Lavender Lemonade
June 22, 2010
Perk up your party with this unique lemonade recipe from
Happy Entertaining!
LAVENDER LEMONADE
I first tasted Lavender Lemonade many years ago at the Vermont State Fair. I’ve always wanted to make it, but could never get lavender to grow in any of the places I lived… until now. Here in Virginia I’ve managed to produce two giant, runaway lavender bushes that get bigger every year. Now I’m sorry I planted them behind the garage. I would have given them a more prestigious spot if I’d known they were going to actually live!
I haven’t tried it, but I bet this would make a fabulous summertime cocktail with a little vodka or gin mixed in. If you don’t have any lavender, you may want to try the quickie recipe for super-refreshing sparkling lemonade that follows.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
About ¼ cup fresh lavender blooms, stripped from their stems*
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained.
DIRECTIONS
- Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 2 ½ cups water in a saucepan and boiling until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add the lavender blooms and cover. Let stand for 1 hour, or up to 4 hours. Strain syrup and discard lavender.
- Pour lavender syrup into a pitcher. Add lemon juice and 2 ½ cups water. Stir, taste, and adjust to your liking, adding more lemon juice or water if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
* Culinary lavender can be found in farmer’s markets if you aren’t lucky enough to have some growing behind your garage.
SHORTCUT SPARKLING LEMONADE
Thaw a 6-ounce can of frozen lemonade concentrate in a large pitcher. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Cut a second lemon into thin slices and add to the pitcher. Just before serving, pour a bottle of chilled seltzer into the pitcher and stir.
If you’d like to make Pink Lemonade, add a splash of grenadine.
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Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon & Feta
June 14, 2010
Perk up your picnic potato salad with this drool-worthy recipe from
Happy Entertaining!
ROASTED POTATO SALAD WITH BACON & FETA
I’m a feta freak, but blue cheese would make a lovely substitute for the feta. The roasted potatoes on their own also make an excellent, simple side dish for grilled steaks. Roast the potatoes as directed below, then when they are almost done, remove them from the oven and splash with a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Return to the oven and cook for another minute or two. Add more kosher salt, if desired, and serve immediately.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 6 servings)
3 pounds medium baking potatoes, scrubbed and dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¾ cup thinly sliced onion
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
6 slices crisp crumbled bacon
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into thick (about ¼-inch) uniform slices. Toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a large, greased baking sheet in a single layer. Cook until potatoes are golden on the bottom, about 30 minutes. Turn the slices over and continue cooking until golden all over, about 15 minutes more. Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, thyme, sugar and mustard. Add potatoes and toss gently to coat. Stir in the onion slices, feta and bacon.
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Asparagus & Egg Salad Canapes
June 8, 2010
Turn comfort food into party food with this easy recipe from
Happy Entertaining!
ASPARAGUS & EGG SALAD CANAPES
When the pantry’s low and I need to whip up cocktail nibbles for unexpected guests, I often turn to good old egg salad. I nearly always have the few ingredients needed on hand, and everyone seems to love this comforting classic.
My asparagus patch is winding down now so I used the last thin spears to dress up what would otherwise just be miniature open-faced egg salad sandwiches. However, you could also fancy up these canapés with lots of other things that are probably in your pantry right now like pickles, olives, chopped toasted pecans, crumbled bacon or anchovies. Fresh herbs, such as chopped chives also make a nice garnish.
You may also want to give your egg salad a little twist with one of the variations I’ve listed below.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 2 dozen)
24 thin asparagus spears
4 large boiled eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of freshly grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
24 ¼-inch thick slices of cocktail rye*
DIRECTIONS
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until just bright green and tender, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain and place under cold running water to prevent further cooking. Pat dry. Cut the tip of each spear into a 2-inch length. (Save the remaining spears for snacking.) Set aside.
- Peel the eggs and chop or mash with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, crème fraiche, mustard, lemon zest, salt and pepper and gently mix.
- Spread the bread slices with the egg salad. Arrange on a platter and top each with an asparagus spear. Serve immediately.
* Cocktail rye is a small loaf of rye bread that is presliced into 2-inch squares. It comes packaged in cellophane and is usually found in the deli section of the grocery store with the other specialty breads. If you can’t find it, use thin, full sized slices and cut each one into 4 squares. A small baguette, sliced thinly, will also work.
EGG SALAD VARIATIONS
(Use the basic egg salad recipe above with the following changes)
Curried Egg Salad – Omit the lemon zest and add a teaspoon of curry powder. Garnish with toasted sliced almonds and currants.
Tarragon-Shallot Egg Salad – Omit the mustard and lemon zest. Add 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot and 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon. Garnish with tarragon sprigs.
West Coast Egg Salad – Omit the mustard and add 1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet pickles, ¼ cup chopped sweet red bell pepper and 8 chopped black olives. Garnish with radish sprouts.
Olive-Bacon Egg Salad – Omit the lemon zest and add ¼ cup finely chopped celery and 2 tablespoons chopped pimento-stuffed green olives. Top canapés with crumbled crisp bacon.
Capers & Smoked Salmon Egg Salad – Omit the mustard and lemon zest. Add 1 ½ tablespoons drained, rinsed and finely chopped capers, 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot and 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon. Spread bread squares lightly with mayonnaise. Top with a thin slice of smoked salmon. Top with a dollop of egg salad. Garnish with watercress sprigs.
Chutney-Cucumber Egg Salad – Add 1 tablespoon bottled mango chutney (chopped), 2 tablespoons each chopped celery and chopped scallions, ½ teaspoons each cumin and curry powder, and 3 drops Tabasco sauce. Top each canapé with a thin slice of cucumber.
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New York Crumb Cake
June 2, 2010
Here’s what happens to your food gifts when you put too much batter in the mini loaf pans.
Here’s how you fix the problem!
Make food gifts for your guests to enjoy the morning after your party
with this yummy recipe from
NEW YORK CRUMB CAKE
Something I haven’t seen a lot of during my stay down south is good old New York Crumb Cake. I was delighted to find this recipe in a recent issue of Bon Appetit. It is, hands down, the best I’ve ever tasted. It is topped with a very generous layer of the cinnamon-scented streusel that makes the ‘crumb’ part. I baked it in mini loaf pans to hand out as take-home favors after a dinner party. Clearly, I filled the pans too full, but it was still delicious and I was able to disguise my mistake with lots of ribbon and silk flowers.
Don’t be put off by the fact that this is a longer recipe than I usually post. It is actually a very easy cake to make! Traditionally crumb cake is served at breakfast or brunch, but I like it for dessert, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
topping
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, warm
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
cake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
topping
Mix both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl and whisk to blend. Add warm melted butter and stir to blend. Add flour and toss with fork until moist clumps form (topping mixture will look slightly wet). Set aside.
cake
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.* Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat room-temperature butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat just until blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Transfer cake batter to prepared baking dish; spread batter evenly with rubber spatula or offset spatula. Squeeze small handfuls of topping together to form small clumps. Drop topping clumps evenly over cake batter, covering completely (topping will be thick).
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and topping is deep golden brown and slightly crisp, about 1 hour.* Cool cake in dish on rack at least 30 minutes. Cut cake into squares and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
* For mini cakes, butter 6 mini loaf pans.
* If baking in mini loaf pans, bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
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