The oncoming heat of summer here in wine country has got us thinking about summer eats and entertaining. Here is a roundup of some of our favorite recipes, regardless of the time of year.
Chicken with Shallots: This recipe comes to us courtesy of The New York Times. Clay loves to discover recipes that he thinks I would enjoy making. As a cook, I make a great bookkeeper. Nonetheless, it did look delicious and not particularly difficult, so I attempted it with great success. It's now a mid-week standard. That is, if I have to cook mid-week.
Blueberry Pie: We mentioned this recipe in the Cook The Shrimp blog, which is brought up and laughed over at every single Russian River Valley Girls' luncheon. The crust is a shining moment in pie making with the use of vodka. This is the only crust I've ever eaten where the "rind" is eaten with as much gusto as the rest of the pie. Anyway, it is delicious and with blueberry season fast approaching, every dinner invitation is bound to be attended with this pie in hand.
Ginger-Marinated Shrimp: This really is a great and simple shrimp recipe that is great for a barbecue or potluck. Just remember to COOK THE SHRIMP.
Cornbread: I found this take on cornbread made with polenta out of necessity. I really, really wanted to make cornbread but realized I had no cornmeal. I did have polenta, though, and thought to myself, "Isn't that really just coarse corn meal?" I had to go to the market anyway for the buttermilk, but it was worth the trip. The cornbread had a bit of a crunchiness to it that I found really appealing. I found the recipe in a fun cooking blog called "Muffin Top", but they correctly credited the recipe to another cooking site called The Hungry Mouse.
Cola Shredded Beef Tacos: We prep the ingredients in the morning, cook it in a crockpot all day, and have to-die-for tacos waiting for us after a long day of hard work.
Zucchini Fritters: These zucchini fritters are a great way to use up our excess summer squash.
Grilled Meats and Veggies over Saffron Orzo: We love placing a platter heaping with grilled chicken, shrimp and veggies in the middle of our summer table and hearing the oohs and aahs. This is a great one for entertaining.
White Peach Sangria: What's a summer meal without a great summer drink? This refreshing white peach sangria has a nice balance between sweet and tart and can be made in Mason jars and iced down in big aluminum tubs.