Cracktastic Cucumber Dip!

I love impromptu, relaxed gatherings of friends, especially in the summertime.  Back when we lived in Colorado there was barely a night that passed that we didn't have at least one person over for dinner and buckets of wine (you know who you are). We always managed to throw something together and we'd pass dishes around our ginormous dining table and no matter what drama we were in the middle of, food and our "friend family" seemed to cure all that might have ailed us. (The buckets of wine didn't hurt either.)

I think maybe that's why people want to cook for you when you've had a baby, when you're sick ("FEEEED a COLD!") or have experienced a loss or why we comfort-eat. Food just brings people together and just makes us feel better...until after we've stuffed ourselves anyway.  Some of my best meals I made in that tiny Denver kitchen and now years later I look back on those as my formative years. Today the responsibilities of work and families (and for some of us, living miles or continents apart) keep us from getting together as much as we'd like, but you can bet when we do, it's always a good time and there is guaranteed to be a lot of great food there no matter where we are!

Probably one of the most requested recipes in my arsenal is that of the "Cracktastic Cucumber Dip." I typically refer to this crowd pleaser as "Cucumber Crack Dip," but after taking some to a great little "friend-family" gathering last weekend, it was lovingly renamed by my gracious hosts.  I like the new name better.  This one's a sure thing, and a perfect use for those summer cucumbers - even if you're not a cucumber fan - pop a Beano and get over it...this stuff rocks.

Cracktastic Cucumber Dip 

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced 
• 1 pkg cream cheese, softened (Kitchen Hint: to soften a block of cream cheese, unwrap, place in a microwave-safe dish and heat covered for 20-30 seconds) 
• 1/8 cup light mayo 
• 1/8 cup light sour cream (can increase mayo/sour cream later to get the right consistency)
• Coarse sea salt & ground black pepper (to taste) 
• 1/2 tsp salt-free seasoning like Mrs. Dash - or you can make your own 

Chop, mix, eat at one sitting.  Perfect on any cracker.

This makes great finger sandwiches for baby/bridal showers too (I've totally done that, and if you do it too, just very lightly spread the bread with tub-margarine before you layer on the dip so it won't soak thru and sog up your bread). You could add chopped bacon to it too for a yum twist or add chiles or a little paprika or chili powder...possibilities are endless!

So next time you hear a full mouth saying, "Owfmagawd whoof made disdip?!?" You'll be victorious!

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

Too Much Pepper....

Have you ever been looking around on Facebook and you've seen friends post pictures of things they fixed for dinner and they look SO GROSS?  Like "What IS that brown stuff?"  Yeah, I've avoided posting food pics a time or two because of not wanting to scare off my friends.  My husband and daughters have this phrase for when they throw gutter-balls when bowling on the XBOX Kinect: "Too much pepper."  Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you just spent over an hour prepping dinner for your family for no one to eat any of it but you, or worse, even you are not willing to eat the God-awful monstrosity you put on the table?  Well, both of these things happened to me in the same week recently.

Maybe you got a little overzealous with a new recipe or maybe you simply gave it "too much pepper," and ruined the whole thing.  Let's face it, sometimes we'd just rather give up, bust out a bowl of Cheerios and call it a night. My challenge last week was to creatively come up with ways to cook the mother-load of yellow summer squash and zucchini that we've found ourselves with in our family garden.  You read all these food posts and no one ever talks about food failures. Well I've not had a banner week, folks.

I made an awesome gratin one night and we almost ate the whole thing, but that sort of thing doesn't really reheat well and who wants gratin every night (don't answer that). So I went for a vegetarian teriyaki stir-fry: a kitchen-sink-in-a-wok kind of deal using what contents I had in the fridge that might ideally have presented complimentary flavors.  My mistake, too much ginger I think (if there is such a thing), which really does not go well with zucchini and a bland sauce. Even though I added more brown sugar than I should have, it was bitter to me. Three bites and I was out. My husband said it was good, God love him. The brown leftovers are still in my fridge. 

With that failure came a halfhearted victory, with a fusion of Italian sausage and peppers meets pasta primavera. Mistakes, too much olive oil (if there is such a thing), overcooked pasta and my husband picked tonight to tell me after 15-years of marriage he "just doesn't like peppers." Geez, that was a shot.  So fine then, more for me.  Well, "more for me" turned out to mean another Gladware full of leftovers in the fridge and me being all pissed that I planted a bunch of peppers in the garden this year.  WTG.

So in my quest to find fun things to do with the old zucchini, sometimes simpler really is better.  How about some good, old fashioned fried zucchini with a nice, Italian twist?

Italian Zucchini Chips

Ingredients:

• One large zucchini or two medium, sliced
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• pinch of coarse salt, to taste
• One egg, lightly whisked
• Deep-fryer or deep skillet and vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients in a large Ziploc bag.  (It's Shake-n-Bake...and I helped!!!!)

Dredge zucchini slices in egg and shake in bag, three or four at a time.  Add to preheated oil in skillet or deep fryer and fry for about a minute or until golden brown.  Dry on a paper towel to remove excess oil and serve immediately when hot.

These are great when dipped in marinara and my kids like to dip them in ranch dressing.  This recipe also works great with green tomatoes!

Yum!  So until next time, may you have no kitchen disasters or brown buckets of goo hanging out in the back of your fridge.

Basil, Basil Everywhere!

Aaaah, Summer!

One of my most favorite things about summer is having garden-fresh herbs at the ready from the convenience of my own back yard. Each year I grow varieties of basil, parsley, oregano, chives and cilantro. This year I added aromatic rosemary and some mint for good measure and to add a little depth to my herb pots and window boxes. 

