Are You Being Served?

Are you being served breakfast? The only time that I usually manage a real, true breakfast is when I am out of town. Eggs Benedict with a Bloody Mary, stacks of fluffy pancakes with warm syrup, and creamy eggs whipped into omelets with ribbons of cheese, veggies, and ham are only morning dreams for me on a normal day. Hubby and I might pull one of these meals onto our plates for a lazy evening dinner, but with our hectic schedules, we just don't have time or energy for much of a morning breakfast.

I feel cheated. I want breakfast. I am considering hosting a breakfast/brunch party some late Sunday morning. Do you think my friends will want to come out for waffles, muffins, egg casseroles, bacon, and mimosas? Can the lure of good morning food rouse their weary bodies for a daylight party? Would they want a stack of blueberry pancakes on their plate?

Blueberry Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes

5/8 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
½ cup flour
½ tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 cup butter, melted
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Mix oatmeal and buttermilk.
Add eggs.
Combine dry ingredients separately.
Add to the oatmeal mixture.
Stir in the butter.
Add blueberries to each pancake after pouring the batter on the griddle.
Cook on hot greased griddle until bubbles show through.
Flip and cook on other side until golden brown. (6 pancakes)

Oh Baby!

There is something in the water. Friends and family scattered across the state and nation are expecting. We have due dates ranging from "any minute" to November marking our calendar. Babies are going to take over the world, it seems.

Bite-sized baby burgers are going to take over On My Plate. Grilled little hunks of seasoned beef, topped with melting cheese, and sandwiched with toasted bread, tomato, and pickle are great appetizers for backyard cookouts. Dip them in ketchup and mustard, or eat them plain. Just like real babies, love the little things and enjoy them while you can.

Grilled Baby Burgers

1 pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons minced dried onions
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
¾ teaspoon seasoning salt
4 slices American cheese, cut into quarters
8 slices bread, toasted and crusts removed, cut into quarters
2 small plum tomatoes, cut into thin slices
16 dill pickle slices

Heat gas or charcoal grill.
Mix together the beef, onion, parsley and salt.
Divide into 16 portions.
Shape each portion into a ball and flatten to a 1/2 inch thick patty about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Place patties on the grill; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.
Top each patty with a piece of cheese.
Place each patty on a quarter piece of the toasted bread.
Top the burgers with a pickle slice, a tomato slice and another toast square.
Spear burgers with a toothpick to hold all the layers together.
Serve with ketchup, mustard, mayo and thousand island salad dressing for dipping. (16 portions)

Odds and Ends

One lonesome button, a lighter, a nail file, a small allen wrench, a tiny light bulb from the Christmas lights, an expired credit card, and a AA battery are rolling around in the corner of my desk drawer were odds and ends come to rest. In a Mason jar on top of the dryer, I have a collection of nuts and bolts, screws, springs, fuses, coins, an old pocket knife, and even a few business cards that have made their way through the laundry but have no real home. The console of my car has tins of Altoids cinnamon gum, lipbalm, a granola bar, change from McDonald's, a rock, and the charger for the cell phone I had before my current one. Odds and ends collect everywhere, if we let them.

One morning, someone woke up to find a few strawberries, an orange, some grapes, and an avocado staring at them. They were inspired to throw together a quick salad, season with salt and pepper, and post the recipe online. I am grateful. It is beyond delicious. The contrast of the crisp flavors of the fruits and the creamy avocado is brilliant. Of course, I am happy when odds and ends become Odds and Ends Fruit Breakfast Salad On My Plate.

Odds and Ends Fruit Breakfast Salad

1 medium navel orange
6 strawberries
12 green seedless grapes
1 avocado
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Peel and segment the orange, slice the strawberries, grapes and avocado.
Toss together.
Season with salt and top with fresh ground black pepper. (Serves 2)

The Magical Fruit

Yep. I am married to a 12 year old boy. He has never matured past potty humor. I can't serve any meal or recipe that includes beans without hearing the chant of, "Beans, Beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more your toot. The more you toot, the better you feel. So let's eat beans for every meal!" He is hopeless.

However, White Bean Dip is not hopeless. It is simple, filling, full of fiber, and down right delicious. I gobble it up with flat bread, pita chips, fresh veggies, and smeared on whole grain toast. It is hearty enough to be lunch even on the busiest day, and easy enough to prepare that I don't have to think twice about it whipping it up for a quick snack. I will pull the magical fruit On My Plate with White Bean Dip any day.

White Bean Dip

1 (15 ounce) can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
kosher salt, to taste

Place all ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with blade and process until smooth.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It isn't Mary who is quite contrary at my house. It is my garden. The first year we moved here, I did have a decent garden with lots of fresh tomatoes and peppers. However, as time passed, my garden became as obstinate as an old mule. Seedlings withered and drooped. Tomato plants never produced fruit. Even the flowers that I planted dropped their blossoms. Last year, my pepper plants were the same size at first frost as they were when I planted them. They gave up, and so did I.

