Staring at all this fresh, pure, local, and I do mean local, amber-colored, delectable honey sitting on my dining table for the last week inspired me to find a recipe that uses honey. I wanted something simple so I decided on a “dip”. I also found myself with fresh strawberries, blueberries, melons, cherries and some pineapple chunks begging to be eaten, so I made “Fruit Dip”.
This is about as simple as it gets and it had me coming back for more. I love fresh fruit and eat some every day, all year-long. After I whipped up this tasty treat I ate more than my share of fruit, but who could complain? After all, fruit is one of the foods we are supposed to have several servings of daily. I served fresh fruit and dip after dinner, with dinner, for an afternoon snack and with breakfast and lunch. I felt cool and refreshed each time I dipped some juicy fruit into the bowl and savored the creamy, sweet dip with just enough cinnamon flavor to excite my taste buds.
I plan on writing about my honey harvest and posting photos in the next couple of days. Be on the watch for it. I also feel a baking surge coming on, but can’t put my finger on what I’m in the mood to bake. Lemon something is sounding pretty delicious or maybe a fruity invention. Possibly another tasty treat using honey.
Hmmmm…I suppose I’ll peruse a few new cookbooks I picked up at a garage sale and see what inspires me. Guess I’ll snack on some melon and “dip” too. Hanging in the air conditioning, flipping pages of never seen cookbooks and snacking on fresh fruit and yummy dip is sounding like a nice way to end this unbelievably scorching afternoon.
Enjoy!
Honey Fruit Dip
Author: Linda Walbridge
Ingredients
2 packages of fat-free cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 6oz. carton plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well blended.
Cover and refrigerate dip overnight.
Remove from frig a few minutes before serving to allow the dip to soften a bit.
This will be equally delicious with fall and winter fruits so hang on to this recipe!
After chowing down on those ribs I told you about earlier this week I was really in the mood for a lighter meal. My mom brought me a recipe for shrimp tacos she’d found while perusing the newspaper. She knows how much I love shrimp and thought I would enjoy the recipe. After I read the recipe all I could think about was shrimp tacos.
Off to the store I went for shrimp, corn tortillas, fresh cilantro and limes. Growing up in southeast Texas near the gulf coast I learned to peel a shrimp in no time flat at an early age. To this day I can peel a pound before my helper can peel half a dozen! It’s one of those tasks I could do with my eyes closed. My Dad rarely came home with less than 5# of fresh gulf shrimp, needing to be peeled before being boiled, steamed, or thrown into gumbo. Of course he needed a helper to peel them and I was the chosen one.
On this occasion I favored unpeeled shrimp. I decided to boil them in the shell, making for a leisurely dinner of peeling our shrimp, drinking cold beer and then building our tacos. I chose to accompany the shellfish tacos with a watermelon and jicima salsa. It all sounded utterly light and refreshing, just what I had in mind that day. It is a little messy to have folks sitting around peeling shrimp but it sure made for a relaxing and pleasing light summer meal. The blending of the juicy melons, crunchy jicima, fresh lime, cilantro, and a tiny bite from the jalapeño make this a welcome departure from the usual salsa suspects. Serve a small bowl of it with chips as an appetizer
I’ll tell you here how I prepared the shrimp and below give you the recipe for the salsa. We were all so ravenous that I wasn’t able to get a shot of the finished tacos – but you know what a taco looks like.
Shrimp: Fill a large pot with water; add 2 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning, (or your favorite seafood boil). Bring to a boil and add 1# fresh unpeeled shrimp. Boil until shrimp turn pink – being sure not to boil too long, which will cause the shrimp to become tough. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. They are now ready for the taco bar!
Watermelon & Jicima Salsa
Ingredients:
1 cup watermelon, peeled, seeded and diced (or buy seedless)
1 cup honeydew, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup jicima, peeled and diced
2 Tbs. green onions, sliced thin
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced ( be sure to wear rubber gloves)
Dash of salt
In medium bowl combine all ingredients, toss gently. Serve at room temperature or chill.
4th of July – come and gone. I hope you had a delightful celebration however you chose to celebrate. We kept it simple as earlier that morning I harvested my first batch of honey. (More on that in another post) The heat on that day was much like it’s been for some time now, scorching! At the request of my husband and Miss T, I agreed to grill some baby back ribs regardless of the temperature soaring outdoors.
