Summer Party Menu

I put together the following menu for our Summer Party that I wanted to share with all of you!

• Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers
• Hot Dogs
• Special Sauce
• Easy Refrigerator Pickles
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Balsamic Pasta Chicken Salad
• Fiesta Corn Chip Salad
• Pockets of Lemon Cake
• Spa Water

We're also serving assorted sodas and a Key Lime Cheeseball from Tastefully Simple!

Pesto Pasta Salad

I made this recipe for our summer party as a meatless option for our guests.  Delicious!   I sometimes skip pine nuts in a recipe because they're so expensive.  Don't skip it in this recipe!  They really add a wonderful flavor to the salad.

This recipe comes from the August 2012 issue of Cuisine at Home.

Pesto Pasta Salad

1 lb dry penne pasta
2 cups frozen green peas
1/2 cup pesto, homemade or purchased
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp minced lemon zest
1 Tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 grated Parmesean cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Cook penne in salted water according to package directions.  Add peas during last three minutes.  Transfer penne and peas to a bowl of ice water; drain well. (I just rinsed it all in cold water)

Whisk together pesto, lemon juice, oil, zest, and garlic in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in penne, peas, spinach, Parmesan, and pine nuts.  Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 20 servings (about 15 cups).

Easy Refrigerator Pickles

These pickles are AMAZING!  I'm usually a dill pickle person, but these are the best sweet pickles I have ever tasted.  And they are super easy.  I made mine with fresh cucumbers from our garden.

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe from an old cookbook or magazine.  It was clipped out with no additional information, other than the name "Mrs. Homer Hooks, Leesburg, Fla."

Easy Refrigerator Pickles

6 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar (I used white distilled)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

In a glass or crockery bowl alternately layer the sliced cucumbers and onions. (I made mine in a large plastic bowl with a sealed top)  In a medium saucepan combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard ssed, celery seed, and ground turmeric.  Bring to a boil, stirring just until sugar is dissolved.  Pour vinegar mixture over cucumber-onion mixture.  Cool slightly.  Cover tightly.  Refrigerate pickles at least 24 hours before serving.  Store up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

Blueberry Shortcake Sundaes

The "signature" photo of this blog has always been Blueberry Shortcake Sundaes, and yet, I never posted the recipe!

This sauce is super easy and would be delicious without the ice cream on plain poundcake, or as a sauce for pancakes.  The secret ingredient is the cinnamon! 

You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.  It tastes just as good.  During blueberry season when they are on sale, stock up and freeze them for later!

It comes from the May 2010 issue Taste of Home Simple & Delicious.

Blueberry Shortcake Sundaes

1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp water
1 pint blueberries (1 1/2 cups)
4 slices poundcake
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
whipped cream (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.  Stir in water and blueberries until blended.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2-4 minutes or until thickened.

Place cake slices on four dessert plates.  Top each with ice cream and blueberry sauce.  (We like to top it with whipped cream too!)

Creamy Garlic Pasta

I saw this on Pinterest (original link is here) and thought it looked like a good dish to try.  Quick and easy to put together, it's a recipe I'd make again.

2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼  tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

Cucumber and Blueberry Salad with Feta

I saw this last year on the Wegmans website and have been meaning to make it since last summer.  I finally got around to picking up all the ingredients tonight and put it together.  I enjoyed it although it's not a salad I would eat every day; it's more of a special occasion kind of dish.



3 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced thinly (half moon shape) (about 4 cups)
1 pint (2 cups) blueberries, rinsed and picked over
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Wegmans White Balsamic Vinaigrette (Produce Dept)
3 Tbsp thinly sliced Food You Feel Good About Fresh Mint Leaves
1 cup (about 1/4 lb) Wegmans Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese (Cheese Shop)

Directions:
    Combine cucumbers and blueberries in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Add white balsamic vinaigrette, mint, and feta. Toss gently to combine.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I've had a recipe for strawberry spinach salad kicking around for ages from a friend of the family.  When I brought home yet another quart of strawberries, it seemed like it was time to dig it out.  Unfortunately when I looked at it, I realized the friend had typed it up much too quickly and it called for nearly 2 tablespoons of paprika, so I turned to allrecipes.  It turned out excellent!  Forgive the picture though, I took it after we'd eaten and that was the leftovers.  Still tastes good, just doesn't look as pretty after the dressing's sat on the spinach for awhile.  And I used a 1/2 cup of almonds, since I didn't want a half package of them leftover and we both love nuts.

Ingredients

    2 tablespoons sesame seeds
    1 tablespoon poppy seeds
    1/2 cup white sugar
    1/2 cup olive oil
    1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
    1/4 teaspoon paprika
    1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    1 tablespoon minced onion
    10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
    1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
    1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
    In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.