Favorite Summer Recipes

[gyrafoam]

Tomato & Watermelon Salad

5 Cups Watermelon, seeded and cut into 3/4in. cubes
1 1/2lb. Ripe Tomatoes cut into 3/4in. cubes
3 t. light brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 small Red Onion (quartered and thinly sliced)
Few leaves fresh Basil (chopped)
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 C., E.V. Olive Oil
Dash Accent
Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and try not to break -up the melon cubes.

Refrigerate overnight and toss lightly before plating. I like to serve on a Bibb Lettuce leaf. Serves 4-6
Healthy and refreshing!

Enjoy!

 

[gyrafoam]

O.k., whats up?
Everybody's always posting photos of your favorite foods----how 'bout sharing some recepies!

 

[toggleswitch2]

Summer recipe sometimes 5 ingredients or less is best!

*HI SUGAH!, WAVES*

Cabbage salad. [LAHANOSALATA] ("cole slaw")

Finely chop a cabbage into strips. In a strainer, coat with salt. Crush between base of ball of hand (before thumb) and balance of palm. This step softens it. RINSE WELL.

Add sliced cucumber.

Dress with

1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons salad oil (preferably olive oil).

The lemon juice makes it very refreshing.

Alternative dressing

1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 Tablespoons oil.

ENJOY.

Works well also with Kalamata olives. And for authenticity's sake, not pitted or canned, please!

 

[polkanut]

Originally got this from GadgetGary,

"Greenies"

1 can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 2 liter Sprite

Mix the Sprite and limeade in a 2qt. pitcher. Fill the empty limeade can with vodka and add to the mixture(or however much "booze" you prefer). Stir and pour over ice. Enjoy!

 

[maytagbear]

The only thing I like to make in the summer

seeing as how there is no air conditioning in this place....

The only thing I like to make is reservations!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[rpm]

Slush or Slosh,depends on how much you drink

8 cups of water
3 cups of sugar
2 lemons
2 oranges
3 bananas
48 oz can of pineapple juice
2 cans of frozen lemonade
40 oz of vodka
Boil water and sugar for 15 mins to make a simple syrup.Add the 2 cans of lemonade,stir and remove from heat.
In batchs in a blender, puree fruit with pineapple juice.
Add to the syrup.Pour in the vodka and divide into 3 or 4 plastic containers.
Freeze.
To serve, add 3 quarters of slush in a glass to one quarter sprite.
I made the tomato/watermellon salad. It was very good at dinner, by tomorrow it will be perfect.

 

[gyrafoam]

Lawrence----

Don't those two drink recipies sound refreshing! I'd like to send you a pitcher!
What with all the vintage airconditioners out there ---what are you doing without?!

 

[tlee618]

This is a fun thread! That drink sounds really refreshing. Here's another that is also good. It came from Southern Living

Pink Lemonade
In a large pitcher mix the following

1 large can of frozen pink lemonade, thawed
3 bottles or cans of light beer, brand is your choice, I used Bud Light
1 can of vodak, just use the lemonade can to measure
combine the above and mix well.

Serve in a tall glass with ice, fill 3/4 full of the mixture and top it off with sprite.

Strange combination but it really is good.

Enjoy Terry

 

[toggleswitch2]

oooh that's gonna haunt you.........

Vodak moment.

Too much vodka and someone with a Kodak camera.
*LOL*

 

[maytagbear]

Actually, a dish--

a salad-

1 "English"- "hothouse"-"burpless" cucumber (long, plastic wrapped, thin-nish.)

1 small to medium yellow/brown onion.

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Salt, pepper to taste

(Only if you must-) 1-2 teaspoons canola or corn oil.

Peel cucumber, slice into thin slices, but not paper thin ones. If you're serving older people, or younger people with known digestive troubles, remove the seeds by slicing cucumber in half, lengthwise, and scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon.

Peel and slice onion, a little more thickly than the cucumber.

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in glass or stainless steel bowl. Add the cucumber and onion (should be more cucumber than onion, mix gently with clean hands. If you feel the need for the oil, add, and gently mix it in. The oil is not at all common.