I follow a few blogs when I can find time and one that I take a gander at often is Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide. I had just seen a recipe for his special rib rub and it caught my attention. I honestly prefer a rub on my ribs rather than dousing them in bbq sauce. Apparently this recipe is a secret – well, it was a secret, until he posted it on the blog! Hey Rufus, hopin’ you don’t mind I just spread your secret to a few other hungry readers. I only changed one thing and that is in the mopping sauce, I used beer as opposed to water. He states that he makes his own chili powder, I used store-bought. I copied the rub recipe verbatim, slathered it on the ribs, chilled them for several hours, baked them in a slow oven for about an hour and a half and then drug myself out into the heat and threw them on the grill. Perfecto! They came out juicy, tender, spicy and were downright delicious with cold beer and a side of grilled taters. (I made a few other minor changes in how I prepared the ribs – look for my changes at the bottom of the recipe.)
Be sure and check out http://rufusguide.wordpress.com/– it’s a blog for anyone who loves to eat and drink! They post the most delicious food and cocktail recipes and they post new recipes often. I’m suspicious they don’t have real jobs but are professional food bloggers. Seriously, give them a look, you won’t be disappointed.
As I said earlier, I harvested my first batch of honey on July 4th. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my morning. The honey was ready for harvesting and the yield proved to be phenomenal. The pureness and freshness is proven in the clarity and delicate sweetness it offers. A delicate sweetness that I can’t seem to get enough of, although, I’ve gotten plenty in the process of harvesting and bottling – I think I’ve licked at least a gallon off of my fingers. It’s delectable, pure, wildflower honey, made by my bees. I’m so proud of their hard work and just a little pleased with myself for having a successful first harvest. More on the harvesting and bottling with an update on bees will come at a later time. Stay tuned…
Meantime turn up the grill and rub some ribs. Enjoy!
Dry Rub for Ribs by Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide
Ingredients:
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp chili powder
1/2 whole nutmeg grated
2 tbsp rosemary
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. black pepper
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside 2 tbsp of mix for mopping sauce. Rub the rest over the ribs and let it sit refrigerated for at least two hours or overnight.
In a small pot combine remaining rub, 1 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup beer, 1 tbsp. oil, dash cayenne pepper and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and set aside. When ready to grill the ribs mop them with the prepared sauce and continue doing so frequently during the grilling process.
Changes I made: *used beer instead of water in mop sauce
*baked ribs in oven 350* for about 1 1/2 hours
*grilled my ribs after oven baking instead of smoking ( I burned up three smokers and need a new one)
*I did not add bbq sauce at the end of grilling – but served some on the side for those who wanted it.
Nell is the resident kitty at the Mt. Gainor Inn, a B & B in Dripping Springs, Texas, where I recently enjoyed a stay. Mt. Gainor Inn is an early 20th century, German farmhouse sitting on 23 scenic hilltop acres in the gorgeous hill country. It has been lovingly restored by hosts Jerry and Laurie Pinnix. Not a detail has been overlooked.
It was “girls weekend”, a custom my sister-in-law and I started several years back. This year we decided on a bed & breakfast experience and we picked the perfect one. Leaving the traffic jammed highway, turning onto a peaceful, winding country road assures you, you are on the way to rest and relaxation. The color returns to your knuckles as you weave past organic farms, babbling streams and wide open pasture land.
Arriving at the Inn we were greeted by Nell, right away. As we approached the steps to the front porch she ambled over from her spot in the shade and greeted us with a squeaky, raspy “meow”. I instantly knew this was gonna be good because having a friendly cat to stroke is unfailingly good for the soul. Laurie came to greet us and show us our light filled, spacious room aptly named the Garden Room. We entered through the inviting living room, filled with antiques, comfy seating, an old wooden ironing board displaying info on the surrounding area, a movie library, and perfectly polished old wood floors. We immediately took note of the coolness of the rooms, a necessity in late June in Texas. Halleluia for air conditioning! After Laurie gave us the run down on the place we slipped into our swimsuits and hit the hot tub. Now, I know sitting in a hot tub in the sizzling Texas heat sounds a little crazy but we were ready to relax and the sun was beginning to set, giving a reprieve from the scorcher of a day. A side door led from our suite to the hot tub along a pleasant pathway and view of the neighboring ranch. This is also where we found a long, covered pergola with plenty of seating, hammocks to laze in and a perfect spot to watch the sunset. Rosemary grows abundantly in the lovely beds right along with bright yellow wildflowers, morning-glory, and interesting objects. An old rusty shopping cart, local rocks, a Texas plaque, and various statuary.
