Hot fun in the summertime ...

"End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi, hi, hi, hi there
Them summer days, those summer days"















My brother and sister-in-law celebrated their mutual retirement and 60th birthdays with an impressive picnic last Saturday. Of course it was hot but that didn't seem to bother anyone. I think all us Minnesotans are used to being hot and sticky this summer. Mike and Sharon set up an inflatable-bounce-fun-house for the little kids and a live band played sixties-style music. They served keg beer, keg root beer, wine and pitchers of margaritas along with delicious pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches. The dining room table was piled high with an amazing array of salads and a nearby counter groaned from the weight of cookies, cherry pie and bars of every description. Life doesn't get any better and I hope the two of them enjoy many happy years of retirement.

I was especially inspired by a unique salad one of the party guests, Kathy, brought. It's gorgeous to look at and features some truly interesting ingredients: sweet corn and blueberries! I would never think of putting corn and blueberries together in a salad, and when you read the other ingredients, you'll be even more surprised!

Kathy got the recipe from TV's KARE 11 News@4. Local chef Amy Shipshock, from Le Cordon Bleu, prepared the salad on the KARE 11 program. I also found it on the Better Homes and Gardens site. The photo below is from Better Homes and Gardens as well:



















(Photo from Better Homes and Gardens)

Summer Salad with Blueberries and Fresh Sweet Corn
Prepare ahead, chill overnight
Ingredients:
6 ears of fresh sweet corn, husked
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 small cucumber, sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1//4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tsp. ground cumin
Directions:
In a dutch oven bring salted water to a boil. Add corn. Cook, covered 5 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs. Combine lime juice, oil, honey, cuming, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Shake well to blend. In a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro and jalapeno. Pour dressing over all; toss.
Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24hrs). Serves 6-8.

It's the berries ...

Crisps make the perfect summer dessert and there are oodles of fruit combinations to try. I used four kinds of berries in this crisp: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. I like the idea of putting the oatmeal layer on the top and bottom, for extra texture and flavor. It wasn't that long ago I blogged about a Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp with Cardamom and Nutmeg. This one is equally good!
Berry Crisp
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup. If you want a sweeter crisp, use 1/2 cup sugar)
2 1/2 cups strawberries and
1/2 cup blueberries (or use all strawberries, or whatever combination you like). I used blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.

Mix together oatmeal, flour, and brown sugar. Add nuts. Cut in butter until crumbly. In another bowl mix the berries and white sugar together. Butter an 8-inch square pan. Spread 1/2 the crumb mixture on bottom, cover with berry mixture, then spread the remaining crumb mixture on top. Bake 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or till bubbly. Great served warm with ice cream or crème fraîche. Or try thick Greek yogurt. If it's too tart add a little honey and welcome to heaven!

Chicken with peaches and blueberries ...

When it's hot like this, I try to come up with light, refreshing suppers. I found this simple, no-cook salad recipe the other day and decided now would be the perfect time to try it. Fresh peaches star. I added the blueberries and they make a nice flavor contrast. The vinaigrette, made from ordinary pantry staples, takes just minutes to prepare and is a delicious compliment to the other ingredients. I love the sweet maple with the tangy mustard. You can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time. I used chicken breasts we grilled yesterday. As I sit here typing this, I think some diagonally sliced celery would also be a nice addition. Serves 4. Adapted from Cooking Light.

CHICKEN SALAD WITH PEACHES, BLUEBERRIES AND PECANS
Dressing
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons shallots, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Rest of Ingredients
2 cups rotisserie-cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups peaches, peeled & sliced
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup red onion, sliced vertically
1/4 cup pecans, chopped & toasted
10 ounces gourmet salad greens
2-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (I used feta cheese)
Directions
1. Combine first 8 ingredients; stir with a whisk.
2. Combine chicken and remaining ingredients except cheese in a large
bowl. Add vinegar mixture; toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese.

Simple, easy and delicious ...

Here's the perfect dessert for a warm August night. I think it tastes best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
FRESH BLUEBERRY-PEACH CRISP
1 pint fresh blueberries
5-6 fresh ripe peaches
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. soft butter
1 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg
Peel and slice the peaches and place in lightly buttered 8 x 8 x 2 baking dish. Add the blueberries. Sift flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in bowl; cut in soft butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. I used my fingers because they work better!
Sprinkle mixture over peaches and blueberries. Bake at 350 degrees 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown and peaches are tender.