Archive for June, 2012

Summer Fun Food

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012
This is my new favorite appetizer &
it’s on the menu:
www.muskegonriverlodge.com
What is it?
Endive filled with Honeyed Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Orange segments.
Drizzled with a Balsamic Reduction & sprinkled with Chives.
So I took my new-found appreciation for Endive style wrappers & applied it to Iceberg.
Iceberg wrapped around Chicken Salad was our lunch one day. I used chicken that had been baked with lemon & goat cheese
stuffed between the chicken breast & skin.
The flavor was fabulous!
Surprisingly easy to eat as finger food & a great choice for warm summer days.
Enjoy, Heather

Simplicity

Thursday, June 7th, 2012
Summer is in the wind,
cottonwood seeds float effortlessly down the river.
Rain scents the air with a fresh hint of pine.
And the hunger is for fresh, simple, whole foods.
Linger as you put your blackberries away.
Enjoy the flavors & colors of this coming season.

Delight in the fresh tomato.
And change things up by tossing it with sautéedred onion & basil.

Depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes consider adding a bit of sugar to balsamic vinegar
& tossing in a little olive oil, sea salt & cracked pepper.

This is a new side I’ve been prepping for fly-fishing lunches.
So the flavors have roughly 4-5 hours to meld.

For those who like exacts:

3 medium size Tomatoes
3 medium sized Red Onions
10 Basil leaves
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil (divided)
4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tsp Sugar (adjust to tomatoes sweetness)

1. Heat 1 Tbsp Olive Oil in skillet over medium heat

2. Slice Onion rounds – leave intact 1/4″ thick

3. Brush onions with Olive Oil, sprinkle with Salt & Pepper
& lay intact on skillet surface – do not layer your Onions. Flip once after 5-6 minutes Onion should be browned & even light charring is fine. (You may need to repeat this step if all the Onions do not fit in your skillet – if so add another Tbsp of Olive Oil to the skillet before adding Onions)

4. While Onions are in skillet, slice Tomatoes into wedges & toss with strips of Basil, Balsamic Vinegar,
1 Tbsp Olive oil & Sugar if needed.

5. Remove Onions from skillet when finished, let cool, separate & toss with Tomato mixture.

Let flavors meld at least a few hours before serving.

-Heather

** A cast Iron skillet is my preference for preparing the Onions **