A glass of wine, a colorful cocktail or a cold Lone Star is the perfect accompaniment to the bubbling hot tub and vibrant sunset. All the rooms in the Inn feature private entrances, decks, baths, TV’s with DVD’s and wireless Internet. Each room has a comfy queen size bed complete with the softest, silkiest linens, making bed time something to look forward to. We had wonderful views from our Garden Room, which opened to the living room, giving us the feel of having the entire house to ourselves. The Hideaway, a smaller room at the back of the house featured a Cowboy bed, a whirlpool tub for two and a deck made private by a beautiful vine, covered in pink flowers. The Attic Suite covers the top floor and is a 3 room sanctuary. From here there are vast views of the hill country.
Around 9:00 each morning Laurie cooks and Jerry serves a delicious homemade breakfast, served with hot coffee or tea, and assorted juices. On the first morning she brought out a yummy puff pastry filled with ham, peppers, cheese and eggs. The next morning Laurie really outdid herself by setting up a waffle station under the shady pergola and preparing made to order waffles. These were accompanied by peppered bacon, warm syrup, butter and fresh fruit. Laurie’s breakfast is a wonderful start to the day and keeps you going until mid afternoon. During our stay breakfast was served under the sheltered pergola while hummingbirds buzzed around and Jackrabbits played tag in the back pasture. Being at Mt. Gainor felt like being away. It was peaceful, clean, quiet, lovely, and relaxing. I don’t know about you, but when I have a short weekend away those are the things I look for. The Pinnixs’ have done a wonderful job of making their guests feel welcome by their friendliness, willingness to please, and their attention to detail, down to the personalized, comfy, waffle weave bathrobe provided for each guest. If you find yourself looking for a short or a lengthy get away, check out Mt Gainor Inn, you won’t be disappointed. Tell Laurie and Jerry The Orange Bee sent ya’! Heck, they even had bees foraging on site – talk about personal treatment.
Come back soon for a report on my first honey harvest. Have a safe and relaxing holiday weekend and I’ll hope to see you back early next week.
Ahhh… summer. The dictionary defines summer as: The warmest season of the year, in the northern hemisphere from June to August and in the southern hemisphere from December to February. Today, the last day of June and summer is clearly defined in the extremely hot days we are facing.
Around The Orange Bee we (adoring hubby and I) like to enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine or beer on our back porch with a view of the countryside in the late afternoon or early evening. Even on the hottest days we enjoy this tradition by running the ceiling fans and moving our rockers under their breeze. “Cocktail Hour” is when we sit, rock, and share our thoughts, ideas, dreams and the events of our days. Once in a while we just sit quietly and enjoy each others company along with the beautiful view. Last night we were a little rowdy during cocktail hour, sharing laughter and beverages with an old friend. Isn’t that what summers are about? I was pleased to have planned an easy, summery meal to complete our evening.
At the request of Miss T I picked up two beautiful pieces of salmon to throw on the grill. I made a simple marinade of lemon and herbs which was refreshing and delicious for summer salmon. I also whipped up a salad of cannellini beans in an oil and lime dressing. The citrus flavors gave a cool, refreshing taste to both the fish and the salad. A side of steamed rice completed the meal. We sat until almost dark and then devoured our dinner before I could shoot a photo of the finished plates. If you are a fish lover be sure and try this marinade before summer slips away.
I did inspect my hives yesterday – early in the day, to see if indeed honey was ready for harvesting. My girls have done a marvelous job of making some beautiful frames full of honey, including two that will be cut-comb honey. Within the week I will bottle my first honey. I am truly amazed by the bees and what they do, and I am truly excited to sample my very first batch of local, pure, homegrown honey! Stay tuned… Remember, if you have a favorite recipe that uses honey and you would like to share it – NOW is the time!
Enjoy!
Salmon in Lemon-Herb Marinade
Lemon-Herb Marinade
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 lemons, ,juiced
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
In a small bowl combine all ingredients. Add marinade to fish and refrigerate about one hour before grilling.
Grilled to perfection
Cannellini Bean Salad
Ingredients:
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tomato chopped
1/2 can black olives, sliced, drained and rinsed
1 green onion, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
Juice of one lime
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
Olive Oil
Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of pepper. Toss to mix well, spoon over leaf lettuce and serve at room temperature.