Refrigerate, covered for at least one hour, up to about four hours.

Variation--after one hour of chilling, add one tomato, sliced horizontally(across), and chill at least an additional half hour.

When ready to serve, taste and correct seasoning. This salad shoud be more tart than sweet, but should not make you wince or shudder.

Lawrence/Maytagbear-

Confidential to Steve/Gyrafoam-

1) Wiring in this apartment is marginal.

2) I do not drink the alcohol. Alcohol and a Maytagbear = Very Bad Combination.

 

[gyrafoam]

Lawrence----

Just get a tiny "window-shaker" for your bedroom-----they are so "state-of -the -art" now!

As for the alcohol----I'm in the same boat. Just use everything else to make a punch. Perhaps you'll come across something Mr. Leary left behind to add to it for that extra little bump!

 

[jakeseacrest]

For the Southeners here, I was introduced to sweet tea made by a relative from Georgia....I am completely hooked! Now I just need a recipe.

 

[michaelman2]

Sweet Tea

Jake: You have warmed my heart. My mother is from Atlanta and my father from Boston. For years when I would ask for sweet tea in Botson, I would be looked at like I was crazy or told " I can bring you some sugar"...I digress. In the south sweet tea is the "Table Wine of the South!" You either love it or dislike it...few inbetweeners.

For One Gallon of Sweet Tea:
9 regular Lipton Black Tea bags or 3 Family Size Lipton bags
Pinch of Baking Soda (make sure it is fresh)
2.5 cups of Fresh Cane Sugar

Bring 2 quarts of tap water to a boil. Remove the pan (Pyrex works best) Place the tea bags in the still water and let them steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze the bags against the pan to drain out the tea from the bags.

Add pinch of baking soda and stir. Add sugar to HOT tea stir until disolved completely. NOTE: Southern sweet tea is very sweet and I like to tell everyone that for it to be real Southern tea it has to be "thick". You can of course adjust the sweetness to your taste.

My grandmother would at times add 3 saccharine tablets to the mixture creating a very sweet (albiet carcinogenic..smirk) beverage.

 

[retro-man]

Michaelman2, Hello
Just a question on your recipe, sounds wonderful by the way. If the recipe is for 1 gallon and you only boil 2 quarts of water do you add 2 quarts of cold water at the end? Or does this magically come out to 4 quarts after all is done? Just joking but do you add the other 2 cold at the end?
Jon

 

[westtexman]

Texas Sweet Tea . .

I've never been to the "South", but sweet tea is pretty common here in Texas as well. I've done it a few different ways, but I've found that using the old-fashioned loose tea makes the best sweet tea in the world! Here's the recipe:

Bring 1 quart of water to a full boil. Remove from heat and add one HEAPING spoon full (like the big spoons in your silverware drawer) of loose tea (Lipton is best). Make sure all grounds are completely wet and let the tea steep for about 15 minutes. This will give it a very rich flavor and make it dark.

Add 1 2/3 cups of sugar to a 1-gallon pitcher, and then pour hot tea through a strainer into pitcher. Stir well. Then add cold water to make one gallon. Stir well again. Serve with ice, and you've got some great sweet tea!

The key to crisp, clear and refreshing tea is to make sure you NEVER boil the tea. You boil the water and then take it off the heat before you add the tea leaves. If you boil the tea it will turn bitter.

Hope you enjoy!

Bryan

 

[michaelman2]

Hi Jon....lord I did not even catch that...well that would indeed make "Sweet Tea Syrup". You are correct you fill a gallon container with the simple tea syrup and then the remainder with cold water. I have tried the loose tea mentioned above with good results but frankly, the extra effort to strain the tea was not noticible in the quality of the tea in my opinion.
Mike

 

[perc-o-prince]

Corn Salad

- 3c sweet corn, roasted, al dente, and cut from the cob
- 1/2 small red onion, small dice
- 2 med Roma tomatoes, seeded, small dice
- 1 rib celery, small dice
- 1 finely diced small jalepeno (optional, or to taste)
- heavy pinch Kosher salt (about 1/4 tsp)
- a few grinds black pepper
- 4-5 large basil leaves, chiffonade

Mix everything but the basil together. Dress lightly with red wine vinegar, mix, then drizzle with olive oil (you can make or use your favorite vinaigrette instead). Just before serving, toss in the basil. If you add the basil in the beginning, it turns dark faster.

