Sangria and Salsa
By Allison Elder
The arrival of summer to me means the chance to enjoy the bounty of farmers' market fresh produce and all the wonderful fruits and vegetables that accompany this time of year. One easy way to freshen up the familiar starter of chips and salsa is to experiment with variations on the usual red salsa dip. One friend of mine served up a delicious salsa on her deck to kick off a party recently, and I was sure it had been homemade. She surprised me by telling me that all she'd done was add chopped ripe peaches to a regular jar of red salsa. I've got another friend who makes an excellent salsa using kiwi fruit and pineapple. So take the chance to look for easy recipes online to try new things, or just take the simple route and experiment by "doctoring up" store-bought salsa with different types of fresh fruit. Chunky fruit salsas are also an excellent accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish or pork. In addition to salsa, another great opportunity to use seasonal fruit is in a light sparkling sangria. Versions of sangria recipes abound, and the concept is pretty robust, so again, feel free to look online for ideas - or experiment yourself. One version featured recently in Cooking Light featured apricot nectar and a little apricot brandy added to sparkling white wine, and for the fruit, they added cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and nectarines&almost any combination will work. Simply mix up your Sangria and fruit, chill it for a few hours in advance, and serve it up in a pretty glass (including the fruit)&you can also add a mint leaf garnish for the final fresh and summery touch.
Start Off with Sausages
By Allison Elder
I give all the credit for this item to my husband, who is behind the tradition at our house of grilling sausages as a "starter." Often when we're doing a casual grilled dinner for a group of friends, we'll start up the grilling with sausages during the appetizer/snacking phase of the gathering. We like to buy one each of several different types of sausage and bratwurst at the butcher counter, grill them up, and offer our guests casual taste testing for an easy appetizer. Shop at the right place and you can find chicken-apple sausage, hot pepper sausage, bratwurst, knockwurst, and many more varieties and gourmet interpretations. It is also part of the fun to serve a variety of mustards so everyone can choose their favorite - honey mustard, Dijon mustard, hot mustard, raspberry mustard&you get the idea. All you need is a grill, a knife to slice up the sausages in bite-size pieces, and toothpicks for easy serving&plus the small bowls of mustard of course. This activity is fun and keeps everyone occupied as the dinner is coming together. While many people rightly think of beers as going naturally with sausages, the savory nature of this type of appetizer also pairs quite nicely with a variety of wines. It works as long as the wines have some amount of confidence and aren't too light. The biggest key is to remember to save room for dinner!
Dip In for Summer!
By Allison Elder
Everyone loves a dip it seems...and home-made dips are an easy way to zip up your summer happy hour. Best of all, they can be made ahead. In fact, I always try to make sure that dips (other than guacamole) are made ahead - because most of them do seem to improve in flavor with a night in the fridge before serving. I try to keep a few types of crackers or chips on hand as well as some staple ingredients for my favorite dip recipes. Fresh vegetables are also nice - and of course, today they can even be purchased peeled, cut and ready to serve. For parties, I often use a store bought mixed vegetable tray, but augment or substitute for the standard Ranch dip with some of my own home-made options. Festive cocktail napkins with a beach or summer theme, a few sturdy outdoor candles, and you are ready to go...just add the final key ingredients: wine, friends and music!
Aunt Martha's Curry Vegetable Dip An easy curry-flavored dip that is a fresh change from the usual dips.
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 TB lemon juice
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 TB finely chopped onion
1/8 t. curry powder
1 clove of garlic, minced, (powder or juice will also work)
Low fat mayonnaise and/or sour cream will work fine if you prefer. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving. Great with fresh vegetables, chips or flat bread.
Easy Guacamole This is a robust recipe - feel free to add or substitute ingredients and develop your own signature variation!
2-3 ripe avocados
1 plum tomato, chopped finely
2-3 green onions, chopped finely
2 t. mayonnaise
Lemon juice (from one wedge or commercial)
Tabasco Sauce (or a small amount of salsa will work)
Salt
Pepper
Morton's Nature's Seasoning (or other mixed seasoned salt)
Cilantro - chopped - optional
Prepare and chop the avocados and then mash them (I like to use a bowl with straight sides to press the fork against)...I like to leave it a little chunky. Add approximately 2 teaspoons of mayo and stir until well mixed. Add the lemon juice and a fairly strong dash of salt. I like a little fresh ground pepper and a dash of Morton's Nature's Seasoning also. Using the Tabasco, adjust seasoning to taste. Finally, stir in the chopped tomato and green onion. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa. This recipe is best made a little ahead - but generally the same day.
Elegant and Easy Appetizer Ideas
By Allison Elder
Sometimes all it takes to make a casual gathering a little more special is just a little bit of flair and creative energy and a couple great appetizer recipes. Just add a few friends and some music and you're ready to kick off an evening of fun. To keep things easy, we'll focus on a few appetizers you can make ahead.
First, almost everyone likes dip - and it is nice to make one from scratch that is just a bit unexpected. One of my favorites is an easy shrimp dip. It is much better made a day before - the seasoning really seems to settle in when it is chilled overnight before serving. This dip spreads easily on any kind of cracker and is also good with fresh vegetables - for instance, baby carrots. For a garnish, add a slice of lemon and a bit of parsley.
As the weather cools down, another perennial crowd-pleaser at our house is a hearty hot artichoke dip. This recipe is super easy - and again, you can make it even a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator and it will be ready to bake and serve. This dip needs sturdy crackers, such as heavy wafer crackers, Triscuits, Wheat Thins, or even torn up pieces of bread. This is easy enough to make that you can even pull it off by starting just before your guests arrive.
Shrimp Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. mayonnaise
2 TB. dry white wine
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 t. fresh minced onion
1/4 t. salt - optional
7 oz. can small or tiny shrimp, drained and chopped
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Mix all together and stir in chopped shrimp last. Best if refrigerated overnight before serving. Using light cream cheese and mayonnaise is fine. Good with veggies or crackers.
Artichoke Dip
2 cans (size of soup cans) of artichoke hearts, drained and cut into pieces (not too small)
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
10 oz. grated Monterey Jack cheese (or an 8 oz. bag is OK)
1 c. mayonnaise (light is OK)
Mix all ingredients well in a bowl - spread out in a 9x13 baking pan or similar casserole dish. Bake at 425 degrees until the mixture is bubbly and browning, about 20 minutes or so. Serve hot with sturdy crackers.