Someone told me that the black walnut tree that I had allowed to grow beside the garden was leaching something toxic into the soil. I don't know if this is true. I didn't research it. I just readily agreed when Hubby decided that my garden would be the perfect spot for a large shed, and didn't waste my time and money with planting this year. We don't yet have a shed, but I also don't have the frustration of a non-growing garden.

Gardenless, I am finding myself missing the joys of fresh tomatoes and peppers. There is nothing like a home grown tomato. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, can compare to savoring a fresh picked from the garden, sliced while still warm, and eaten with just a sparse sprinkling of salt tomato. That is pure bliss.

So...how does your garden grow? If yours isn't contrary as mine, and you have some beautiful tomatoes clinging to your vines, I suggest you try a Tomato and Mozzarella Burger. Roasting the tomatoes makes the experience even better, if that could really be possible. The flavors become richer, and what isn't better with the addition of garlic and olive oil? The fresh mozzarella becomes ooey, gooey and just sinful when sandwiched between the warm tomato slices. It is a burgerless burger that will have you drooling. I am. If you have any extra tomatoes, I would love to share. I want a Tomato and Mozzarella Burger On My Plate.

Tomato and Mozzarella Burger

Large Garden Ripened Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic, minced
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil sprigs

Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Slice a thin piece from the rounded bottom of each tomato, so they sit upright.
Slice each tomato in half horizontally. Arrange the tomato halves, cut side up on a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.
Drizzle with the oil, then sprinkle on the salt and pepper.
Scatter the garlic over the tomatoes.
Roast until they're softened and warmed through, approx 15 minutes.
Mean while, cut the mozzarella into 6- 1/2 inch rounds.
Using a spatula, sandwich each cheese slice between 2 hot tomato halves.
The heat of tomatoes will melt the cheese slightly.
Drizzle with the juices collected in the roasting pan and garnish with basil.

Chilling Out

We haven't even hit the stride of real summer, yet. Temperatures haven't even reached the 100s. But, already I am looking for ways to cool down. Hubby just adjusts the thermostat on the A/C until my limbs are icicles, but I prefer to chill myself from the inside out. I like something light and refreshing to hopefully savor on the patio, if the sun isn't too unyielding. I don't mind a little extra heat if my soul can be revived with a cold treat.

Last summer, I discovered cold soups. I had heard of them, read about them, but never sampled them until a simple recipe jumped to my attention. I wondered why with our often never ending 100+ temps of July and August, I hadn't tried them before. Cool, refreshing, light, simple; all of those adjectives that are heaven when the sun beats relentlessly down and the air is heavy with humidity are the perfect description for a Chilled Orange and Tomato Soup. I know that a bowl or two of this will be On My Plate again this summer as I attempt to find relief from the heat.

Chilled Orange and Tomato Soup

2 cups orange juice, strained of pulp (fresh is best)
2 cups low-sodium tomato juice (not V-8)
½ cup white wine
juice of ½ large lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
white pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Blend all but parsley together.
Chill for several hours.
Prior to serving, place in blender and whip for several minutes. Soup will be frothy.
Serve with a sprinkle of parsley. (Serves 6)

I Want S'More!

The title says it all. A few weeks ago, we hosted a casual dinner for some friends on a Sunday evening. I planned a full menu of Maple Grilled Salmon, Orzo with Mushrooms, steamed green beans, salad, and the guests brought some incredible homemade bread made with sun dried tomatoes, garlic and parmesan. It was a meal to die for, but I couldn't wait to get to the simple, timeless, summer dessert. S'mores.

I love s'mores. When we were first married, I used to roast marshmallows over the propane burners on our stove. Later, I discovered a microwave version of the treat, but it was missing the toasty bits and wasn't as good as the real deal. While I got to sample marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers, it wasn't truly satisfying of the craving. When I purchased a copper fire pit for our backyard patio, I knew that lots of s'mores were in my future. I just can't resist the ooey-gooey marshmallow smudged with bits of burn from being too close to the fire and layered with melting milk chocolate and crisp, crunchy graham crackers. S'mores are the perfect way to end an evening...or start the day...or fill in an afternoon slump...or whatever...I just want s'more!

We invited friends for dinner last Sunday, too. Again, I planned a full summer meal for the patio of Barbecued Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Marinated Potato Salad, Garlic Bread, Watermelon, Salad, and, of course, S'MORES. Unfortunately, the evening was cut short by a nasty approaching thunderstorm, and we didn't get to the s'mores. But, rest assured, they will find their way into another summer menu. I may not make any other dessert all summer long. I just want s'more On My Plate.

S'mores
1 large marshmallow
1 graham cracker, broke into 2 pieces
3 squares chocolate Hershey Bar

Toast marshmallow on skewer over open flame (preferably campfire, but be creative, if you need to be) until golden brown.
Burned bits are required for me, but an acquired taste for others.
Layer chocolate on top of one half of the graham cracker.
Using the other portion of graham cracker, pull the toasted marshmallow off the skewer and sandwich between the crackers and chocolate.
Enjoy immensely.