Savoring Summer {Recipe Round Up}

Because I like a little landing spot for my recipe series, I have grouped all of the Savoring Summer recipes here for you...and for me. (Maybe mostly for me?) 

I hope that you have enjoyed thinking about new ways to feature summer foods on your menu. It was exactly the kick in the pants that I needed for summer cooking inspiration. Hosting a series kind of holds me accountable, so thank you, readers, for doing that! 

(And if it's as hot in your corner as it is in ours this week, you may still be eating summer foods!)

Clockwise, from top left:

Week 1: Marinade for Chicken
Week 2: Black Bean Salad
Week 3: Cappuccino Pops
Week 4: Roasted Sausage and Vegetable Pasta
Week 5: Easy-Freezy Vanilla Ice Cream
Week 6: Farm Fresh Corn Chowder
Week 7: Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Week 8: Jill's Dill Dip
Week 9: Apricot Upside-Down Cake

Week 10: Stuffed Peppers

Week 11: Peach Crisp

Week 12: Cucumber-Dill Squares

Past summer recipe series...

Salad on Tuesday
Fruit on Tuesday

Savoring Summer {Week 12 ~ Cucumber-Dill Squares}

I am ending my Savoring Summer recipe series with a beginning: a super easy summer hors d'oeuvre! These Cucumber Squares are light and refreshing - perfect for wedding or baby showers, tea time, or as an appetizer for a summer meal. 

There is no real recipe, only a process, so I'll walk you through it. 

CUCUMBER-DILL SQUARES

Cut some English cucumbers (long, seedless) into one-inch slices.

I like for them to be uniform, so I use a ruler to score them before slicing.

(OCD? A little.)

Trim a slice of the peel on all four sides, creating a (sort of) square, leaving the dark green peel on the corners.

With a melon-baller, scoop a small depression into the center of each square.

(If you don't have a melon-baller, use a small spoon.)

Fill each little depression with a small scoop of spreadable cheese.

I used Alouette Garlic & Herbs spreadable cheese, but you could use another. You could even make your own cheese spread, like Pioneer Woman's Veggie Cream Cheese Spread. That's got to be good!

Top each square with some fresh dill.

Or if you didn't plant dill in your herb garden this year (ahem), then go ahead and shake on some McCormick dill weed.

Have you been enjoying summer cooking (and eating) at your house? What is your favorite food season?

Looking for a recipe from another week?
Week 1: Marinade for Chicken
Week 2: Black Bean Salad
Week 3: Cappuccino Pops
Week 4: Roasted Sausage and Vegetable Pasta
Week 5: Easy-Freezy Vanilla Ice Cream
Week 6: Farm Fresh Corn Chowder
Week 7: Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Week 8: Jill's Dill Dip
Week 9: Apricot Upside-Down Cake

Week 10: Stuffed Peppers

Week 11: Peach Crisp

Or last year?

Fruit on Tuesday Week 12: Plum Kuchen

Or two years ago?

Salad on Tuesday Week 12: Autumn Chopped Salad

Savoring Summer {Week 11 ~ Peach Crisp}

This week's recipe falls in the "tried and true" category, so when Kati brought home a bag of peaches from a friend, I knew that some of them would end up in this crisp! (This dessert is worth turning the oven on for an hour.) 

Nothing says summer like warm-from-the-oven crunchy peach crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside. 

Okay, maybe other things (garden tomatoes, corn-on-the-cob, homemade ice cream) say summer too, but this sure does say summer at our house!

photo by Bekah

PEACH CRISP

{with a crunchy oatmeal topping}

6 cups peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup nuts, optional (I used pecans.)

* * *

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Stir together peaches, sugar, and cinnamon. Place in greased 2-quart baking dish. 

Mix oats, brown sugar, and flour. Cut in butter until crumbly. (Stir in nuts, if you're using them.)
Place on top of peach mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until topping is golden.

NOTES: 

• This crisp is great with other fruits too! Try blueberries, cherries, apples...
• Sometimes it's fun to make this in ramekins for individual servings. After mixing the fruit, sugar, and spices, place in greased ramekins. (Fill your ramekins about 2/3 full, leaving room for the yummy topping. The size of your ramekins determines how many you will need.) Then divide the topping among the ramekins. 
• Don't forget to add some vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream to the top of each crisp when you serve them!

Join me next Wednesday for the final recipe in my Savoring Summer series!

