Colors of Summer...are mouthwatering!

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Summer Bite of Childhood - Mixed Media by Amy O.

 Recipes!!!

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” - Will Rogers

  I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!  I'm so excited to introduce yet another phenomenal Blogger - Collette who blogs for  http://www.eatdrinkcook.co.uk/  Cooking can be quite the colorful art - enjoy this colorful pallette of delicious, mouthwatering summer recipes!  I think I'll go do some ingredient shopping now...

Colors of Summer – A Trio of Seasonal Sensations

British Summers don’t have the best reputation and it’s fair to say that they’re not exactly reliable if you’re after guaranteed good weather.  That being said, when the weather is good then a British summer is hard to beat.  Everywhere is lush, green and full of vibrant colour. The parks are filled with families picnicking and playing Frisbee, the towns are filled with people socialising and enjoying their local beer gardens and the actual gardens? Well they’re full of beautiful seasonal produce.  Wild strawberries, sweet, juicy tomatoes, green peas, plumptious peaches… the list goes on and on!

This post is a celebration of that wonderful seasonal produce.  I will be sharing three fantastic recipes, which celebrate three of summer’s seasonal stars – beetroot, watermelon and peach.

Beetroot & Goat’s Cheese Salad

This simple salad makes a perfect starter or light lunch.  The sharp, creamy goat’s cheese and the sweet, earthy tones of the beetroot complement each other so well.  Add in the peppery watercress, crunchy walnuts and sweet, tangy orange dressing and you’ve got yourself a really beautiful little meal!

Serves 2 as a light lunch or 4 as a starter

You will need:

3 Beetroot

100 g soft Goat’s cheese

100 g Walnuts

1 tbs Maple Syrup

2 big handfuls of Watercress

For the dressing:

Juice of an ½ Orange

1 tbs Walnut oil

1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive oil

·       Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside

·       Put the beetroot in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil.  Continue to simmer for 20 minutes, until the beetroot is tender all the way through. Then leave to cool in cold water.

·       Now peel the beetroot and chop into segments (I usually cut into eighths)

·       Now lightly crush your walnuts to break them up a bit – you don’t want to turn them to dust, just to get them into smaller pieces

·       Chuck them into a hot, small frying pan and dry fry for about 30 seconds before adding the maple syrup and stirring to cover all the nuts. Fry for a further 30 seconds or so and then set aside to cool

·       Add your watercress, walnuts and beetroot to a big bowl and then crumble over the goat’s cheese

·       Now drizzle over your dressing and gently toss it so everything is covered

·       Season to taste

Watermelon Cooler

Who doesn’t love a bit of watermelon in the summer? This drink is so refreshing that it’s absolutely perfect on those hot days when you just can’t get cool!  With only 3 key ingredients, it really lets the natural flavours speak for themselves.  That being said, adding a dash of rum certainly doesn’t hurt, and turns this into a fantastic cocktail for friends.

Serves 2 in a tall glass, or 4 as a cocktail

You will need:

½ a small Watermelon, cut into chunks

A small handful of Mint leaves

(not too many – you don’t want to overpower the delicate flavour of the watermelon)

Juice of 1 Lime

A large handful of ice

1 tbs Agave Nectar (optional)

·       Add all of your ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth.

·       To add a bit of glitz, take your glass and dip the rim into some of the lime juice and then into a plate of sugar before pouring in your finished drink

·       Add an extra ice cube to serve

Peach Tart

Ok, you’ve enjoyed your healthy salad and you’re all chilled from your Watermelon Cooler.  I think you really deserve a bit of something sweet and slightly naughty now!  This Peach Tart is so simple but so delicious.  Again, using just a few ingredients helps to let the sweet peach flavour sing.  The slight back note of orange just helps to emphasise the peachiness a bit more.

You will need:

1 sheet puff pastry

4 ripe peaches

Juice of ½  an orange

1 tbs vanilla sugar (or normal sugar is fine if you don’t have any)

1 egg

·       Pre-heat your oven to 180C

·       Get your puff pastry out of the fridge

·       Now chop your peaches into thin slices and place them in a bowl with the orange juice and sprinkle over the sugar

·       Now get your pastry out and spread it over a baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper

·       Score a line all the way around the pastry, about an inch in from the edge to create a border. Careful not to cut all the way through!

·       Now take a fork and make several holes in the inner square

·       Lay your peach slices out over the inner square of the pastry so each one slightly overlaps the last

·       Pour the remaining orange juice and sugar into a small pan and bring to the boil. Let it reduce down to a syrup and then pour over the peaches

·       Paint the outer rim of the tart with some beaten egg and put the tray into your pre-heated oven for around 25 minutes until the pastry is cooked and golden and the peaches are soft and sweet.

TIP: For an extra special treat, stir up some cream cheese and peach jam and then spread over the inner base of your pastry before adding the peaches.  Yummm!

Serving Suggestions

If possible, all 3 dishes should be enjoyed outside in the sunshine with a group of friends or family :)

 

"Sweetness" - Mixed Media by Amy O.

Thanks again Collette and again, please do check out her blog: http://www.eatdrinkcook.co.uk/ - there are plenty more wonderful recipes where these came from!

Hope your day is filled with sun, color and some mouthwatering bites!

Come see my Artist Reception at Discovery Museum July 26th!