Good evening all! It's summertime and the livin' is easy. . .the heat is rising here in the Rogue Valley but luckily we have not seen any big fires. . .yet. It was just about this time last year that the big ones fired up and we were inundated with smoke for weeks. Fingers crossed it won't happen this year but we are in drought conditions and the danger is there. For now though, I've been enjoying grilling and gardening and tomorrow I will venture out to the Applegate to wander the Southern Oregon Lavender Trail during the annual Oregon Lavender Festival. I went last year with 3 of my co-workers and we visited the 3 farms that were open and it was a lovely time. We ended the day with a picnic lunch at the last farm where they graciously moved a picnic table to a nice shady spot on the lawn in front of their farmhouse. It was hot and sweltering in the 101° heat but a lot of fun was had.
This year I have a bit more $$ so I'm going to make some tasty treats for the 4 of us. Follow me on the lavender trail and I'll share what I'm making!
First off: Deviled Eggs. I mean, who doesn't love them and they are cheap to make. I have a whole dozen eggs already on hand that need to be used up and all the other ingredients so no extra expense to me;) Plus, it's easy to tweak the seasoning and make them unique: I like to add a little curry powder to mine and then top them all with a dusting of smoked paprika.
Second: Wraps. So many possiblities! I've decided to go Italian with mine.
Sun-dried Tomato, Turkey, & Provolone Cream Cheese Wraps
1 pkg of sun-dried tomato and basil wraps (6ct)
8oz cream cheese
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
about 1/2 lb of thin sliced deli turkey
thin sliced provolone cheese
fresh basil leaves
Let the cream cheese soften to a spreadable consistency (or buy the whipped spreadable kind). Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and combine with the cream cheese.
Lay out one of the wraps on your work surface. Spread with a liberal layer of cream cheese almost to the edges.
Layer with the turkey slices just slightly overlapping. Then do the same with the cheese. Scatter some fresh basil leaves across the whole thing.
Gently roll up and then refrigerate for a few hours. When ready to pack them up take them out of the fridge and slice into 1" pinwheels, or just in halves.
Third: Nothing is quite as refreshing as fresh melon in the summer. I'm going to make a simple combo of fresh watermelon and cantaloupe tossed with a mint simple syrup.
And lastly the beverage: I got some ginger ale and a bottle of blackberry Merlot and I'm going to make a simple spritzer by combining them according to people's taste and/or tolerance: 3:1 ginger ale to wine is good for those who just want something refreshing and a hint of a buzz;)
So, what's for dinner at your place tonight? I am probably going to make a simple pasta dish because it's supposed to get up to 103° here today and yeah, I'm not standing out in that heat over hot flames so no grilling. Sorry hon!