Virginia Craft Beer Month – Celebrating With Home Brewed Ale

Psst, did you know August is Virginia Craft Beer Month? It’s okay if you didn’t, 2012 is it’s inaugural year, so word is steadily getting out there.  All month, folks have been celebrating at local breweries, restaurants,  and special events enjoying one or more of Virginia’s 40 breweries. And why not when, according to the Travel Channel, not just locals, Virginia is one of the North America’s Top 7 Beer Destinations. The celebrations culminate this weekend at  Devil’s Backbone Brewery, who will host the Virginia Craft Beer Festival.

Just in time for Craft Beer Month, the beer I helped brew earlier this year arrived at my desk.  “Finally!” declared my friends wife as she sat a lovely four pack on my desk with a laugh as I clapped my hands with delight. With vacations,  being away from school, and off site meetings, the beer had been ready for over a month, but the delivery delayed . “Be sure to tell us how you like them,” she said before proceeding with the remaining deliveries. I think that was the day I had 13 “Blue Screens of Death” (Still working on that resolution…three weeks later). It was very tempting to crack one of these bad boys open, but I refrained.  These bottles would be ones to savor. There was a lot of time and hard work that went into these, you know!

It has been only recently that I began enjoying beer. A year and a half ago, no way you would find me drinking it over, say, a glass of wine or Bushmills. It was actually my friends’ home brewed beer that turned me. They were serving it at their Memorial Day party and I thought, why not? Oh, it was delicious! It was a wheat ale, I believe, but there was an accidental twist. They had re-cycled bottles from a batch of root beer they had brewed with their son. Despite a good scrubbing and sanitizing, the root beer flavor had made its way into the beer. Oh, my goodness, it was awesome! So when they asked if I wanted to help with the next batch a few months ago, I said, “Sign me up!”

Sorting IPA kit contents. That’s a LOT of hops!

So what goes into brewing beer? It’s actually not that difficult, though the initial set up is a bit pricey, especially if you are really into it like my friend and his wife are. With the right gear and a good kit, you’re ready to brew! The kits we brewed were for an India Pale Ale (IPA) and an Apricot Blonde Ale from the Northern Brewer.  I’m telling you, despite the long waits in between a few of the steps, brewing beer goes really fast! I barely even remember the steps, even with my notes. I did find the recipe online, though, if you’re interested. My favorite part was the malt syrup. Once you’ve added that in, you have what is called a “wort”, which will feed the yeasts that will turn it into alcohol (aka, beer!).

Boiling the wort

Now how did they taste? One word: YUM! The IPA was very, very powerfully hoppy. As it should be! I mean, look at all that hops in the picture above. My boys are huge fans of IPAs and I think they would love this one. I liked that the bitterness was refreshing rather than unpleasant. My favorite, though, was the Apricot Ale. It was lightly sweet and the taste of dried apricots played on the back of my tongue. Blue Moon is the closest I can think of to compare it to.

Now go enjoy the rest of Beer Month…even if you aren’t in Virginia!

Enjoying a bottle from the last batch

~Ruth

Hump Day Happy Hour – Lemon Meringue Martini Cocktail

Sometimes it is just too easy. Come home from work, drop everything with a heavy sigh, uncork a bottle of wine or pop the top off a cold one…and suddenly the world doesn’t seem as bad as it did while you were stuck in gridlock just moments before as you kick back and savor a moment.  Aaaaaah.  Then there are those days when you want something more than a simple glass of something. Sometimes you want a dressed up treat, like a present wrapped up in pretty paper and shiny ribbon. That was what I was looking for when I made this bauble of a cocktail.

The inspiration came while surfing through the pretty pictures in this lemon dessert slide show on MarthaStewart.com. I started thinking about making something as yummy as these treats looked…but in liquid form…like a lemon meringue cocktail! Coming up with my own recipe wasn’t as easy as you might think, though.  The lemon part was easy, of course, but getting the pie/dessert element to play nice? Not so easy! I experimented with brown sugar, honey, regular sugar, and maple syrup trying to get that buttery graham cracker/ pie crust flavor with just the right amount of sweetness to counter the super tart lemon.  Each cocktail came out too close in flavor to my Lemon Rose Martini. Maybe Absolut Vanilla has more floral notes than I thought?

