Beating the Heat

It's been a hot week in Boston and I've been helping clients and my family beat the heat. I've made a lot of great warm weather dishes this week. Besides salads with all the amazing greens I've been gathering at the markets, here's some of the highlights. 

Whole wheat couscous salad with apricots, raisins, fresh herbs, Greek olive oil and vegetables This is great served cold and makes a wonderful healthy side dish that works with everything from fish to grilled meats. I even eat this as a main dish.

Red Thai rice salad. Yum! If you haven't tried Thai red rice, you should.

Chilled creamy South western yellow squash soup with an ancho crema swirled in, pictured above. I love this dish! This is also fantastic for a summer dinner party. When I serve it, I like to make an attractive design in the soup with the ancho sauce.

I've been having fun with organic carrots. I used them in a French vegetable pie. After a long day in the heat we had this at room temperature as a front porch dinner with a mixed green salad with a home made   raspberry vinagrette. Add a glass of crisp chilled Sauviougn Blanc. It was a perfect way to end the day. 

Those organic carrots were also great in a foil hobo pack on the grill with fresh dill, a little butter, cracked pepper and sea salt. You can use the left overs chilled to top a salad.

I even did a meat loaf on a grill, cooked over charcoal and wood. I love that organic ground beef.

I'm also digging smoothies for breakfast with fresh peaches, berries and chia seeds. 

It's that time of year to begin canning. Last night I had some time and canned 7 jars of raspberry jam. I grew the berries in my yard. I have other canning projects planned, marmalades, blueberry and strawberry jam and I'm also working on some low sugar fruit spreads. These are going to make great gifts for clients and friends.

I have to run and play with some food. There are catering gigs coming up.

Eat well 

Blue Berry Cobbler

If you need blue berry cobbler, let me know. I've been playing around with different styles of cobblers for years and I'm sticking with this one. I think it's the best. Blue berries were the bomb. Can't wait to see those local peaches at the Farmers Markets.

Now I should be making some vanilla bean ice cream to go with this. Where's the ice cream maker?

My own recipes

I can't wait to make this oven fried chicken I've been perfecting for a client. I've added my own twist to it. I'm about to take another batch out of the oven.  Summer weather is here, it's going to be a great picnic type of dinner tonight with a home made honey mustard dipping sauce.