A few Sundays back the weather warmed up suddenly (randomly) and Julie and Sister Amy decided that the perfect weather called for a picnic. Amy & Julie have a talent for great get-together ideas – and for cobbling together all-star menus at the last minute. This one was certainly no exception.
Amy just happened to already have a baguette and all the ingredients for an Asparagus Fritatta. Julie was the dispatched to the store for Wine, Goat Cheese and Olives.
It should be noted here that Sister Amy’s Fritatta made a shockingly good (and shockingly resilient) finger food. As it baked it formed a bit of a crust that gave it some backbone. Sliced into wedges it kept it’s structure well, didn’t fall apart all over the place, and it was really fun to eat. It was very easy to imagine a backyard full of people wandering around, chatting and sipping Champagne and nibbling on Frittata. Just an FYI for your next picnic or whatever…
The star of the menu, however, had to be the White Sangria that they just “threw together”. While at the store Julie had picked up a selection of Citrus Fruit and two gigantic bottles of an inexpensive White Wine. After experimenting a little with the ratios of fruit, ice, wine, and sugar they eventually struck gold. Their Sangria was light and refreshing with just a touch of sweetness.
All in all we wound up with a pretty sophisticated spread of appetizers and finger foods that was also pretty inexpensive (and just plain pretty). To top it all off, the White Wine Sangria was amazing and was really refreshing. We should probably give yet another shout out to Lyndie for putting the Sangria bug in our brains… Thanks Lyndie!
This is definitely going to be the summer of Sangria. They’re just too delicious, affordable, and easy to not make them all the time. Here’s what went into ours:
1 Lime, sliced
1 Blood Orange, sliced
1 large Meyers Lemon (or two small ones), sliced
2 Grapefruits, 1 sliced and 1 juiced
1 1.5 liter bottle of inexpensive White Wine (we spent about $8 a bottle for ours)
Ice Cubes
Sugar to taste
Toss all the fruit slices and juice into your most gigantic pitcher, pour in the Wine, top it up with ice, stir/mash it all together and sweeten it to taste with a little sugar.
We got a little fancier with the varieties of fruit than is really necessary. Regular old oranges and lemons would be great in this and might save you a buck or two.
It’s going to be fun to make a Red Sangria now (Lyndie’s specialty). Maybe we’ll try throwing some berries in it once their in season, who knows? We’ll be sure to post the results of any experimenting we do.
Cheers! 
We’ve totally been on a Roasted Red Pepper and fresh Basil tear lately. Maybe we’re just impatient for Summer to finally arrive, we have been teased by a few warm, sunny days the past couple of weeks. Anyhoo, the peppers and basil have been going into pretty much everything these days including salads, dressings, and this sandwich.
C’mon, just look at it. Have you ever seen anything so scrumptious looking in your whole life? Us either… Read more »
As with most of the food ideas we have, this soup started out as something completely different. Originally, it was a recipe from Emeril for Garlic-roasted Asparagus that we were asked to make for Easter. That recipe was deceptively simple: toss the Asparagus with some crushed/minced Garlic, Olive Oil, and Salt & Pepper and roast it until golden brown – about 10 minutes or so. It was very similar in execution to our Rosemary Roasted Asparagus only Emeril finished it with a squeeze of fresh Lemon Juice.
We loved the freshness that the Lemon added to the Asparagus, and since we’d been wanting to make some Asparagus soup for quite a while we decided to borrow heavily from the Easter recipe ala Emeril.
Okay, so this may seem like a bit of a nothing post, but we were so pleased with the way the Sautéed Tomatoes turned out we just had to mention it – saucy, sweet, and savory…they were a revelation. Another gentle reminder that sometimes simplicity is best.
And though simple it may be, we think this is a fantastic (maybe perfect) weekend breakfast: lightly Scrambled Eggs, some sauteed Cherry Tomatoes with a little Parmesan Cheese and some hearty whole grain toast. After sautéeing the Tomatoes come out of the pan sweet and juicy and once they burst the juices reduce and concentrate and they take on a wonderful silky/saucy quality. A pinch of Kosher Salt, some cracked Black Pepper, and a dusting of finely grated Parmesan over the top rounds out the flavors nicely.
It’s an easy and relaxed breakfast that leaves you more time to enjoy the morning. Add a newspaper or a nice chat (or the internet), and a steaming cup of freshly-brewed coffee and you’ve got yourself a reason to linger at the breakfast table for a bit.
This may be one of the richest (and best) ways to serve Artichokes ever: steamed, cored, and stuffed with a heavenly blend of Bleu Cheese, Cream, and Thyme. Top it all with a crunchy/savory layer of Parmesan, Breadcrumbs, and even more Thyme, then roast it…whew!
Essentially it’s an Artichoke with a creamy little fondue pot inside. Diners peel the leaves off of the outside and dip them into the crunchy, gooey Bleu Cheese goodness on the inside. Read more »
