Garden Crudités with Sour Cream Dip

For a quick summer appetizer, I love to make crudités with sour cream dip.  My mother always made this dressing for her "cucumbers and sour cream" recipe, which was on every holiday table, and I'm sure this was her mother's recipe.  Since I love the cool, creamy, tang to this dressing, I use it for a go-to dipping sauce for crisp fresh vegetables from the garden.  

Sour Cream Dip

1 container of sour cream, 8 oz.
1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Mix all ingredients and chill.  Makes 1 cup.




Linked to:  Boogie Board Cottage, Alderberry Hill, Dwellings, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Chicken Chick, A Stroll thru Life, My uncommon Slice of Suburia, Savvy Southern Style, Gingerly Made, Live laugh Rowe, Farm House Porch, Domestic Super Hero, Jennifer Rizzo

Strawberries in Strainer

This oil painting was created from a still life set up in my studio.  I had to work quickly to keep the strawberries fresh in this July heat.  Another metal conquered: stainless steel.  Love this little gem.   This 5x7 oil painting on Gessobord is available in my Esty Shop.  

Linked to:  Boogie Board Cottage, Alderberry Hill, Dwellings, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Chicken Chick, A Stroll thru Life, My uncommon Slice of Suburia, Savvy Southern Style, Gingerly Made, Live laugh Rowe, Farm House Porch, Domestic Super Hero, Jennifer Rizzo

Hope your July 4th is Spectacular

Linked to:  Live Laugh Rowe

Summer Garden Pasta

This recipe took some critiquing before it was the perfect bite.  Since peas, string beans and arugula are peaking this week in the garden, I wanted to spotlight them in a special pasta dish.   The first time I made it - delicious but ... it needed something salty. The second time I made it (same week, my poor husband) just adding some chopped proscuitto made it my new favorite summer pasta dish.  Fresh, creamy, salty, a hint of lemon, and the orchecetta "little ears" catch the peas and sauce perfectly.  You don't need a garden to make this dish, this could be a farmers market pasta, but there is something very calming about shelling your own peas. 

Enjoy.

Garden Pasta

1/2 lb. orecchiette pasta
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup chopped proscuitto
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 handful of string beans (Hericot vert or young thin beans)
1 small lemon, juiced
1 small onion chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup arugula, chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to directions adding string beans to the pasta during the last 3 minutes.   Drain pasta and string beans saving 1/4 cup of pasta water.  

In the meantime, add olive oil  and crushed pepper to a saucepan.  Saute onion and garlic until soft,  add peas and tomato sautéing for 3 minutes.  Add mascarpone cheese and heat until melted.  Add 1/4 cup of pasta water, lemon juice, proscuitto, arugula, pasta and stir to combine.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.  

Linked with Savvy Southern Style, Gingerly Made, Jennifer Rizzo,  Live Laugh Rowe

What's in the Garden July 2nd

All the seeds I planted in the Spring are ready to be picked in my NJ garden.  The amount of rain and sun has been a gardeners friend this year.  We have carrots, peas, and string beans this week along with plenty of herbs.  My own farmers market.

Linked with My Uncommon Slice of Surburia, Savvy Southern Style,  A Stroll Thru Life

Enjoy your Summer Weekend

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Almond and Sweet Cherry Galette

Ok, in my previous post I teased you about pitting cherries for a cherry filled dessert.  And usually I will share such a recipe...but this recipe is from my new favorite cookbook, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. 

The author, Deb Perelman, also writes the famous blog, Smitten Kitchen. She cooks from a tiny galley kitchen in NYC. I especially love her baking recipes and her gift for telling a story with each recipe.  I have been cooking and reading my way through her new cookbook, and haven't found anything I didn't like so far. This is the second time (and not the last) I made the Almond and Sweet Cherry Galette. You start by making her perfect all butter, really flaky pie dough (which can be made ahead and frozen), then you make a melt in your mouth almond paste  (can be made two days ahead) which holds the cherries in place, and lastly you pit your cherries with your XOX Cherry and Olive Pitter.  The combination of cherries and almonds make the most delicious summer dessert imaginable. I'm sorry this recipe is not on her blog, and it wouldn't be fair to the author by sharing her recipe.   

So if you are looking for new cookbook, I would highly recommend buying or borrowing this book from your library.  This recipe is worth it.  

Linked to Savvy Southern Style, Dwellings, Boogieboard Cottage, The chicken Chick, My Uncommon Slice of Surburia,  A Stroll Thru Life, City Farmhouse, Alderberry Hill