Category: summer

With summer’s official arrival and the 4th of July coming up, happy summer times are here again, friends.  Like the summer temps, summer food recipes are a hot topic of conversation.

I really look forward to picking, preparing, and plating traditional summer fare.  I’ll put a new spin on an old favorite to spice the taste factor up a bit, but all in all I stay true to the original recipe.

Fresh is best for many summer food recipes.

Fresh tomatoes?

The official unofficial fruit of summer.

Yes, a tomato is a fruit.

Fresh corn?

Flickr

Stir in chopped bell pepper, onion, Kosher salt, fine black pepper and you’ve got a sweet summer treat.

Fresh peaches?

Peel ’em up and pass the sugar.

When I can’t make it out to the local growers, it’s to the farm to market produce section at the local grocery store I go.  There’s plenty of summer food recipes out there with an ingredients list of seasonings ready to enhance the flavor quotient.

Today I’m shining the summer food recipes spotlight on traditional and new traditional favorites sure to please.

Classic Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

1½ cup (12 ounces) dry elbow macaroni

½ cup mayonnaise (I use Duke’s)

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

¼ cup milk

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon Kosher salt (or more to taste)

black pepper to taste

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 medium bell pepper, diced

¼ cup red onion, diced

1 whole green onion (green and white parts), sliced

1 cup whole kernel corn, drained

Directions

Cook the elbow macaroni in salted water according to directions on package. Drain cooked macaroni, rinse with cold water, and allow to completely cool.

Chop, slice, and dice the tomato, bell pepper, red onion, and green onion.

To prepare the dressing grab a medium mixing bowl.  Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, milk,  sugar, salt and pepper.  Stir all together to incorporate and set aside.

Place macaroni in a large mixing bowl.  Add the bell pepper, green onion, red onion, tomatoes, and corn.

Pour dressing over top and toss to evenly coat.  Chill salad for at least 2 hours before serving.

Bread and butter pickles recipe from Recipe Girl.  Click on over to the  delicious Recipe Girl blog for the recipe details.

Recipe Girl Blog Link HERE

Marinated Tomatoes and Onions

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, sliced and separated

3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

½ cup vinegar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon honey

1 cup water

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper

½  teaspoon allspice

Directions

Layer tomatoes and onions in jar.  Sprinkle the pepper and allspice into jar.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, honey, sea salt, and water to combine.

Pour vinegar-sugar-honey-sea salt-water mixture into jar covering the tomatoes and onions.  Place lid on jar and seal tight.  Give the jar a vigorous shake to incorporate the flavors and to thoroughly coat the tomatoes and onions.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Firecrackers, chicken, and the summer soiree are part of the recipe for summer entertaining success.

Contrary to summer soiree belief, not everyone grills and barbecues.

Oppressive heat, inclement weather, building restrictions, personal taste preference- you get the idea.

If you’re not on board the grilling/barbecue train, this recipe for oven baked Firecracker Chicken from Jo Cooks has got your name written on it.

Click HERE to get the recipe.

And now for something sweet

Dessert puts the cherry on the top of the summer spread cake, so to speak.

It’s always a good time for a good s’mores recipe, and this Chocolate Chip S’mores Bars recipe from Glorious Treats is, well, glorious.

Who remembers cranking out homemade ice cream on a hot summer afternoon?

Dave the Builder and I both have done our fair share of cranking over the years of childhood.  What complaints we had about having to crank were quickly diminished when the ice cream was ready.

When a good crop of peaches came in at the local orchard, my grandmother would peel and dice a bowl full of fresh peaches to add to the ice cream.

Talk about good!

In the spirit of summer, good memories, and great summer food recipes, this recipe for fresh peach ice cream from Southern Living is deliciously appropriate.

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients

5 large egg yolks

½  cup sugar

2 cups whole milk

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk

2 cups mashed peaches

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Whisk in the milks.  Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, 15 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.  Stir in the peaches and vanilla.

Cool completely (about 30 minutes); cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.

Pour the custard into the freezer container of a 2 ½ to 3-quart electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Instructions and times may vary.)  Transfer to a freezer-safe container; freeze 2 hours or until firm.

-Southern Living