These beautiful herbs are the perfect compliment to my midsummer tomatoes, peas, summer squash and zucchini. Anything that I can't grow myself I can find at my community farmer's market - usually grown right here in surrounding Kentucky counties or at area Amish communities. Even the organic section at our local grocery store has a decent selection this time of year.  

There is a certain satisfaction that comes from eating locally grown products, especially those straight from the producer and even better, those that we nurtured and grew at home ourselves.  There are certain items that require little care and are quite easy to grow, sweet basil being among them. All you need is a pot, some nice soil and a small basil plant. They are also simple to grow from seeds. Some herbs like basil and mint like to spread out when they grow, so I have found container gardens to be an excellent way to keep them under control to avoid overproduction.  

Basil has a distinctive sweet aroma and rich flavor that perfectly compliments summer tomatoes, fresh green onions and even naval oranges. It is a staple ingredient in many ethnic dishes including Italian, Mediterranean, Thai, Middle Eastern and Caribbean cuisines, just to name a few. 

Fresh sweet basil can transform an ordinary pasta dinner. You can add it to pizza, pasta sauces and even substitute basil and oranges for the mint and limes usually reserved for your summer mojitos. So many uses and so little effort!  Even if you don't consider yourself to be the best cook in the world, you can make yourself look like a culinary genius by just adding some fresh herbs to your dish!  Eat well!  Impress your friends!

A couple of years ago my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary at a lovely restaurant called Trattoria Locanda Il Porticciolo in Manarola, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Italy. To me this one one of the most beautiful and romantic places on earth. The restaurant itself was full of relaxed, romantic, European charm and this seaside village was home to some of the freshest and most interesting sea cuisine.

One of the old world dishes they served at the Il Porticciolo was a local specialty, Trofie al Pesto, hand-twisted gnocchi pasta served with a simple pesto sauce. This dish is a northern Italian specialty, so of course we had to give it a try!  Naturally, it was spectacular, but a little goes a long way, so I suggest serving it along side lighter fare such as grilled seafood or chicken.

This summer when I began my first basil harvest I started with a pesto sauce that brought back the memory of Manarola so vividly that I could have closed my eyes and felt the sea breeze on my face.  Now here I will share my version of the taste of Manarola with you!

Kitchen Hint: if you are planning to use store bought basil, see if you can find a potted basil plant to use rather than opting for the precut, packaged variety. Potted basil should be more affordable and the clippings will taste better. Plus, you can keep the pot or re-pot it and it will keep giving all summer long!  If potted basil is not available, soak your packaged basil sprigs in some ice water for about 20 minutes before you use them.  This should add a little crisp to the leaves. 

World's Best Pesto - No Really

(serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side) 

Ingredients:

• Fresh pasta - the bagged, coiled variety is best, cooked al dente; I use fresh fettuccini  - this is usually available in the gourmet Italian section at the supermarket.  I've even seen it at WalMart. 

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil - lots of it! The darker the color, the richer the flavor.  Go for a nice, dark green variety.  Remember, higher quality is best for flavor, but if that doesn't fit in your budget, go for the darkest you can afford.

• Black peppercorn and fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

• Sea salt (also to taste) NO TABLE SALT!  In fact, while you're at it, just get rid of your table salt altogether or reserve it for baking only

• Four large stems of fresh sweet basil (4-6" tall); Leaves should be firm and not limp/wilted. If they are limp, soak in a bowl of ice water for 20 minutes before using. Should amount to at least two cups of leaves once you have cut the leaves from their stems.

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

• 2 tablespoons fresh pine nuts

• Juice from 1/2 large lemon Kitchen Hint: Half lemon & remove seeds with the point of a knife. To juice, stab a fork in the middle and squeeze juice out in a circular motion. 

• Three cloves of minced fresh garlic; Jarred variety is ok, smashed fresh is better because it retains the oil in the cloves and enhances the flavor.

• Shaved Parmesan cheese (to taste)
  

• Lovely bottle of Chianti or Italian red table wine (optional, but oh, so good)

Instructions:

Combine basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse process until finely combined, but not mushy. 

Add Olive Oil 1/4 cup at a time until consistency is smooth, not runny. 

Boil pasta (do not overcook) until al dente - package directions should have a range...to achieve al dente, go for the shortest duration of the range. Drain pasta and water and place drained pasta back in empty pot and toss in a little olive oil to keep pasta from sticking.

Add pesto sauce to hot pasta and heat on low until sauce is heated, but not boiling (note: pesto sauce will not and should not boil)  You might not even need to reheat at all, the heat from the pasta should offset the cold of the pesto.

Top with shaved Parmesan and serve immediately

I serve this dish with a lovely fresh tomato and basil summer salad.

Tomato and Basil Summer Salad

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

• Two fresh ripe red tomatoes
• One small green tomato 
• One stem fresh basil, leaves removed and sliced 
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley 
• 1/4 cup thin sliced red onion 
• 1/8 cup sliced chives
• One clove minced garlic  
• Pinch of sea salt 
• Fresh ground black pepper 
• Balsamic vinegar 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• Crushed red pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese to taste  
• Could add cucumber also instead of green tomato

Chop tomatoes and mix all ingredients.  This salad is best when it has had a chance to marinate.  You may also use an Italian salad dressing of your choice with this salad and it is very good.  This is a great summer potluck item and works well as a side dish with just about anything.

Serve everything with a nice, crusty Italian or French bread and you've got a dinner fit for a true Southern Italian!

Ciao Bella Y'all!