Oh, Happy May!!!

We had such a lovely day yesterday ~ we held our annual spring tea party...

 "The Language of Flowers"

One of the delicious items on the menu were these cucumbers with herbed cream cheese.  

They were super easy to make, and everyone enjoyed them!

We thought they'd be a lovely recipe for you to try out...

easy to make and an excellent option instead of carrot sticks and dip!

Cucumbers 

with Herbed Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 minced fresh dill

2 tablespoons dill pickle juice

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Minced chives for garnish

Directions:

Combine together the cream cheese, dill, dill pickle juice, 

onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper 

with a mixer on high until smooth.

Place mixture into a pastry bag with a tip of your choice,

 or use a zip-lock bag and snip the corner of the bag off.  

Take a peeler and peel some of the cucumber skin, 

making a striped pattern.  

Then slice into 1/4 inch rounds.  

Pipe the cream cheese mixture onto the cucumber.  

Sprinkle minced chives over the cream cheese cucumbers. 

Serve immediately.

Enjoy your day!

Karla & Karrie

The Summer Kitchen Girls

A Culinary Trip Down Memory Lane

Happy 2016 Everyone!!

What a wonderful year 2015 was...

we are looking forward to spending some time with you all this year!

While out and about last year we found this

adorable recipe box

(we LOVE old recipe boxes...don't you?)

So we thought that we'd share some of the contents with you...

because it really is fun(ny) and interesting

First there were lots of 

menu ideas 

for the week...

What do you think?

It doesn't sound too bad....

UNTIL you get to Friday's lunch of

Individual Spinach Rings!!

There were several hand written recipes

like this Quick Nut Bread

Stuck in the recipe box were some 

Games for Adults and older Children!  

This Impromptu Scavenger Hunt might be fun

at your next get-together!

(our favorite part is where it says "make necessary rules against tearing pictures 

off the walls and about returning things afterward to their proper homes

 and respective corners" ~ LOL!!!!)

And then...there were the 

PRIZE RECIPES

cut out from the paper....

They MUST be delicious...

these ladies both won a dollar for submitting the winning recipe...

We just might have to try one for fun...what do you think??

Thanks for coming down a Culinary Memory Lane with us today!

Join us for What's it Wednesday

with Patti & Paula from Ivy & Elephants

for some great inspirations!!

Have a great week!

Karla & Karrie

The Summer Kitchen Girls

Traveling Lavender Class & Herbed Pasta

Last week we had our 

Traveling Lavender Class

Everyone met at our store

(and thankfully the rain held off for our party!)

Tables were set outside 

and we shared how to cook with culinary Lavender

while everyone dined on:

Cherry Turkey Wraps with Raspberry Lavender Vinaigrette

Herbed Pasta with Goat cheese

and Lavender Pineapple Dream Cake

After our talk & meal we traveled west down
Route 6 to Schooner Farms 
Where we were treated to walking
the Lavender Labyrinth
and learning how they make their lavender hydrosol

Because the 4th is coming up
we thought we'd share the Herb Garden Pasta recipe
 because it would be perfect for a picnic or get-together!

HERBED GARDEN PASTA

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound uncooked penne pasta

1-1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil,plus 1-1/2 teaspoon separated

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon organic culinary Lavender buds, chopped

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 red onion, minced

2 teaspoons fresh chives, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes

3 Tablespoons vegetable broth

2 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup goat cheese

Fresh basil for garnish

Cook the pasta according to the package's directions, and drain.
Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with 1-1/2 teaspoon of olive oil..
Add the basil, parsley, lavender, salt and pepper.
Toss well to combine.
(We added more lavender because we wanted to taste it more
~ you can do this at the end if you'd like to adjust your herb flavors!)

In a large skillet, mix together the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoon of olive oil,
garlic, onion, chives and rosemary.
Saute the ingredients over medium-low heat for 4 minutes,
stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, and continue sauteing until
 the skins of the tomatoes are slightly charred and just beginning to burst.

Add the vegetable broth and butter, and add the tomato and onion mixture
 to the pasta.  Toss well to combine.  Sprinkle with the goat cheese
and garnish with as much fresh basil as you want!

Serve immediately.  Makes approximately 2-4 servings.

Wishing everyone a lovely 

4th of July Weekend

with friends & family!

