Summer Lovin and it tastes so good...

I have been remiss on my Summer Sunday posts.
It is all that summer lovin...things slip by.....

We had guests for dinner last night.
The menu was easy and it tasted so good.

A summer's day
A summer's menu

It all starts with the apron.

It must be a summer apron :)

and then....

A little something to get started:

Sliced carrots and hummus (easy!)

Kalamata Olives and Picholine Olives (easy!)

Fire up the Grill:

 Lamb and Mint Skewers

Chicken and Garlic Skewers

Wild Boar Sausage

English Sausage

Chicken Sausage

BBQ Pork Ribs 

(a la the local Butcher)

 Salads:

Couscous and Chickpea Salad with Orange Balsamic Dressing 

(recipe below)

Tomato, Basil and Olive Salad 

(recipe below)

Grilled Asparagus, Yellow Pepper and Red Onion

(recipe below)

All made with beautiful, fresh vegetables...

Followed by

A Little Sweetness:

A choice of-

Lemon Tart

Treacle Tart

Cambridge Burnt Cream

(a la the local market)

with choice of:

Alphonso Mango Sorbet

White Chocolate Ice Cream

Assorted Berries

and the final touches...

a few flowers from the garden

and my favourite summertime candle

I had a surprise visitor too...

who decided to make a crash landing 

into our kitchen window

and then decided to stay awhile 

to check out the view

so beautiful.....

There you have it...

a summer menu

a summer day

a summer friend 

and a few recipes..

one from Australia

one from New Zealand

and one from me :)

Tomato, Basil and Olive Salad

(From Donna Hay, The Instant Cook)

Serves 4

4 thick slices bread (I used ciabatta)

olive oil

80g (2 1/2 oz) rocket (arugula) leaves

5 tomatoes, thickly sliced

5 bocconcini cheese, torn (I used Buffalo Mozzarella, yum!)

2 tablespoons finely chopped black olives or tapenade

2 tablespoons basil leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil, extra

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 200 C (390F). Roughly tear the bread and toss with some olive oil. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden to make croutons. Place the rocket on serving plates and top with tomatoes, cheese, olives, basil and croutons.

Spoon over the combined olive oil and vinegar to serve. 

Couscous and Chickpea Salad with Orange Balsamic Dressing

(from Sensational Salads by Alison Holst and Simon Holst)

Serves 2-3 large servings

1 cup couscous

1/4 cup currants (raisins)

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups boiling water

300 g can chickpeas

1 red pepper (capsicum)

2 spring onions (green onions)

1/2 cup Kalamata olives

2-3 tablespoons fresh mint

 Dressing:

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Measure the couscous, currants and salt into a large bowl. Add the bowling water, then cover and leave to stand for about 5 minutes. Open and rinse, then drain the chickpeas. Cut the pepper into cubes about the same size as the chickpeas. Thinly slice the spring onions. Fluff the soaked couscous with a fork, then add the chickpeas, diced pepper, spring onions, olives and most of the chopped mint to the bowl. Prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients into a screw-top jar, then shaking to combine. Pour the dressing and toss salad to combine, then garnish with the remaining chopped mint.

Note: If you are not a purist, you can use pitted Kalamata olives. Pour about 3/4 dressing on first and taste. Add more if needed.

Grilled Asparagus, Yellow Capsicum and Red Onion

(a la Jeanne)

Select vegetables and quantity needed. Snip the bottom of the asparagus, cut capsicum into strips 

and slice the red onion. Pop into a large ziploc food bag.

Add sliced 2-3 pieces of sliced lemon and give a gentle squeeze with one.

Drizzle your favourite olive oil into the bag along with a little shake of sea salt.

Zip, shake, marinate for a bit and toss onto the grill or frying pan.

I serve at room temperature.

Good for leftovers with a bit of hummus too.

Bon Appetit 

and 

Best Wishes for a Wonderful Day!

Join in on more Summer Sundays 

http://www.thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

images~ me

Summer Sundays and Ina

I am loving this meme about Summer Sundays. 

A wonderful idea from The Tablescaper.

Thinking about summer is delightful.

There is nothing better than the good food that comes with summer.

In particular, the fruit and vegetables sold at the country roadstand market.

I came across this one in New Hampshire.

The first thing that runs thru my mind 

when I am standing in the midst of all this is Ina Garten

and her cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa

Her recipe for Gazpacho is a family favourite.

 To get that wonderful summer flavour 

you need to find beautiful ripe tomatoes.....

Once you have those in hand you follow these simple instructions:

The Barefoot Contessa

Gazpacho

Serves 8-10

2 hothouse cucumbers, halved and seeded, but not peeled.

3 red bell peppers, cored and seeded

8 plum tomatoes

2 red onions

6 garlic cloves, minced

46 ounces tomato juice (6 cups)

1/1/2 cups white wine vinegar

1/2 cup good olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!!

After each vegetable is processed, combine then in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavour develops.

Notes from Jeanne:

Texture is important, best to chop each vegetable separately...pulse slowly.

When you live overseas and try to follow American recipes it can be a bit of a hassle.

To make things easier for Kiwis and Aussies....

If you live in New Zealand, I suggest the 'Vegie Juice' by Daily Harvest. 

The 'Garden Harvest' with beetroot adds a really nice flavour.

If you live in Australia, I suggest their 'V8' low sodium vegetable juice.

I haven't made it in England yet...I will amend when I do :)

To all this I say Bon Appetit and have a wonderful Summer Sunday!

and Father's Day too!!

Visit here to follow along with Summer Sundays

http://www.thetablescaper.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-sundays-3.html

Images

1-4~me

5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Summer Sundays

This is my first 'meme'. An expression I never heard before now. 

Sounds fun, so I am in!

It is all about Summer Sundays. It is a great idea and created by The Tablescaper. 

It's new and I am hoping you will join in too.  It is so easy...just start a file and drop in 

everything that you love about summer.

I will start this Sunday with what I like to do most in the summer.
Find a beautiful outdoor spot and read.

I need some inspiration at the moment.  I can't seem to sit still in one spot. 

I haven't created the perfect one just yet. 

So I am looking.....

Down the Thames River perhaps?

although navigation might be a problem....

I am certain no one would find me in here...

The porch of my dreams....

Seaside, poolside, I will take either one...

At the end of the day to escape the summer heat...

Finally, this is where I would like to be,

with a cool summer breeze..

There you have it...my first Summer Sunday. 

I am hoping whether it be northern or southern hemisphere

you will join in the summer spirit.

What does summer mean to you?

Instructions on how to join:

www.thetablescaper.blogspot.com

Images: me, Mulberry, Coastal Living, Homes and Land