I am a tad baffled – last year I harvested over 150# of peaches from my two peach trees – this year maybe 15-20#. I’m dismayed by the lack of fruit coming from my trees this summer, but I’ve managed to put what did come off to good use. Peachy Keen Cobbler is the latest creation. It is simply unbeatable! Hot out of the oven, room temp, chilled in the frig, served unaccompanied or alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is a winner all around.
I baked this cobbler, as it is a southern “thing” and I wanted our Rhode Island friends to have a taste of southern food as well as hospitality. It makes a large pan so be prepared to eat cobbler for a few days unless you have a big crowd.
I have a few interesting things to share with you later in the week. I want to tell you about a great B & B I stayed in down in the hill country of Texas, as well as my visits to a Texas vineyard and an olive orchard. Also I’m excited as tomorrow I could be harvesting my first batch of pure honey. Do check back soon for more Orange Bee adventures!
Enjoy!
Peachy Keen Cobbler
Ingredients:
12-15 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 16 cups)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 packages refrigerated pie crust
Preheat oven to 450*. Stir together peaches, flour, nutmeg, and 3 cups sugar in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Spoon half of the peach mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Unroll 2 piecrusts and sprinkle 2 tbsp. of sugar over one crust. Top with remaining crust and roll into a rectangle to fit pan. Place pastry over peach mixture in dish. Bake at 450* for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Unroll remaining 2 pie crusts, sprinkle one with 2 tbsp. sugar and top with other. Roll into 12″ circle. Cut into 1″ strips using a knife or fluted pastry wheel. Spoon remaining peach mixture over baked pastry. Arrange pastry strips over peach mixture; sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until pastry has browned. Serve warm or cold.
New “Road Food” photo up under Austin. You might notice that Mexican food is a favorite around here.
Please enjoy the Road Food photos for a few days while I take off on a “girls only” weekend down to the beautiful hill country. I’ll be back in a couple of days refreshed and recharged.
Remember that stuff? Dippity Do If you do not remember it you are no doubt under 40 years old and a young ‘un. I remember using Dippity Do on my hair back in the day, although I’m not sure why, as it left your hair plastered to your head and stiff as a board. Perhaps I used it to get a sleek and sophisticated ponytail! Well, you’ll be happy to know Dippity Do has absolutely nothing to do with this recipe. It is a dip recipe and that is the only connection, the word “dip”.
If you read my last post you might remember I’ve been entertaining a new friend from Rhode Island. Odd as it may seem we met over the internet – weird – I know, I know. She is a fellow blogger who made a very nice and engaging comment on one of my early blog posts, which resulted in me checking out her blog, more comments, then emails, then a phone call and that pretty much sealed the deal. We developed a friendship that way and agreed we needed to seal it face to face. Did you ever meet someone and instantly feel a bond, a similarity, a connection? It is never too late in life to make a new friend. “Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.” Francesco Guicciardini, Italian Historian.
She is Lin Ann from the blog – http://vittlesandcommittals.blogspot.com/. Her blog is committed to providing healthy, nutritious and delicious meals for her beautiful family. Take a look at her blog. She is an interesting woman with a mission based on FSGS a rare kidney disease, with which her daughter was diagnosed. The good news is her daughter is now in remission and I feel quite sure it is partly attributable to Lin Ann’s dedication to researching and seeking out healthy ways to feed her family and nurse her daughter back to health. She has multiple distinctions which you will enjoy reading about, not to mention you’ll want to try some of her delicious recipes.
Our friendship is new, yes, but we felt as if we’d known each other forever. We had quite the time trekking around, allowing her to discover what Texas is all about. She took a zillion photos of Longhorns, the rodeo, wildflowers, bees, horses, rolls of baled hay, and countless other things us Texan’s tend to take for granted. She sampled chicken fried steak, peach cobbler, fresh off the vine blackberries, green tomatoes, Texas caviar and had the distinct pleasure of experiencing hotter than average temps.
On her last evening here we grilled Elk Burgers. Our appetizer that warm, breezy night was this incredible Basil Parmesan Dip. It is one of my favorites! The peppery bite of the fresh basil, the creaminess of sour cream and the strong flavor of fresh grated parmesan are hard to beat. We enjoyed it with glasses of wine and a view of rolling hills, tall trees and a clear sky. I promised her I would post the recipe on the blog so she’ll be able to share this yummy dip with her friends and family. I always toast pita bread for dipping as it seems to enhance the flavor and makes a good scoop. So, Lin Ann, my friend here it is.
Enjoy!