Karla & Karrie

The Summer Kitchen Girls

Sweet 'n' Tart

 We enjoy a good rhubarb pie or crumble.... 

even a delicious rhubarb jam

but other than that 

we've never made anything else with rhubarb

that is until now....when we made this delicious

Strawberry-Rhubarb Mousse

12 oz rhubarb,, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

1 quart strawberries,hulled

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1//2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs. separated into yolks and whites

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring rhubarb, strawberries and water to a boil 

in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat.  

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 
until tender, about 4 minutes. 

Transfer rhubarb and strawberries to a blender

 along with 1 tablespoon brown sugar,  
plus the salt and cinnamon; puree until smooth.  

Whisk rhubarb puree, yolks, and remaining brown sugar
 together in the pan  and return to medium heat.  
Cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened,

 about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Whisk egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form;

 add to rhubarb mixture, fold gently until combined; set aside.  

Whisk cream and vanilla in a bowl until stiff peaks form; 

add to rhubarb mixture.  Fold until combined. 

Spoon into serving cups; chill before serving.

**You can also freeze the mousse!! **

How deliciously refreshing would that be?

Enjoy your Monday everyone!!

Karla & Karrie

The Summer Kitchen Girls

Find the original recipe on Saveur

The original recipe did not call for the strawberries... 

we didn't have enough rhubarb, so we added some strawberries 
we had  on hand.  It also called for apple juice instead of the water ~
 again, we didn't have any on hand...
but we don't think it made much of a difference at all!

A Fool for You....

Yesterday we had our

Valentine Progressive Tea Party

and for dessert we served

Raspberry Fools....

Sweet little cups with a perfect name for

Valentines...don't you think?

It's a super easy recipe..

and we thought we'd share it with you

because you might want to serve it to 

someone you are plumb crazy about :)

Raspberry Fool

2 cups raspberries

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Put raspberries and sugar in a bowl and smash.  

You may also put into a food processor to puree

 ~ depends on how you like your fruit!

2 cups whipping cream 

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

(we've also used almond!)

In a bowl add the cream, sugar and vanilla extract and mix

 with an electric beater until stiff peaks form.  

Gently fold in the raspberry mixture, being careful not to over mix.

Put into serving dishes and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

(This is a great make-ahead dessert you can do the night before as well!)

Top with additional raspberries

Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy!!

Gather Around the Bonfire....

Thursday night we had our

Bonfire & Bluejeans Tea 

at the store....

It was fantastic evening...with great friends...

Spooky Stories by the fire

and some delicious....

 Creamy White Chili

This is probably one of the best white chili recipe we have ever made,

 so of course we had to share it with you....

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• (we used a mixture of white and dark meat)
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• (we used low-sodium chicken broth)
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 
  

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion and garlic powder in
• oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the beans, broth, chilies
• and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; 
• simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. 
• Yield: 7 servings.

 It was truly a delightful evening!!

There's Always Something Cooking at The Summer Kitchen......

Onion Pie 

With Lavender, Bacon & Blue Cheese

Last month we served this delicious pie for our Lavender Class!

Even if you aren't a big blue cheese fan (we aren't!) you will find this

one of the tastiest savory pies you've ever had!

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

 (homemade or store-bought; use deep-dish shell if purchased)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk or cream

2 cups caramelized onions (see recipe below)

4 ounces bacon, diced, cooked and drained

2 teaspoons culinary lavender

4 to 8 ounces blue cheese

Caramelized Onions

You will not believe the difference Caramelized Onions make!

2 pounds yellow onions

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

2 to 3 teaspoons sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Halve onions and remove the outer layers and cut into thin slices.

Place onion slices in a plastic bowl and sprinkle with salt and sugar. 

Toss the mixture and set aside for at 10 minutes

Melt butter in a skillet.

Reserving any liquid left in the bowl, add the onion.

Cook over medium heat stirring often until the first browning is visible.

Reduce the heat and add the liquid from the bowl.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cover the skillet and cook for 20 minutes, watching it so it doesn't' burn.

Onion Pie cooking directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Bake the pie shell for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Let it cool.

Whisk together the eggs and milk or cream in a medium bowl. Add the onions and bacon, whisk to combine and pour the mixture into the baked pie crust. Sprinkle with the lavender and crumbled blue cheese.