Looking for a recipe from another week?
Week 1: Marinade for Chicken
Week 2: Black Bean Salad
Week 3: Cappuccino Pops
Week 4: Roasted Sausage and Vegetable Pasta
Week 5: Easy-Freezy Vanilla Ice Cream
Week 6: Farm Fresh Corn Chowder
Week 7: Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Week 8: Jill's Dill Dip
Week 9: Apricot Upside-Down Cake

Week 10: Stuffed Peppers

Or last year?

Fruit on Tuesday Week 11: Cheesecake-Stuffed Peaches

Or two years ago?

Salad on Tuesday Week 11: Asian Chicken Salad

Savoring Summer {Week 10 ~ Stuffed Peppers}

The garden is rather small this year: six tomato plants and six bell pepper plants. But those twelve plants are "going gangbusters" as I remarked on a friend's Facebook discussion about gardening. Kristin saw my comment and replied, "Ben needs to come live with you as you are mass producing his two favorite veggies." 

It's true. My 5-year-old grandson adores tomatoes and peppers and will eat them like candy! (He can put a serious dent in a veggie tray. ~smile~)

So we brought Ben a "party favor" when we went to Maddie and Owen's birthday party last Sunday...a bag of his favorite veggies! 

The next morning, Ben asked his mama if he could have a pepper for breakfast. Then he said, "You really need to figure out how to make these and stuff them with meat." 

I told you last year that I will always associate blueberries with Eve and "the best day of her life." Now I will associate green peppers with Ben. 

This week's recipe is a tribute to Ben: peppers stuffed with meat! 

STUFFED PEPPERS

6 medium green peppers

1 pound lean ground beef

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

1 1-pound can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

* * *

Cut off tops of 6 medium green peppers; remove seeds and membranes.

Cook ground beef and onion until meat is lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.

Add diced tomatoes, water, rice, and Worcestershire sauce. 

Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 18 minutes.

Stir in shredded cheese.

Stuff peppers with the beef mixture; stand upright in a baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

NOTES: 

• If you prefer your peppers soft, precook them in boiling water for about 5 minutes before you stuff them. I like them crisp, so I omit this step. 
• I like to add a little extra cheese to the top before baking.
• If you are short on peppers (we were, as we had used 24 peppers to make pepper relish and then had taken Ben his "party favors"), you can place the meat/rice mixture (we call it the "stuffed") into a greased baking dish, and lay pepper strips over the top. This week, I combined the two techniques and my dish really looked like this:

Kind of a hybrid.

What's your favorite summer vegetable? 

Looking for a recipe from another week?
Week 1: Marinade for Chicken
Week 2: Black Bean Salad
Week 3: Cappuccino Pops
Week 4: Roasted Sausage and Vegetable Pasta
Week 5: Easy-Freezy Vanilla Ice Cream
Week 6: Farm Fresh Corn Chowder
Week 7: Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Week 8: Jill's Dill Dip
Week 9: Apricot Upside-Down Cake

Or last year?

Fruit on Tuesday Week 10: Bostonian Blueberry Muffins

Or two years ago?

Salad on Tuesday Week 10: Caprese Salad

Savoring Summer {Week 9 ~ Apricot Upside-Down Cake}

I have recently discovered food blogger, Jean, who writes and shares tempting recipes at Delightful Repast. I am intrigued by her Magical Meyer Lemon Bars which are made with whole lemons and intend to test the magic. I also plan to make her Potato-Leek Soup when cold weather returns.

But then, last week, there was this.

"This" was Apricot Upside-Down Cake and when I saw it, I knew I wanted to try it. I love upside-down cakes (there's just something about that buttery sweet topping), and this one was especially beautiful.

I made it on Monday evening and served it, topped with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, with our evening coffee and another episode of All Creatures Great and Small.  The touch of almond flavoring, that buttery topping I was expecting, the sweet apricots...all combined to make a beautifully elegant and delicious dessert, one that my family raved about. (And when I say raved, I mean raved! As in, "This is really good." And "I love this!" And "What are the flavors in this cake?" And even later that night, "Mom, that cake was really good!")

Yep, they raved.

For this recipe, I am going to send you over to Delightful Repast. It's worth the trip click of the mouse. I will simply note that I did not have any almond flour, so I just increased my all-purpose flour by that much. I did use the almond flavoring, however, and I wouldn't make this cake without it! 

For Jean's recipe, click below...

~ Apricot Upside-Down Cake ~

Do you like to read food blogs? Do you like to try new things in your kitchen?

Looking for a recipe from another week?
Week 1: Marinade for Chicken
Week 2: Black Bean Salad
Week 3: Cappuccino Pops
Week 4: Roasted Sausage and Vegetable Pasta
Week 5: Easy-Freezy Vanilla Ice Cream
Week 6: Farm Fresh Corn Chowder
Week 7: Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Week 8: Jill's Dill Dip

Or last year?