I was on my second two pound bag of lemons and quickly running low on vanilla vodka when I remembered this shot a friend had ordered a round of for a group of us that were bar hopping in Old Town Alexandria. A “chocolate cake” shot.  It tasted exactly like chocolate cake, but was made only with Frangelico and an orange slice. So out came the Frangelico.  After swapping the Frangelico and vanilla vodka ratios on the second attempt I found Lemon Meringue heaven with delicious notes of graham cracker goodness.

I so wanted to put on a little black dress and pearls, this cocktail is that fun.  It still tasted great in yoga pants, though, so don’t let the lack of a cocktail party stop you from shaking this drink up.

Lemon Meringue Martini Cocktail

serves 1 large cocktail or 2 small cocktails

Ingredients

• 2 ounces fresh Lemon Juice (I used 50/50 combination of Meyer and regular lemons)
• 3 ounces Frangelico
• 1 ounce Vanilla Vodka
• Ice Cubes

Directions

1. Add ice cubes to a cocktail shaker along with all the remaining ingredients. Shake well and pour into your favorite cocktail glass(es).

Salud!~Ruth

Greek Yogurt Substitute Experiment: “She” Crab Soup Charleston Style

My most recent trip to the grocery store resulted in a major splurge: a $30 tub of delicious, fresh lump crab meat. I love seafood, especially crab. When my father was stationed at Cherry Point, we often went out crabbing on the Neuse River.  Just toss in a raw chicken leg and you’re set! Now, with how much my family chows down on those little Crustaceans, can you believe the first time I had She Crab Soup was as an adult? I was at the beach and man was it delicious! The silky bisque base and the buttery, sweet lumps of crab meat and a splash of sherry. It’s my absolute favorite crab dish. Of course the soup comes with a price and I’m not talking about the expensive meat. I’m talking about all the heavy cream and butter that make this dish oh so rich. What’s a girl to do when it’s high bikini season?

Well, other than run a marathon to burn off the calories, she can try to make some smart substitutes. Remember this Chobani substitution chart (right) from a post Emilie wrote about a year ago when she did the chocolate chip cookie recipe subbing some of the butter with Greek Yogurt? Chobani actually posts a different chart now, so I’m glad Emilie found this when she did, because the new version (below left) doesn’t have anything about substituting heavy cream! I’m guessing that is because Greek yogurt can curdle at high temperatures, such as in a soup or a baked casserole  like dish, so it probably wasn’t taking off as nicely as the other substitution suggestions. It does work, though!  At least for creamy soups it does, I haven’t tried a casserole yet. You just need to be careful and in my case have a [stick] blender to break that curdling down!  Let me tell you the savings a little patience and elbow grease will get you.

The above chart says that when you use a cup of heavy cream to substitute half of it with Greek yogurt. I used a different ratio for my soup. I replaced 3/4 of the heavy cream with yogurt. It got scary for a bit when I noticed little “lumps” of yogurt in the pot.  No, no, nooooo! I already had my stick blender out from pureeing the vegetables in the stock so I desperately gave it a whirl. Hurray! It worked! I blended the curdling yogurt into the broth creating a wonderfully silky base.

Ready for the crazy calorie savings? By using the Greek yogurt, I cut just over 500 calories from the total recipe.  That’s 125 calories per serving.  Not to mention the major, major slash in fat. O…M…G! I kid you not, the soup tasted just as delicious as the “real” thing.  This is definitely going down as one of my most favorite food experiments ever! Enjoy!