Place the pie in the oven on the lower rack. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until almost set but still slightly soft in the middle. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!

~Karla & Karrie

The Summer Kitchen Girls

You can find this recipe on The Washington Post.

When Herb de Provence meets Pork.....

Thursday night we had our 

Lavender Cooking Class 

at the store and we had to share this recipe

because...

it was

to

die

for!

We just took a 3 pound pork roast

rubbed it with 2 tablespoons of crushed garlic

 then we rubbed it with the Herb de Provence we made for class

 {recipe below!}

Heat some olive oil in a skillet...get it nice and hot and then

sear the meat on all sides....take it out ~ then all we did was just took about

1/3 cup Dijon mustard and brushed it all over the roast....oh yum!!

Next just put it in a cooker and covered it

and put it in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 3-1/2 hours or so...

pull it out....let it rest

then pull it apart

:)

it will make your guests smile

honestly!

Herbs de Provence

1 Tablespoon dried thyme

1 Tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons culinary lavender buds

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon dried savory

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

Combine all of the ingredients, and mix well.  

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark location.

A Little Cha-Cha Chai

We've been busy at the store the past couple of weeks.

Returning it back to it's non-Christmas state

and we threw in a tea party on Sunday....

but this week we had a class!

To get us in the mood today...we've got a little

Tea for Two Cha Cha.....

got to love a good Cha Cha!!

Tonight at our class we 

RELAXED

So, grab yourself a cup of tea,

ours is our Chai Spice Blend, 

while we share our recipes.....

Tonight we wanted to show our guests

HOW

to use tea...

Chai Tea especially! 

The first thing we did was make some

deliciously smoothing

Chai Tea Sugar Scrub....

2-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup Chai Tea

Put the Chai Tea in the same bowl as the sugar

Add 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix 1/2 cup distilled water

and 5 Tablespoons grapeseed oil together

Mix the sugar, chai, cinnamon mixture together

and pour into the sugar mixture.

Mix it all up ~ that's all there is!

We all decided to try the mix out...

this winter has been hard on the hands this year!

We decided that it smelled delicious...

and if it didn't work, that it would taste great lol!

But, alas, it DID scrub away our rough hands 

and it left them smooth and smelling good!

We poured the mixture into a mason jar 

and added a little ribbon and colored paper for the lid....

So very cute!

 We ended the evening with some

Chai Tea Buddies.....

Put 10 cups Chex cereal in a bowl

In a microwavable bowl put 2 teaspoons Chai Tea

 and 12 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

 and heat for 1 minute in the microwave and stir.  

Heat for 30 second increments  and stir until the chocolate is melted. 

Pour over top of the chex cereal and mix. 

 When the chocolate is coating the cereal, put two cups of powdered sugar 

in a brown paper bag and add the cereal and shake until covered.

Enjoy!

Everything But....

Everything But....

Everything but taking down the Christmas decorations!

I really don't know WHAT

is wrong...

but you would think with a Level 3 going on outside

and wind chills at -41 degrees

brrrrrrrrrr

that I could have at LEAST

taken down

The Christmas Decorations today....but

no.

Instead I cleaned out the pantry

THAT was a job!

I did a little laundry, surfed the internet....

I did a LOT

of 

surfing.

Then poked around in the freezer to figure out supper

and found the zucchini

 that I 

BRILLIANTLY

froze last summer.....

and decided to make this:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

and yes, it is super delicious...

like a moist brownie on the bottom and a bit of a crunchy top...

oh yea....and it's CHOCOLATE.

What more could you ask for on a snow day??

If you happen to have some Zucchini in your freezer....

have a try ~ it's super easy & delish!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1-3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour milk 

(if you don't have sour milk....

just put 2 teaspoons of lemon juice in regular milk 

and let it stand for 10 minutes!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2-1/2 cup grated zucchini

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cream together butter, vegetable oil and sugar

Add eggs, sour milk and vanilla.  Blend well.

In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together.

Blend dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

Add grated zucchini, and mix well.

Spread in a greased and floured 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Bake in a preheated 325 degrees F oven for 45 minutes.

CHOW DOWN

oh....

and get those Christmas Decorations 

put away already!