Spring is here!
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| My front yard :) |
Everyone seems to be walking on sunshine in the SF Bay Area.
Neighbors who have yet to show me more than the whites of their eyes through spread blinds have started nodding from their mailboxes, mouthing unintelligible things while shrugging and waving around at the warm air.
The smell of flowering trees and backyard barbeques fill the air. Walking has become the mode of transportation in a small town where parking is only an issue 3 times a year; for the Art & Wine Fest, The 4th of July parade and Oktoberfest. People are walking on purpose again...and they like it!
As beautiful as it is, this is the time of year when some (most) of us start to panic. It's time to pack up those wonderfully cozy winter layers that don't just hide the extra lbs but cradle them and let them know that weight is just a number, and everything will be alright.
But now the sun is out, it's 70+ degrees and that cashmere cardigan that has become your end of the day/start of the evening Mr. Rogeresque routine is not as convincing as it was when you were eating pasta directly off the stove and swallowing Girlscout cookies without chewing that stormy night a few weeks ago!
But now the sun is out, it's 70+ degrees and that cashmere cardigan that has become your end of the day/start of the evening Mr. Rogeresque routine is not as convincing as it was when you were eating pasta directly off the stove and swallowing Girlscout cookies without chewing that stormy night a few weeks ago!
It's time to pull out the much more revealing summer wear. No sense trying to avoid it. Throw a "thank you for the winter we shared" party for you and your grandpa sweater
...then move on.
Don't fret, along with the warmer weather comes the light and delicious flavors of Spring.
The moment I laid eyes on Emily's Spring Stuffed Peas I knew this would be my Spring & Summer culinary obsession (second to heirloom tomatoes of course).
A dozen shelling peas (or snap peas)
1/4 cup of neufchatel cheese (or whipped cream cheese)
2 tablespoons of plain yogurt (I used Greek Yogurt)
1 tablespoon of fresh dill (roughly chopped)
Zest from a small lemon (use the juice as well)
Dash of cayenne pepper (or dashed liberally)
I also diced up chives & teenie squares of peeled cucumber.
Mix your cheese, yogurt, dill, lemon and spices in a small bowl until creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you'd like. Split the tops of the peas open with a dull knife. Open the peas into little pockets. It would be faster to pipe in the filling (you can dump the filling into a quart Ziploc bag and trim the corner off to create a piping bag), but works perfectly well with a kitchen knife. Decorate with tiny sprigs of dill.
If you want to do a picnicky type dinner here are some of my favorite, easily thrown together fares...
Caprese Salad on a Stick
All you need are:
Toothpicks
Little Fresh Mozzarella Balls
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Basil Leaves
Balsamic Glaze or Dressing
Shove all three edibles on a toothpick and drizzle with Balsamic.
Peach & Goat Cheese Bruschetta
All you need are:
Thin Baguette
Peaches
Goat Cheese
Shallots
An Herb: Chives, Mint & Basil are all lovely with this.
Butter
Cracked Pepper
Thinly slice baguette, butter and grill until those pretty lines show up, flip & repeat
Slice Peaches and throw on grill
Thinly sliced shallots in a foil pouch on grill with a small amount of butter.
Sprinkle goat cheese on baguettes fresh from the oven.
Add a few stripes of grilled shallots
Cut grilled peaches into rough chunks and lay on goat cheese.
Throw a dash of herbs down.
Crack some pepper over the top.
You can turn anything into a bruschetta!
One of my favorites is lox with goat cheese, capers and thinly sliced red onion.
Add a grilled prawn cocktail, chicken satay with peanut sauce, or some grilled, seasoned beef tips and you have a Spring dinner that won't have you rushing out to the gym the next morning filled with regret!
Of course you are going to need a signature drink if entertaining (even if it's for a party of one).
This evening it's...
Caprese Salad on a Stick
All you need are:
Toothpicks
Little Fresh Mozzarella Balls
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Basil Leaves
Balsamic Glaze or Dressing
Shove all three edibles on a toothpick and drizzle with Balsamic.
Peach & Goat Cheese Bruschetta
All you need are:
Thin Baguette
Peaches
Goat Cheese
Shallots
An Herb: Chives, Mint & Basil are all lovely with this.
Butter
Cracked Pepper
Thinly slice baguette, butter and grill until those pretty lines show up, flip & repeat
Slice Peaches and throw on grill
Thinly sliced shallots in a foil pouch on grill with a small amount of butter.
Sprinkle goat cheese on baguettes fresh from the oven.
Add a few stripes of grilled shallots
Cut grilled peaches into rough chunks and lay on goat cheese.
Throw a dash of herbs down.
Crack some pepper over the top.
You can turn anything into a bruschetta!
One of my favorites is lox with goat cheese, capers and thinly sliced red onion.
Add a grilled prawn cocktail, chicken satay with peanut sauce, or some grilled, seasoned beef tips and you have a Spring dinner that won't have you rushing out to the gym the next morning filled with regret!
Of course you are going to need a signature drink if entertaining (even if it's for a party of one).
This evening it's...
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| Patio, Spotify Playlist & White Wine Sangria. |
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