Substitutions? Additions?
Sub 16oz frozen corn for fresh (Trader Joe's white is very good!)
Sub 1 scallion for the red onion
Add 1/4 - 1/3c finely diced red, orange or yellow pepper
Sub juice of 1/2 lime for the vinegar

Really, you can add almost any crunchy veg in here that you like! I would just be sure they're cut about the same or smaller in size as the corn. It's very refreshing when served right from the fridge on a hot day!

Chuck

 

[perc-o-prince]

Pulled Pork (gas grill)

I know this would be better with a charcoal grill or in a true smoker, but with the gas grill I can leave it alone all day while we're at Brimfield!

Start the day before with an 8-10# pork shoulder. Score the skin and fat cap (but not the meat) in a diamond pattern. Prepare the rub:

- 3T paprika
- 2T granulated garlic
- 4T dark brown sugar
- 2T ground dry mustard
- 2T Kosher salt
- 2T chili powder
- 1/2T ground pepper
- 1/2T cinnamon
- 1/2T liquid smoke

Mix everything together, and add just enough water until a paste forms, the consistancy of tomato paste. Massage the rub into the pork and store in a ziplock in the fridge at least overnight.

For a gas grill (makes it very easy) put a disposable foil cookie sheet under the main cooking grate. If you have 4 burners, put the sheet in the middle. If you have 2-3, put it far to one side. If you have a smoke box, fill it with dry chips (I use apple) and put it on the burner hood/flavorizer bar under the cooking grate if it fits. Light the outside burners if you have 4, or one side, opposite the pork, if you have 2 or 3. The smoke box goes over a lit burner. Ideally you're looking for about 250-260 degrees. I have 4 burners and if I leave the two outer ones on the lowest setting, it maintains well.

Leave the pork on there for about 8-9 hours. Fat will drip into the cookie sheet as the pork cooks. If you want to, carefully change the wood in the smoke box a couple of times if it burns out. If you have an instant-read thermometer, you're looking for about 175-180 degrees.

At some point during the cooking, make the sauce:

- 28oz can tomato puree
- 1/2 can frozen OJ
- 1c white vinegar
- 1c dark brown sugar
- 1T granulated garlic
- 1t liquid smoke

Bring all ingredients to a boil, and simmer for about an hour. The sauce should be relatively thin and a little sweet, but with a little vinegar tang. Add a little more brown sugar or vinegar as needed because all tomato sauces have a little different sweetness to them. Remember, I don't usually measure with stuff like this so these are approximate. If you need to adjust to taste, do it!

When the pork is done, carefully pull it off the grill. Discard the fat and skin (well, some people chew on pieces of the crispy skin while they pull the pork). Take 2 forks and shred the meat. Add sauce to taste. The pork should be more damp than wet, and not sloppy. You want the sauce to add to the pork flavor, not overpower it. Extra sauce can be served on the side or frozen for the next time you make this. Keep the pork tightly covered and warm until serving time. A foil chafing pan and aluminum foil is great for this, and it can go back on the grill with indirect heat if you want. The pork can be eaten as-is with a fork, or on buns.

I know this may sound like a lot of work, but it's really not hard, and it's a lot of fun to have someone there to help! Our cousin Mary Jane is always ready to help me pull my pork! (You didn't expect me to let this whole thing go without at least ONE pork-pulling quip, did you?)

Chuck

 

[toggleswitch2]

Were her parents hippies?

Mary Jane?
Marijuana en espanol?

Just remeber it's a taffy-pulling contest at St. Peter's; not a peter-pulling contest at St. Taffy's!

So there! LOL