Charleston Style “She” Crab Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup celery, finely diced
• ¼ cup carrots, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups fish stock (can substitute chicken stock)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound lump crab meat
• ¼ cup dry sherry wine
• ¾  cup plain Greek yogurt
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh herbs for garnish (chopped parsley, tarragon, chives, thyme, etc.)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and bay leaf. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. 
2. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir until dissolved.
3. Slowly whisk in fish stock, stirring constantly to prevent flour. clumps from forming. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
4. Remove bay leaf. Stir in milk, cream, Greek yogurt, and Worcestershire sauce
5. Using an immersion blender, puree the vegetables until the soup is smooth and creamy. This will also help smooth out the clumps the Greek yogurt may form after hitting the hot liquid.  *** If you do not have an immersion blender, allow stock and vegetables to cool then puree in batches using a blender. Return soup base to pot afterwards. Let simmer 3-5 minutes.
6. Add sherry and crab meat to soup and simmer another 2-3 minutes until crab meat is warmed through.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve garnished with freshly chopped herbs.

~Ruth

Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese, a Savory Summer Treat

Here it is! August is upon us. One last month to get in all the summer stuff you had planned while you can..and still hotter than Hades! Speaking of hot, have you noticed how the heat seems to make you less hungry? After sweating buckets helping Emilie move this past, humid weekend, I surprisingly couldn’t find my appetite, despite our rumbly bellies. Apparently, I’m not imagining things. When the summer heat wave hits, our bodies work to stay cool and not overheat. Since digesting food creates heat, there’s no wonder our appetites seem suppressed. That’s when something cool and hydrating can save the day!

What I really love about this watermelon salad is how filling it is, which we can thank the high water content of the fruit for (bonus hydration = cooling power!). Of course, watermelon is sweet due to lots of natural sugar. To help make this salad less dessert like and more meal like, I added some lovely savory elements. Raw red onion sliced ever so thinly, brings in just a little bite while the tangy goat cheese gives it some nice body and a bit of creaminess. Add in a touch of crushed pistachios and you have a lovely savory, cool treat to counter those hot, hot days.

Watermelon Salad

serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 small seedless watermelon, cube
• ¼ red cup onion, sliced really thin
• 3 ounces plain goat cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup pistachios, finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs (suggestions: mint, lemon balm, basil, Italian parsley)
• kosher or sea salt (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine watermelon, onions, and pistachios. Toss to mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Portion watermelon salad onto plates or into bowls. Sprinkle in crumbled goat cheese and add a pinch of salt if using. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

~Ruth

Barrel Oak Winery

It seems like forever since I last visited Virginia wine country, but I finally got to get back out there this past weekend.  Yay! One winery I’ve been dying to visit for awhile is Barrel Oak. I’ve always been close by during other visits and have heard so many good things about them, but never got around to stop a spell.

As we pulled up the driveway, we could see crowds of people enjoying themselves under colorful umbrellas, spreading picnics out on the lawn, or lounging back on the stone patio. Even with the lovely landscaping of the winery,  the Blue Ridge mountains dominated the show as they rose above the rolling hills of the piedmont.

The only downside of the visit was that the AC had broken. Oh my, it was hot in there!  (Horrible flashbacks to the derecho storm that knocked my power out for two days!) To help keep visitors cool, the winery had opened up a space down below in the barrel room where it was much cooler, but a large group beat us to the punch by just a few short minutes.  Did that stop me from enjoying a tasting though? Absolutely not! Onto the tasting notes we go.

BowHaus White – A blend of Vidal Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll get creamy, though faint, oak notes on your tongue and an almost effervescent brightness.  With 1.8% residual sugar, this white is one of those just sweet enough wines. The lovely, lemony citrus of the Sauv Blanc helps keep it from being too sweet.

Seyval Blanc – 100% estate grown grapes and aged in stainless steel, this wine is very crisp, clean, and light.  Very delightful and refreshing on a very hot day…or when the tasting room AC is kaput!

Viognier Reserve – Aged in Hungarian and French oak, this Viognier has a toasty, vanilla nose and a soft finish. You’ll find notes of tropical fruits, like banana and passion fruit. Unlike most Virginia Viogniers, you won’t find the typical floral bouquet in Barrel Oak’s version of the state grape.

Rosé – Barrel Oak’s rose is a Bourdeaux style blush blended from Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah.  It has a sweet nose, like strawberry jam, but is surprisingly dry with lots of fresh berry flavors.  Definitely a delicious treat for summer days.