Fruit on Tuesday Week 9: Peach Chutney

Or two years ago?

Salad on Tuesday Week 9: Greek Pasta Salad

Savoring Summer {Week 8 ~ Jill's Dill Dip}

Raw, crisp veggies are a perfect summer snack or side dish. And a simple, yummy dip can make them even more enticing! 

My friend Jill (she has shared some wonderful recipes with us here at Thinking About Home) brought some of her garden cucumbers and a container of this dill dip on a beach outing years ago...and we've been making it ever since!

NOTES: 

• I used to have a non-onion eater in the house, so I omit the onion. Sometimes I add some onion powder. But now the child who had onion aversion likes onions, so I ought to add it!
• Summer is definitely not the only time I make this! It is an old friend. 

Do you like raw veggies? Do you dip? :)

Looking for a recipe from another week?
Week 1: Marinade for Chicken
Week 2: Black Bean Salad
Week 3: Cappuccino Pops
Week 4: Roasted Sausage and Vegetable Pasta
Week 5: Easy-Freezy Vanilla Ice Cream
Week 6: Farm Fresh Corn Chowder
Week 7: Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Or last year?

Fruit on Tuesday Week 8: Watermelon Cucumber Salad

Or two years ago?

Salad on Tuesday Week 8: Broccoli Salad à l'Orange

  

Savoring Summer {Week 7 ~ Mediterranean Pasta Salad}

It's nice to have an easy summer meal to rely on. This is one of those busy day meals for our family. It is cold and refreshing, can be made ahead or at the last minute, and takes advantage of some of that fresh garden produce. A bottle of store-bought dressing makes it quick to throw together. 

Busy Day  

MEDITERRANEAN PASTA SALAD

1 pound bow tie pasta

1 unpeeled cucumber

1 large tomato

1 6-oz can medium pitted black olives 

Caesar vinaigrette salad dressing

Parmesan cheese (optional)

***

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Chill in ice water and drain again.

Cut cucumber lengthwise in quarters; slice each quarter into bite-sized pieces. Dice tomato. Drain olives.

 Toss pasta, cucumber, tomato, and olives together in large bowl. Add dressing to your taste.

Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.

NOTES: 

• I used this dressing, but you could use one of your choice. Greek or Italian would be good too.
• We often eat this as a main dish, adding grilled or baked chicken, or salami.  

Do you have a busy day meal for the summer?

Looking for a recipe from another week?
Week 1: Marinade for Chicken
Week 2: Black Bean Salad
Week 3: Cappuccino Pops
Week 4: Roasted Sausage and Vegetable Pasta
Week 5: Easy-Freezy Vanilla Ice Cream
Week 6: Farm Fresh Corn Chowder

Or last year?

Fruit on Tuesday Week 7: Vickie's Frozen Fruit

Or two years ago?

Salad on Tuesday Week 7: BLT Chicken Salad

  

Savoring Summer {Week 6 ~ Farm Fresh Corn Chowder}

One of the pleasures of summer is farm fresh produce, whether it comes from your own garden, a friend's, or a local produce stand or farmer's market. Our Walmart usually has a large bin of locally grown sweet corn all summer long, and that's where I went to buy fresh corn for our corn chowder last weekend. 

Using fresh corn cut off the cob made a big flavor difference in this chowder. It tasted like summer!

  

Farm Fresh Corn Chowder

4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, diced

5 ears fresh corn, shucked

3 small potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces

32 oz. chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon thyme

3 T corn meal

1/4 cup water

***

Use a sharp knife (I used an electric knife) to cut corn off of the cob.  Set aside.

Cook bacon pieces in large pot over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add diced onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

 Add butter; melt. Add corn; stir and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add broth, cream, milk, potatoes, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.

Mix corn meal and water. Stir into chowder and cook for 15 minutes.

NOTE: For our Sunday afternoon group of eleven, I doubled the amounts in this recipe, but the four of us each had a bowl of soup for dinner on Sunday evening, and we still had enough for lunch another day.

Do you even make soup in the summertime? (I rarely do, but this was worth the exception.)

Looking for a recipe from another week?
Week 1: Marinade for Chicken
Week 2: Black Bean Salad
Week 3: Cappuccino Pops
Week 4: Roasted Sausage and Vegetable Pasta
Week 5: Easy-Freezy Vanilla Ice Cream

Or last year?

Fruit on Tuesday Week 6: Key Lime Pie

Or two years ago?

Salad on Tuesday Week 6: Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing