened
  7. 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
  8. 1 dash of hot sauce
  9. 24 slices of bread, white or wheat
Instructions
  1. Mix the lemon juice and water and add the peeled and sliced avocado. Fry the bacon until crisp, chop and set aside. Mix the mayonnaise, butter, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Trim the crust from the bread and cut into shapes. Spread with the mayonnaise mixture, fan out two to three thin slices of avocado on top of the mayonnaise mixture and sprinkle with bacon.
Rosemary and the Goat https://rosemaryandthegoat.com/
June 11, 2009 By
0
Appetizers/ HotApp

Eggplant Caponata

If you love eggplant, you will love this recipe.
 
I catered a birthday party a couple of years ago and the theme of the party was Old Hollywood. I can’t take the credit for the idea but I really liked working around the theme. You may be able to see the old Hollywood star pictures I copied, matted and put around the food trays. All the guests arrived in long dresses, many had Hepburn hairstyles. The party was a surprise so when they limo pulled up to the red carpet at the front door, all the guest were outside applauding (just like at the Oscar’s). Fun, fun party with lots of champagne and wonderful food. This is one of the dishes I did for the party. The Caponata I served on toasted baguette slices but I have also used this recipe on top of pasta.
Eggplant Caponata
Spicy mixture of eggplant, tomatoes, onions and olives. Delicious spread on toasted baguettes.
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Ingredients
  1. 2 eggplant, large
  2. 1 – 28 oz. can tomato, drained and chopped
  3. 1 – 6 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
  4. 1 teaspoon basil
  5. 1 small jar capers
  6. 2 tablespoons parsley
  7. 3/4 cup black olive, chopped
  8. 1 onion, large, chopped
  9. 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
  10. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  11. 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  12. 1/4 cup olive oil
  13. 3/4 cup celery, chopped
  14. toasted bread rounds
Instructions
  1. Peel and cube the eggplant. Saute the celery and onion in small amount of olive oil. Add the eggplant and saute until it starts to cook. Add remaining ingredients except for toasted bread rounds and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with toasted bread rounds.This can also be served with pasta.
Rosemary and the Goat https://rosemaryandthegoat.com/
 
June 6, 2009 By
1
Appetizers/ ColdApp

Rosemary and the Goat

(Hey, where’s Rosemary?)

I guess it is time for me to post about Rosemary and the Goat. I have an appetizer recipe a friend gave me. It is so easy and delicious and I almost always have what I need on hand to make it.
 
This little appetizer is quick to make and everyone will love it. When I was trying to come up with a name for this blog, this was the first thing that popped into my head. I do need to get some better pictures of this dish though.
 
Hope you will try it soon.
 
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Rosemary and the Goat
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Ingredients
  1. 1 small roll goat cheese
  2. about 1/2 cup rosemary, coarsely chopped
  3. 1/2 c. good quality olive oil
  4. fresh baguette slices or crackers
Instructions
  1. Take about 1/4 cup rosemary and add to the olive oil and let sit for about 30 minutes to infused the flavor of the rosemary.
  2. Remove the goat cheese from package and roll the entire log in the remaining chopped rosemary.
  3. When ready to serve, put the rosemary coated goat cheese on a platter and pour all the olive oil over the cheese.
  4. Serve with toasted or plain baguette slices or crackers.
Notes
  1. If I used a cracker it would be something like Triskets. The bread slices are the best.
Rosemary and the Goat https://rosemaryandthegoat.com/
 
June 5, 2009 By
3