BowHaus Red – You get to try this one chilled or room temperature, and you know how Emilie and I love reds you can have both ways!  The BowHaus Red is Barrel Oaks top selling wine and is blended from Chambourcin, Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec. With 0.5% residual sugar, it’s got a hint of sweetness (think semi-dry) but not too much. At room temperature, the Malbec and Syrah grapes shine through with bright, red cherry and a hint of spice. Chilled, the fruit flavors blossom even more as the black cherry and blackberry characteristics of the Chambourcin and Merlot join the party.

Merlot – 100% merlot aged in American oak barrels, which I learned are charred on the inside, the nose of this wine  is toasty and spicy. It has the typical black cherry found in merlots, but the American oak lends it an earthiness with notes of tobacco and even roasted coffee to compliment the dark fruits.

Peanut’s Petit Cuvee – With 3% residual sugar, this blend of Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Norton is sweet, but not dessert wine sweet. It is full of strawberry flavors, some honey, and even feint grassiness. The red varietals  in this wine hold up  nicely against the sweeter character of the white varietals bringing a nice balance.

Cabernet Sauvignon – This one is my favorite! It has a delightful nose of currants and blackberries and a very smooth finish. On the palate, the fruits play brightly on the tongue and even a bit of caramely, coffeeness.

Norton – Virginia’s native grape! Blended with just a little bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, the nose is full of jammy sweetness, but don’t let that fool you. You’ll taste concentrated flavors of dried fruits, but also a clean, herbal freshness.

Chocolate Lab Dessert Wine – A port-style Chambourcin fortified with brandy and  infused with cocoa nibs, which are added during the wine’s secondary fermentation. How neat is that? It’s also aged in Whiskey barrels from Catoctin Creek, which lend it a nice mellow toastiness. Yum, yum!

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

About two weeks ago, I woke up to some very unpleasant symptoms.  My first thoughts were, “I don’t remember drinking that much wine last night.”  Then I started to examine the pains I was feeling.  The more awake I became, the more I was sensing that sneaky snake of pain crawling from my shoulder, up my neck, to behind my eyeball.  Then my stomach turned on me.  Darn tension headache!  The only thing worse is a migraine.  My poor tummy revolted for hours.

I wish I were one of those people who lose their appetite when they are ill, but I am not.  I always want to eat! Clearly, though, some food is off limits while certain symptoms are raging and nothing feels better in an upset stomach than a bowl of hot, comforting soup.  Just the day before, Emilie and I had discussed how most packages soups are so bland.  “They all taste exactly the same!”  I had texted after tossing out the so called tortilla soup I had attempted to eat for lunch that day.  The memory of it made my stomach turn even more. Enter delicious and fresh Greek Lemon Chicken Soup!

I have friends that love to make chicken noodle soup from scratch, but I prefer rice over noodles when I have an upset stomach, which is what you’ll find in Greek Lemon Chicken Soup.  What I also love about this soup is that it is creamy from eggs and not heavy cream.  Even more to love is the lemon!  So fresh, the flavor and the scent tell your icky, sick feeling to go away, even if just for a few moments.   Of course, it’s always better if  you have someone else to make it for you while you rest, but as you can see it is not overly difficult to prepare on your own.  There is even time for resting while it simmers away!

adapted from Whole Foods

serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thirds
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup long grain rice
• 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1 egg
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 3-4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with the chicken broth. Add onion carrot, bay leaf, chicken breast, and sea salt and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
2. Once the broth begins boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Using a mesh strainer and a large heat resistant bowl, pour the broth from the pot into the bowl, catching all the solid ingredients in the strainer.
4. Remove chicken breast and set aside to cool. Discard all the other solid ingredients and return the strained broth to the pot.
5. Place pot back on burner and return heat to medium high. Bring broth back to a boil.
6. Add the rice to the pot and cover.
7. While the rice is cooking, use a fork to shred the chicken when cool enough to handle.
8. Also while the rice is cooking , whisk egg in a bowl until frothy. Add lemon juice and lemon zest and whisk again.
9. When the 20 minutes are up, add the shredded chicken to the soup and stir.
10. Take 1/4-1/2 cup of the hot broth and pour it in a small heat resistant bowl. You will use this to temper the egg and lemon mixture.
11. Slowly whisk the hot broth into the egg to gently raise its temperature and prevent scrambling.
12. Turn off the heat and add egg mixture to the soup. Stir to mix thoroughly.
13. Place spinach over the soup and cover allowing spinach to wilt, about 3-5 minutes.
14. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
15. To serve, pour in bowls and top with chopped parsley, which I highly recommend due to the added lemony freshness of the herb.