Basil Parmesan Dip
Ingredients:
!/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup lightly packed basil leaves
3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times. Serve with fresh toasted pita bread chips.
The temps in Texas are ridiculously HOT! Soaring upwards of 100* Fahrenheit. Heat above 100 degrees in Texas is oppressive. The wind is blowing, again….but it is not helpful as it too, is HOT. The only thing to be thankful for is that the humidity is not also sky-high.
Over the last few days I enjoyed hosting some friends from Rhode Island. A fellow food blogger and lover of life, along with her teenage daughter. I’m not sure how they withstood our outrageous heat wave but they were real troopers. To try to help beat the heat I made a batch of Watermelon Gazpacho. It is the perfect summer appetizer, light lunch or first course. It’s full of juicy fruits like watermelon, tomatoes and cucumbers. With all those juicy fruits it provides nourishment along with much-needed liquid in the heat of summer. We found it to be most revitalizing as we sipped it from juice glasses, under the welcome breeze of ceiling fans on my back porch.
When talk of what ingredients were in the gazpacho came up, the classification of cucumbers came up for discussion, fruit or vegetable. I said that I think of them as a fruit, as they are full of seeds, but the point was made that squash also have seeds and we qualify them as vegetables. So, which is it? We decided to end the conversation undecided in which was correct and just sip another glass full.
I checked Wikipedia and here is what it says: Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower, botanically speaking, cucumbers are classified as fruits. However, much like tomatoes and squash they are often perceived, prepared and eaten as vegetables. Another way to look at it is, that vegetables are savory and fruits are sweet. Either way cucumbers are a refreshing addition to salads, veggie platters and of course are made into the ever popular pickle.
The first time I sipped a Watermelon Gazpacho, I was on the 29th floor of a Dallas high-rise with a view of downtown Dallas and a blazing sunset. I instantly asked the hostess for the recipe. I prepared a batch for an all girl pool party last summer and it was a big hit. Adoring hubby declined his portion, as men often do when gazpacho is served. He was outnumbered by girls all raving about the delicious gazpacho. The vote was unanimous that it should be renamed Girly Gazpacho. Girls, let me tell you, a cup has only 55 calories. Now, guys, you should at least taste this yummy concoction, as the refreshing flavor and chunky texture truly are a perfect summer treat, and at 55 calories you’ll still have room for a cold one!
Before I go I’ll tell you a little about the bees. They are busy but I can see the heat makes it hard on them. In the early evenings I’ve noticed them sitting on the porches of their hives trying to stay cool. Their wings are fanning furiously, pushing the heat out of the hive. I am expecting to find honey ready for harvest in the very near future. Have a favorite recipe that includes honey? I would like to try different recipes using honey and blog about the variety of dishes where honey is used, so send them to me if you will. I’ll give credit where it is due.
Enjoy!
Girly Gazpacho
Ingredients:
8 lbs. seedless watermelon
3 Kirby (pickling) cucumbers, unpeeled, cut into chunks
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 green onion, chopped
Salt to taste
Cut watermelon, remove rind and cut into 1″ chunks. You should have about 8 cups melon. In a food processor, purée 6 cups of melon in batches and pour into a large bowl.
In the same processor, purée two-thirds of the cucumber with the tomatoes, onion, basil, lime juice and salt. Stir into watermelon purée in bowl.
Coarsely chop the remaining cucumber and watermelon; add to purée in the bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve. This recipe makes about 12 cups. Watermelon Gazpacho
I have a basket full of peaches! There are so many recipes I could use for the abundance of peaches sitting on my table. Today I chose to make “Peach-Mango Salsa” to accompany the roasted chicken I was preparing for dinner. It is one of those days where I dream up a recipe to facilitate the use of some ingredient on hand – in this case, PEACHES!
This recipe could easily be adapted to your specific taste. Just use your imagination! I like Mangos so I decided to add one to the salsa. Fresh basil, growing on the patio and some fresh ginger add a wonderful flavor and fragrance to this salsa. The heady, peppery fragrance of fresh basil turns me on and is a perfect companion to the fresh peaches and mangos. Serve this salsa with chicken, seafood or munch on it with fresh-baked pita chips. It is a refreshing, summery salsa, sure to bring a smack to your lips and a smile to your face.
Enjoy!
Peach-Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
3 medium peaches, pitted, peeled and chopped
1 mango, pitted, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
generous pinch of salt
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
Watermelon Gazpacho
