Strawberry Salad & Grenache

What says summer better than the fruit of the farmers hard work in the fields? Make sure you have at least one Garden Party, sharing some good food and wine with friends.

Strawberries season here only has a few weeks left. Seeing so many rhubarb posts and no chance to do something myself, I thought posting this would get me in on the strawberry wagon.

Simple Summer Salad- Spinach, sliced strawberries with a vanilla, sugar and water dressing (simple syrup, but a tad thicker with vanilla). Sprinkle on some poppy seeds and pecans, then you have yourself a great entertaining piece. Butter poached Lobster would even be good on this dish.

I had to opportunity to help with a wine tasting, the host does the main course and some of us can volunteer to help with other dishes. The theme tonight on these elegant plates was Pulled Pork, beer 'butt' chicken (Yuengling- well liked beer in Jersey), homemade BBQ sauce made with host canned tomatoes, roasted fingerling and Peruvian potatoes and squash, along with strawberry salad and my dessert (no photos it was melting too fast in the heat) of maple brown sugar glazed bacon, dipped in chocolate- frozen and broken up into home made ice cream. Second time I have made it for a wine tasting, and it is a big hit with the salty, maple flavor, and sweetness of the ice cream.

Was a great night, along with a Grenache Around The World Pairing and Education. Served here with the salad was Chateau D'esclans, 'Whispering Angel Rose', France 08. Perfect description in the name 'Whispering' hints of strawberries, subtle tones of red from stems and seeds added for the typical Rose blush coloring, and it paired with the salad perfectly.

The winemaker really knows his Rose, Patrick Leon, was the winemaker at Mouton-Rothchilds. This wine is a blend of the Grenache and Rolle grapes.

Price tag? Under $20 per bottle and chilled, it will be great for your next Garden Party!

Thank You!

First things first! Girlichef passed on an award to me recently, and its the cutest award. One of her children a few months back picked my name out of a hat to win a sample of Sea Salt. Purple sea salt at that! Hints of Merlot, and a sister who loves purple I thought I would save it for my trip to Texas, but one day I found myself with no salt in the house, and no time to stop at the market. Well, you can guess what happened. Sorry Donna! I did not use it all, but let me tell you, the baked potatoes were delish with this salt! Thanks Girlichef for both of these wonderful things you have passed on to me...
















Next Ricardo @ Rico Cafe has passed on a questionnaire for some of us to answer. Rico here are my answers, and more...

Diamonds or pearls?
Give me the oysters and keep the pearl!

What is the last film you saw?
I have not gone to a movie in a long time, I read books, write, or fish...

Your favorite series?
I DVR Trueblood, Phyc, Monk, and a few others...

What kind of breakfast do you have usually?
Water and a piece of cranberry-walnut rustic bread, or gluten-free bread

Second given name?
Ann

Which kind of food can't you stand?
liver

Favorite name (at the moment)?
E; which is short for Exciting

Which car do you drive?
Catering Van

Which trait or character don't you like?
negative people

Favorite clothes?
Any nice comfortable ones, (preferred materials, cotton and linen) Same as Rico, so I know if we visited him, and our luggage was lost; then they would have extra clothes for us, lol

If you could take the airplane to go somewhere, where would you go?
Brazil. -I am there Rico; when are we going?

Where would you want to live when you are retired?
Where my grand kids are one day!

Which birthday do you remember the most?
Two more years I will be fifty, so start planning my party ya'll!

Your birthday?
June 16th

If you were a color, which one would you be?
Burnt Orange

Chocolate or vanilla?
depends on what the dessert is!

Coffee or tea?
Irish Coffee

The last person you had on the phone?
My sweetie, no car repair; sweetie soon...

Sweet or savory?
both...can't choose really. -I think they go well together!

The day of the week you prefer?
The day I get to cook...














Now we are suppose to pass it on, so I am passing it on too...


Tangle Noodle
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen
Ginger
Reggie Girl
Patty

and Rico, because sometimes a man just has to try one of for size and support now and then!

Everybody have a great weekend, and thanks for all of you that follow me...and go check out all the other great blogs out there! I have to ask someone to forgive me out there...I had an another award passed to me, but I get busy and forget, so sorry if I have forgotten someone! -Elizabeth

Shitake Quinoa Cakes & Ceviche over Radicchio-Endive Salad

Experimenting with salads can be daunting when you get bored with foods so quickly. This might sound more like a summer thing, but I eat this stuff throughout the year...

The menu was already thought out...bay scallops, cod, and a spicy lime marinade Ceviche with Shitake Quinoa Cakes. A local organic market, Whole Earth had some beautiful radicchio di verona (is actually Chicory- looks like a small head of red lettuce) and endives (Belgian White Gold) to compliment this dish. Neither need a dressing with the lime marinade of the cheviche spooned on top.

Both have a crunch with a tangy and bitter flavor that complimented the sweet, savory and spiciness of the other two in the bowl, and I love my homemade salsa on the quinoa...sometimes that is my lunch along with a small salad!

Quinoa Cakes

Cook the quinoa according to directions...but, let it over cook till it is just mushy enough to stick together. Add some oil or butter, finely chopped shitakes (my lil chopper), garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste...set it aside to cool a bit.

Take a round mold (mine came from William Sanoma) and rub oil inside. Heat up a few drops of oil in skillet or non-stick pan, and press quinoa down into to it and pull up to release. I could have made mine a little shorter, the stack almost collapsed, but brown on both sides then plate with desired ingredients.

Ceviche

There are so many recipes out there, and I change mine often. I took cilantro, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, red onion, and lime juice in my 'lil chopper and made a puree. I soaked the fish and scallops in lemon water to begin the cooking process (citrus cooks fish); then drained it after an hour of being in refrigerator and poured my blended mixture over them and then plate.