NOTE: If you prefer a less thicker soup, reduce the amount of rice to 1/4 cup.

                

Zucchini Potato Fritters

My family isn’t one for celebrations. When holidays roll about, our celebration is  sitting down together for dinner, because we never have dinner together on normal days. Same thing with birthdays, except dinner is usually out at a restaurant so no one has to cook or clean. Well, for my mother’s birthday this year, I decided I would host a birthday dinner at my place to help save my dad some money, but to also save them from the same ol’ same ol’ chain restaurant fare …until I found out that neither my father or sister were available for dinner that night! After some calls and text messages, it was decided we would instead have a brunch the day before.

Breakfast for myself is easy: oatmeal, pancakes, or an omelet…but this was a birthday celebration! What to make?  I wanted something visually appealing and definitely special so my mother would feel special. Since one of her favorite foods is sauteed zucchini, I thought I would do a twist on hash browns by adding in grated zucchini and making little fritters out of them. She LOVED them! Yippee! Happy birthday, mommy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup grated potatoes
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
• 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add the flour, milk, and egg and whisk together to create a batter.
2. Add grated potatoes and zucchini to the batter and mix well. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper and mix well again.                                   
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.
4. When oil is hot enough for frying, start scooping the zucchini potato mixture in 1/3 cup schools and carefully add to the pan.
5. Cook each fritter until golden brown and crispy on each side, appx. 4-5 minutes. When finished, place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
6. Serve fritters as a side with your favorite brunch dishes.

Slack Winery, the Patuxent Wine Trail’s Newest Addition

Slack Winery is the newest of the Patuxent Trail wineries and the most southern, located about 20 minutes south of the Pax River Navy base. The lovely twist on this winery is that it is a Bed and Breakfast situated on a colonial plantation, Woodlawn Farm, right on the banks of the Potomac River. Typical of Maryland and Virginia plantations, you’ll find wide grassy lawns, which are the perfect setting for laying out your picnic blankets alongside the water under the shade trees. They are also wonderful for the winery’s special events. While I was in the area for class, the Chesapeake Orchestra performed one Friday evening (one of the nicer, unseasonably comfortable evenings). Although I did not attend, a few of my teammates had gone and filled me in on how enjoyable it had been.

Rather than your typical large tasting room complete with barrel room and other facilities, Slack Winery has a lovely little tasting cottage located just in front of the 18th century manor house. As you can see from the pictures, the tasting cottage does not disappoint even if you were expecting something grander like the villas of Running Hare or Potomac Point. For $10 tasting fee, which is waived if you buy a bottle of their wine, you are able to sample seven wines. If you arrive and find no one in the cottage, learn from my experience. Go inside the house! As a Bed and Breakfast, both the tasting cottage and manor house are manned by the Inn Keepers (mainly the owners and a handful of others).

Yellow Legs – Petit Manseng (VA)

• Pale straw color, with a light vanilla nose from the oak it is aged in. Lightly sweet like a dry Riesling and very clean. A feint hint of oak very nicely balanced by the acidity brought forth in notes of lemon and apple.

Slack Tide Blanc – Viognier, Traminette (MD)

• Deep golden color with a light floral nose and bright grapefruit. Almost effervescent in character despite no bubbles. Crisp and zesty with lemon and grapefruit made it perfect for a hot summer day. It went amazing with Cheetos as I plowed away at my HW, can only imagine what other yummy food it will pair with.

Lush Blush – White Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon (MD)

• One of my team mates favorites. Light berry nose matched the berry full nose. As most blushes, it was lightly sweet. The clean strawberry and grassy notes presented a gentle and pleasant wine.

