Maryland Crabcakes

Maybe it comes from being from New England but for some reason every Summer I get the hankering for fish. Catfish and shellfish are my favorites, followed in close second by any firm white fish that can be battered and fried.

I have yet to make these beauties first hand but I have eaten them and they are divine. I found the recipe while digging around in my recipe box and couldn't resist sharing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Maryland crab meat
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp old bay seasoning
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 1/2 cups cracker or bread crumbs

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix together eggs, mayonnaise, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.
2. Add crab meat; mix evenly and gently. Add crumbs evenly.
3. Shape into 6 cakes and saute in oil for 5 minutes on each side.

Couscous with Garden Vegetables

What better way to celebrate the first harvest of the year than with a big delicious bowl of couscous loaded with veggies fresh from the garden.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 small orange bell pepper chopped
• 4 scallions sliced (avoid the dark green bits)
• 12 small cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place couscous in a heat proof bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over couscous. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.
2. Whisk oil and juice together with salt and pepper and dress couscous
3. Mix in cut veggies and sprinkle with lemon zest.

Tangerine Chicken

This dish is perfect for the end of summer, the heat of the cinnamon and the dark orange of the sauce perfectly compliments the spirit of Lughnasadh. Wonderful served over rice or with rustic bread and a garden fresh salad.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 4 Chicken Breasts
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2-3 Tangerines, peeled and sectioned
• 1 Tbsp Tangerine zest

Directions:

1. In a large skillet melt butter. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and set aside
2. Add flour to skillet. Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly. Add orange juice concentrate, water and cinnamon. Simmering, stirring until sauce is thickened.
3. Return chicken to skillet, spooning sauce over chicken. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until heated through. Add tangerine sections and zest. Stir and serve.

Grilled Rosemary Sausage Skewers

I'm going to buy a grill next week this is deffinatly going to be on the menu in one of the coming weeks, it is a perfect summery dish.

Ingredients:

• Assortment of bite-sized veggies (I usually use cherry tomatoes, chopped Bell Peppers  and Mushrooms)
• 3 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary
• 1 Cup of Olive Oil
• 1 Garlic Clove minced
• Juice from 1 Lemon
• 1 pound Italian Sausage cut into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

1. Alternate veggies and sausage on a skewer.
2. Remove Rosemary leaves from sprigs and chop finely. Combine with garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice.
3. Baste skewers with mixture.
4. Grill 5-7 minutes on each side.

This dish goes well with crusty bread and a fresh salad.

Summer Produce

More and more people are trying to make sure they're eating seasonally. Eating this way provides many benefits. The food tastes better and has more nutrients, it costs less, and is more likely to come from local farms. The first day of June is less than a week a way. That being said I thought I would provide a little list of foods that will be in season for June, July and August.

A

Apricots

Asian Pear

B

Barbados Cherries

Beets

Bell Peppers

Black Crowberries

Black Currents

Blackberries

Blueberries

Boysenberries

Breadfruit

Butter Lettuce

C

Cantaloupe

Casaba Melon

Champagne Grapes

Chayote Squash

Cherries

Cherries, Sour

Chinese Long Beans

Corn

Crenshaw Melon

Crookneck Squash

Cucumbers

D

Durian

E

Eggplant

Elderberries

Endive

Edemame

F

Figs

G

Garlic

Grapefruit

Grapes

Green Beans

H

Honeydew Melons

J

Jackfruit

Jalapeno Peppers

K

Key Limes

L

Lima Beans

Limes

Loganberries

Longan

Loquat

Lychee

M

Manoa Lettuce

Mulberries

N

Nectarines

O

Okra

P

Passion Fruit

Peaches

Peas

Persian Melon

Plums

R

Radishes

Raspberries

S

Sapodillas

Sapote

Shallots

Strawberries

Sugar Apple

Sugar Snap Peas

Summer Squash

T

Tomatillo

Tomatoes

W

Watermelon

Winged Beans

Y

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Z

Zucchini

Let me know if I've left anything out

Homemade Sloppy Joes

These are my husbands absolute favorite. I think he'd be happy if I made them every day of the week. I found the recipe in a magazine 5 years ago and I've tweaked it to meet my needs. These are so much better than the awful canned sauce you mix with ground beef and only take a little bit more effort. This meal is the best thing to make on a rainy summer day (you know those late summer storms Lugh is so famous for) when you want the flavor of summer but your stuck inside.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1/2 Large Onion
• 2/3 Cup Ketchup
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp White Vinegar
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Mustard
• 1/4 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1/8 Tsp Ground Allspice

Directions:

1. Saute ground beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is translucent. Drain excess fat.
2. Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard, chili powder, and allspice.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
4. Serve on hamburger buns and enjoy!

This recipe actually makes quite a lot of Sloppy Joe filling so you can easily feed four and have enough for sandwiches the next day.

Burger Love

With Summer so close I can taste it I can't help but talk about one of my favorite summer foods. Burgers! Now I love mixing ground beef, chicken, pork, turkey, or buffalo into various gourmet homemade patties, but every once in a while I want something fast and easy.That's where the frozen pre-made patty comes in.

 My absolute favorite are Bubba's Burgers. They are made with 100% ground USDA choice chuck and are the most delicious, juicy, frozen hamburgers I have ever eaten. If you are a burger fan you have to try them out. The original are amazing, and the Vidalia Onion ones are twice as amazing. For spicy lovers they have a jalapeno variety and for something fun they have adorable sliders. All in all their are 9 different varieties! Not to shabby for a frozen patty.

Sweet Tea

Ingredients:

• Simple Syrup (3 cups of water Mixed with 6 cups sugar)
• 1 Quart Water
• 3/4 Cups of Black Tea

Directions:

1. Boil water for tea
2. Shut off heat, add tea and steep for two minutes
3. Add 1 Quart cold water and simple syrup

Lemon-Rosemary Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Tablespoon chopped rosemary
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
• 3 lbs chicken breasts

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine all ingredients except chicken, mix well.
2. Place chicken in a shallow dish, brush or rub oil mixture on chicken breasts using all of it.
3. Cover and refrigerate one hour to marinate.
4. Heat grill and remove chicken from marinade.
5. Cook chicken on medium heat for 30 minutes or until juices run clear turning and brushing with leftover marinade 2 or 3 times.