My cousin Kathy was up this weekend from Texas to celebrate her son's Acceptance to West Point. VERY exciting!! Congratulations again Nick!!
We spent the day with him on Saturday for the parade and then she had a little one on one time with him on Sunday. To celebrate when she got back, this is the cocktail I had waiting for her.
It's kind of a mash up between a Mojito and a Martini. If Mr. Mojito and Mrs. Martini had a baby, this is what it would be.
If you are like my husband and you need a name for everything - you could call it a Mar-jito (marheeto). Hey, that's kind of cute!
Here is what you need:
2 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Triple Sec
Juice of 1/2 lime
Fresh Mint - about a small palmful or as much as you like- torn into pieces
1/2 Tsp. Sugar
Seltzer - approximately 3 oz
Ice
Here is what you do:
In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, triple sec, lime juice, mint, sugar and ice. (Normally I would tell you to muddle the mint but as long as you shake the heck out of it, it's all good.) Shake vigorously to combine ingredients and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with seltzer and garnish with mint leaf or slice of lime. Or just drink up without a garnish. Your choice.
If you want to get fancy, you could also create a sugar rim by rubbing the lip of the glass with a lime wedge and then dip it into a mixture of lime zest and sugar. Yum!
Now, you know how I always encourage you to "wing it" or "make it your own?" This drink can easily be substituted with any number of ingredients. If you don't have vodka on hand - use rum. No triple sec - no problem - leave it out - or substitute some orange liqueur or even a little OJ. No lime juice on hand - use lemon or even orange juice for that matter. No mint - use basil - or rosemary. There are so many great fresh herbs this time of year - experiment with them!
Don't be afraid to try something new - with your food or with your drink. Especially with drinks. There's alcohol in there. What's the worst that could happen - it doesn't taste great so you kick it back. Come on - we've all had a shot or two in our day that gave us the skeeve chills but we still managed to consume several of them with friends on a Friday night!
Oh, and in case you are wondering, yes, I did make it to the farmers market on Sunday morning - in the torrential rain. I got very wet but still went out to support my farmers! Here's what I got............
I used the peaches for a cobbler, the potatoes and some of the rosemary, garlic and onion for a smashed potato pie, the radishes and tomatoes in a salad with the wild arugala, the corn we just relished right on the cob. When you have good produce, the possibilities are endless! The strawberries could also be used in that Mar-jito as well. They would add a natural sweetness to the drink so you wouldn't even need the sugar.
If you would like to see the recipes I just mentioned, leave me a comment and I'll be sure to post them.
Until then, Cheers!
It was another Sunday morning at the Farmers Market.
Here is what I brought home this week.........................
There's wild arugala, garlic, onion, garlic scapes, potatoes, carrots, golden beets, 2 different types of squash, mushrooms and crusty bread. There is also some rainbow chard and fresh & smoked mozzarella - which brings us to our dish for today.
Grilled Rainbow Chard Pizza. So yum!
For those of you who may not be familiar with Rainbow Chard (also known as Swiss Chard) is a leafy slightly bitter green vegetable that is a descendant of the beet family. The stems can range in color from green to white to yellow to red. Not exactly all the colors of the rainbow but you get the idea. Chard is very popular in Mediterranean cooking and the first varieties can be traced back to Sicily.
Chard can be used in so many different ways - it can be sauteed with garlic and olive oil as a side dish, steamed, in pasta dishes, egg dishes, quiches, fritattas, stews, soups, you name it. Think of using it like you would spinach.
So here is what you need to make the pizza..................
1 store bought pizza dough (or be adventurous and make your own - or pick one up from your favorite pizza place)
4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1/2 thinly sliced onion
1 large clove of garlic, thinly sliced
Bunch of rainbow chard, rough chopped (mine was about 8 cups worth before cooking)
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
Sliced smoked mozzarella cheese (approximately 1 small ball)
Salt & Pepper
Shaved Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Red Pepper (optional)
Here is what you do................
Go outside and get your grill nice and heated on a medium heat.
Go back to your kitchen and in a large skillet over medium high heat, saute bacon pieces until nice and crispy. Leave oil in pan but remove bacon to a small bowl and hold until you are ready to assemble your pizza.
To the bacon grease add your sliced onion and saute approximately a minute, add your garlic and cook another minute. Throw in your chopped chard and cook just until the leaves start to get wilted. Season with salt & pepper and red pepper if you like. Remove from heat.
Pack up your mise en place (fancy French term for all the stuff you need - in other words, all your ingredients) onto a tray and head back outside.
Stretch out your pizza dough onto a large platter or cutting board, like so:
Spritz or brush the dough with olive oil so it doesn't stick to the grill grates. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to oil the grill grates a little also. This can be easily done with a paper towel with some olive oil on it and a pair of tongs.
Place your dough on the grill and close the lid. Be very careful to keep an eye on it. The dough cooks quick. I check it a minute at a time. When the dough gets nice grill marks on the bottom, carefully brush with a little more oil and flip your dough over. Once again, cook a minute at a time.
Remove dough to cutting board again and top with ricotta, cooked chard mixture, crispy bacon bits then then finally the sliced smoked mozzarella.
Carefully slide back onto the grill and cook for just a minute until the cheese starts to get melty.
Oh, heaven on a plate!
Add some grated or shaved pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, a little more fresh ground pepper and you are good to go!
Here is what she looks like sliced and ready to serve. This is probably going to need a fork and a knife!
Now, if you are an apartment dweller and/or do not have access to an outdoor grill, feel free to make this on a stove top grill pan or even do it in the oven. If you do decide to bake it, remember to prebake the crust before you put your toppings on.
There are so many different variations you can make with this pizza, if you don't like bacon, leave it off. If you have leftover roasted chicken or steak, chop it up and throw that on instead. If you don't like or don't have access to fresh chard, feel free to substitute spinach. Remember, like I always say, "Make it your own".
Happy Cooking!!
