This weekends menu

I'm working on the shopping list for a party I'm catering this weekend and thought I would share the menu.

Crab and sweet corn cakes with a chipotle tartar and a cocktail sauce 

Lamb meatballs with a Greek yogurt dressing

Homemade hummus platter with pita, olives and feta cheese (Everyone likes my hummus)

Grilled lime and chipotle shrimp wrapped in bacon

Vegetarian cheese Panini sandwiches (I'll be using what ever looks good, eggplant, arugula, grilled squash)

and for a grand finale BBQ Ribs with my own espresso rocket bomb sauce served over southern collard green.

These are all tried and true winners. The lime chipotle shrimp is a new recipe but we brought to the test grill and they were thumbs up all around. This is a fun menu to prepare and much of it will be done on the grill. I may have to throw my own party using the same menu.  

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 

Peaches

It makes me happy to be able to buy peaches at the market. I can't wait for the local ones. That reminds me that it's been a long time since I've made my Southern treat, baked chicken and peaches. 

Another great day of food

My local farmers market was hoping today. All of the greens were beautiful including the huge head of Chinese cabbage we brought home. Some of that's going into a tofu dish tomorrow.  A stop at Boston Cheese Cellar where we picked up a bottle of Fat Toad Farm goat milk cinnamon carmel sauce. For lunch, we were drizzling it over my homemade goat cheese open face sandwiches. Amazing!

My day ended manning a grill at our neighborhood block party. Lots of burgers, dogs and sausages flying off the grill. That was fun. 

Goat Cheese

This morning It's all about homemade goat cheese. This batch is straining in cheese cloth.  I'm thinking a goat cheese and fresh roasted beet appetizer or salad this weekend.