Maestro Symphony – Petit Manseng (VA)

• A vintage older than the Yellow Legs, this is the first wine made by Slack Winery’s wine maker. Aged longer, you’ll find more oak notes on the palate, though still not over powering. It is also has a more mellow acidity. The nose is almost nectar like, with lush stone fruit. A clean mineral and straw flavor help balance the sweetness of the stone fruit notes.

Red Drum Red – Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, Barberra

• You know I love my Petit Verdot and Chiantis. As two of the varietals give away, this red is made in the Tuscan style. I loved the beautiful ruby color of the wine. The nose was full of jammy dark fruits, particularly cherry. I believe I noticed a hint of violets as well. The flavor was juicy and bright and full of berries.

Cabernet Franc

• One word: smooooooth. The clean mineral nose with notes of pepper lead way to a wine full of dark fruit flavors and a hint of smokiness. If it hadn’t been out of my budget, I would have brought a bottle home with me!

Danny Boy Danny – Petit Manseng

• This is Slack Winery’s dessert style wine. You should see the label! It is sweet, but not syrupy. You’ll find a palate full of vanilla and dried apricots lush on your tongue. That plus the label makes you really want to buy it!

Dilled Shrimp Scampi

I love Real Simple magazine. They really do try to help make your hectic, crazy life just a little bit more simple. Now, I don’t claim to have the busiest life in the world. For one thing, I don’t have kids, not even the four legged furry kind (definitely behind all those mamas!),  but I do often find myself wondering where the time went and why my to-do list is longer at the end of the day than where it started at the beginning. As much as I love spending time in the kitchen, sometimes I really need to just get in and out.

I came across the starting point for this recipe in Real Simple during one of those  many times when coming home and making dinner was just not happening and I was in desperate need of super fast and easy recipes. I mean, I love my Chick-Fil-A, but after a week (or two) of fast food for lunch and dinner I just start feeling horrible! Not only is this recipe super easy and fast, it’s amazingly versatile. As you’ll notice, the original recipe calls for lemons and no garlic, while the one below is the opposite (The lemon one is just as tasty!). I’ve even substituted shrimp for salmon and cod. So for those hectic days when you’re searching for something healthy and quick, why not try your own twist?

Ingredients

• 1/2 box whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/4  cup  olive oil
• appx 1/2 pound  peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp crumbled Feta
• 2-4 tablespoons  coarsely chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat
3. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside
4. Add remaining oil to the pan along with the minced garlic. Heat thoroughly
5. Add shrimp back into pan and toss to coat with the garlic infused oil
6. Sprinkle chopped dill over the shrimp and toss again
7. Place spaghetti on a plate and top with shrimp and olive oil topping with crumbled feta

               

~Ruth

Strawberry Tarragon Bruschetta Topping

My first weekend home from school I spent in sweltering heat. A freak summer storm that caused more damage than our last hurricane left me without power (aka no AC!) for a few days. Unable to cook and no desire for anything remotely warm, I fell back on a lovely, cool recipe I had made a few weeks before I left for Maryland when all the strawberries were beautiful, ruby red gems bursting with delicious sweetness.

Almost everyone has tried the strawberry and basil combination and I was interested in trying a new combination for a savory twist. I knew I wanted to use freshly ground black pepper, but what other herbs to try? Not mint, I wasn’t looking for sweet. Rosemary? Maybe, but I was thinking something more delicate. Ah, what about tarragon? I’d never actually used it before, but I remember “examining” some left overs Emilie had left in my fridge after making her Champagne-Sorbet Dessert while I was in Spain. I liked its almost anise scent and decided to give it a go. Definitely a winner! I think this is a lovely dish to bring to picnics and summer potlucks.

Strawberry and Tarragon Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb strawberries, hulled and diced small
• 1 tbsp chopped tarragon (use fresh, not dried)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• toasted baguette slices
• goat cheese, enough to spread on the toasted baguettes

Directions

1. Mix the diced strawberries and tarragon in a  bowl and toss
2. Cover and set aside in the fridge for about 2o minutes to allow the flavors to meld together
3. Add the freshly ground pepper and mix well.
4. Spread goat cheese over the toasted baguette slices and top with the strawberries.