Greek Panzanella and Peach Dumplings

I want to share with you two outstanding recipes I copied from last weeks Foodie Friday. The first one is Greek Panzanella from Kendra over at Haden News. She participates with the Barefoot Bloggers in doing recipes from Ina Garten. I only have one of Ina Garten's cookbooks, but plan to purchase all of them. I really love everything she creates. This is a recipe you will want to try!

Greek Panzanella

Good olive oil

1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)

Kosher salt

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, large diced

1 yellow bell pepper, large diced

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds

1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (I used Colby cheese)

1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted
For the vinaigrette:
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup good red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil
Directions:

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

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The next recipe I copied was Peach Dumplings from Yvonne over at Stone Gable. As I was reading through her recipe I couldn't wait to try the Peach Dumplings. This was my first time using the puffed pastry. I had always thought it would be difficult, but it wasn't. So here is my attempt at

Stone Gables Peach Dumplings.

I cut the leaves from leave cutters I had purchased from William Sonoma in the fall.

Rolled out the puffed pastry and cut pastry into squares.

Beautiful peaches, sliced and pit removed.

Put filling in.

Put peach back together.

Wrap puffed pastry corners up and over the peach. Use a little water to wet the ends of the pastry and gently push them together.

Using a pastry brush, brush heavy cream on dumplings and cut out leaves. Arrange leaves on dumplings and dust with sanding sugar.

StoneGable Peach Dumplings
8 large very ripe peaches
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 boxes puffed pastry sheets
1/4 cup heavy cream
sanding sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Take thawed puffed pastry out of box and roll into a square. Cut pastry sheet into 4 squares. Set aside. Cut 2nd sheet of pastry the same way.
Cut out leaves using another puffed pastry sheet.
Mix sugars together in a bowl. Add soft butter and mash together with a fork. Mixture should be somewhat crumbly. Set aside.
Cut very ripe peaches in half using the natural indent in the one side as a guide. Gently twist and the peach should easily pull apart. Remove pit from peach with a sharp knife. Repeat with all peaches.
Remove one puffed pastry square onto a work surface. Scoop a generous tablespoon of sugar mixture in the hollow of one half of a peach. Put peach together. Sugar mixture will be in the middle. Sit upright on the pastry square. Bring diagonal corners up and over the peach. Use a little water to wet the ends of the pastry and gently push them together. Fold opposite diagonal ends up and over peach tucking in the sides of the pastry. Using a pastry brush, brush heavy cream on dumplings and cut out leaves. Arrange leaves on dumplings and dust with sanding sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Serve with creme anglaise.
(I loved this.....Yvonne writes, make an easy creme anglaise.....Melt a good vanilla bean ice cream in the microwave.....That's it! Creme anglaise!

The Peach Dumplings were great!

And the Creme anglaise was wonderful:)

Hope you all will visit Kendra and Yvonne's blogs. You will find many more wonderful recipes to enjoy:)

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Foodie Friday is presented by

"Designs by Gollum"

Visit her site for more fabulous recipes:)

CSN $40.00 Giveway WINNER.........

Le-Creuset


The Winner of the CSN Stores $40.00 in merchandise promo code goes to:

Jill

from

The Moores

send me an email and I will send you the Promo Code:)

Thanks to all that participated! It was a fun week:)

Marinated Shrimp and a CSN Giveaway:)

How about a pot of tea made in this lovely Le-Creuset teapot. Red just happens to be my favorite color. I think I will make a mango green tea to go with my dinner:)

Put raw shrimp into a large zip lock bag. Add Italian dressing. Marinate for 2 hours. Put onto wooden skewers that have been soaked for 2 hours as well. Grill 2-4 minutes on each side.

I served brown rice with cut up banana pepper, red onion, sliced tomatoes, and fresh mango.

A lime to squeeze on the shrimp.

Enjoy:)

Foodie Friday is presented by"Designs by Gollum"Visit her site for more fabulous recipes:)

Now that your tummy is full......let's go shopping!

CSN Stores would like to give one of my readers a promo code good for $40.00 in merchandise from their stores. I was checking out the
Le-Creuset cookware. From start to finish, Le Creuset is the ingredient that brings every evening together. In kitchens around the world, from acclaimed European eateries to family dinner tables, Le Creuset has been trusted for over 80 years for its legacy of style and quality. Their brilliant colors and user-friendly cookware pieces have created an unforgettable dining experience. So if you like to shop without leaving your home, this is a great offer for you.

It's simple to enter:

• 
  
  If you are already a follower leave me a comment. (1 entry)


• 
  
  If you are new to my blog, sign up to become a follower and leave a comment. (1 entry)


• 
  
  Blog about this giveaway, with a link back here (2 entries)
  


• 
  
  Make sure I can reach you via email.


• 
  
  Contest ends August 2, 2010 at 5 pm.


• 
  
  I will announce the winner on my blog and send an email. If I don't hear from the winner with 48 hours, I will pick another winner.

Good Luck:)

Dairy Queen (DQ) Ice Cream with Blueberry Topping and CSN Stores Announcement

Nothing better than DQ ice cream.Put butter, blueberries and sugar in pan.

Cook 2-4 mintues.


Enjoy:)


Blueberry Topping

2 tablespoons butter

1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter/then add the blueberries and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until berries break down, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly and spoon warm sauce over Dairy Queen Ice Cream:)

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Foodie Friday is presented by
"Designs by Gollum"
Visit her site for more fabulous recipes:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever checked out CSN Stores online?

I am thrilled to have been chosen to do a review or a giveaway for them. They offer so many items to choose from. I was so surprised to find out that they even sell dining room tables.

So keep watching for what will come next…..a review or a giveaway from CSN Stores.

Caprese Pasta

Let's get started while the pasta is cooking.Ingredients:

1 pound whole wheat Rotini

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. toss to combine. add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist.

Enjoy:)

Garlic Butter Baked Crab Legs

Fresh flowers from my yard.....Geranium, Clematis and Mint.

Fresh watermelon.........and so sweet it was.

Now to get started. One lemon, fresh parsley (from my garden), garlic and butter.

3 lbs snow crab legs

1 cup butter

5 cloves fresh garlic

1 lemon, juice of

fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, grab yourself a small saucepan. On medium low heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic (pressed) and lightly saute. Squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Turn the heat to low and let those flavors mesh until the oven is nice and hot. Sprinkle with parsley. Turn off your burner.

I used a large foil pan. Arrange your crab in the pan and brush with the butter sauce. Pour remaining sauce over cover tightly with foil and put in the oven on the center rack.

Bake crabs for about 25 - 35 minutes or so depending on size of crab.

Remove from oven sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and serve. Ladle butter from pan into small dishes for dipping.

Fresh out of the oven and ready to serve.

Delish:)

Scratch Lemonade

6 cups cold water

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons rinds reserved

In a 2 1/2 quart container, combine the water and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and stir once more. Throw in the lemon rinds.

Chill until very cold and serve over ice.

Arnold Palmer

Fill glass with ice.....add half with lemonade and top it with sun tea.

Dessert was easy.....Brownies from a box, with icing.

It was a great 4th of July meal:)

Fresh Picked Tomatoes

See my red tomatoes....
Ready to be picked....

Here goes....

Aren't they pretty.......now into the kitchen for ~ BLT's :)