'GOODBYE JULY' ~ GARDENER'S PRAYER

"Lord make us mindful of the little things that grow and bossom in these days to make the world beautiful for us."

~ W.E. Dubois

SUMMER GOODIES ... RASPBERRY SPINACH SALAD / WHITE CHEDDAR WALNUT PIE

"People take pictures of the Summer,

just in case someone thought they had missed it,

and to prove that it really existed."

- Ray Davies

~ Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)

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RASPBERRY SPINACH SALAD

~ Make vinaigrette ahead so flavor melds for this lovely summer lunch or supper.

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8 cups baby spinach

1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

3 peeled and thinly sliced kiwi fruit

Place spinach in large chilled salad bowl (glass looks great). Add 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, 1/2 of the raspberries and 1/2 of the sliced kiwi. Toss with vinaigrette as needed. Top with remaining macadamia nuts, raspberries, and kiwi. Serve with side slice of Vermont Cheddar Walnut Pie (8 servings)

Vinaigrette:

2 cups raspberry vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

4 Tbsp. fresh chopped tarragon (2 Tbsp. dried)

1/2 cup maple syrup

pinch coarse salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine raspberry vinegar, mustard, tarragon, maple syrup and salt & pepper. Slowly whisk in both olive & vegetable oil. Allow to rest before serving.

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WHITE CHEDDAR WALNUT PIE

1 pre-baked (9-inch) cooled pie crust

4 organic eggs

1/3 cup heavy cream

12 oz. grated aged white Cheddar cheese

6 thinly sliced scallions

dash Tabasco sauce

coarse salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste

1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat eggs and place in double boiler with cream, grated cheese and scallions. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly, until mixture is creamy and cheese melted. Remove fro heat and cool slightly. Season with salt & pepper and dash of Tabasco.
• Pour mixture into pie shell and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle top of pie with walnuts and continue baking for 20-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and top i slightly browned.
• Serve at room temperature beside Raspberry Spinach Salad. (6-8 servings)

'NIGHT & DAY, YOU ARE THE ONE' ~ HUBBARD LAKE MAGIC

'Night and day,

you are the one

Only you beneath the moon or under the sun'

~ Cole Porter

'Whether near to me,

or far

Its no matter ...

I think of you ...'

'SONG OF PRAISE' ( JULY GARDEN ) ~ SHRIMP & AVOCADO SALAD / LEMON PUDDING

"A garden really lives only insofar as it is an expression of faith,

the embodiment of a hope and a song of praise."

~ Russell Page

~ Welcome visitors while away

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SHRIMP & AVOCADO SALAD

~ Summer delight ... buttery avocados balanced with the sharpness of endive (adapted from Gourmet (June 2002)

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1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp

2 tsp. salt

3 or more Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 firm-ripe Hass avocados

1 lb. Belgian endive (4 heads), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

• Bring 2 quarts water, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and 2 tsp. salt to boil. Poach shrimp at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to a bowl of ice & cold water to stop cooking. Let shrimp chill for 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Whisk together tarragon, mustard, pepper and remaining 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and zest. Slowly whisk in oil until emulsified.
• Quarter avocados lengthwise, pit, peel and cut into bite-size pieces. Add shrimp, avocados, and endive. Toss with dressing. (2-4 light main course)

LEMON PUDDING

~ Tart & tangy (Traverse Magazine Feb. 08)

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2 1/4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

4 large egg yolks

2 Tbsp. lightly packed lemon zest

pinch salt

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. room temperature unsalted butter

whipped cream

• Off heat, whisk milk, sugar, brown sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, lemon zest and salt . Cook at medium heat for 9-12 minutes, whisking constantly until thickened and whisk leaves a defined trail in the pudding.
• Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice and butter and stir until incorporated. To remove zest, carefully pour pudding through sieve into large serving bowl or 4 individual dishes Let pudding cool to room temperature. Refrigerate covered loosely in plastic wrap until set and thoroughly chilled. Serve with whipped cream. (4 servings)

"YOU'RE A GRAND OLD FLAG "

"One flag, one land, one heart, one hand,

One Nation evermore! "

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

~ Independence Day

(Hubbard Lake)

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IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
— John Hancock
New Hampshire:Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

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"My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! "

-Thomas Jefferson

GARDEN TRIBUTE TO THE 'RED, WHITE, & BLUE' ~ ORANGE BARBECUED BABY BACK RIBS / LEMON COLESLAW / 'YANKEE DOODLE' SUNDAES

May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!

-Daniel Webster

~ Red, white & blue tribute

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ORANGE BARBECUED BABY BACK RIBS

~ Succulent summer fare

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4 lbs. lean spareribs

1 peeled onion

6 whole peppercorns

4 whole cloves

1 16-oz. can beer

• Cut ribs into finger size pieces and place in large kettle. Combine onion, peppercorns, cloves and beer. Pour over ribs and bring to boil. Simmer gently, covered, 30 minutes.
• Remove ribs from brew and dip into Barbecue Sauce. Place ribs on grill over hot coals. Grill 8-10 minutes or until crisp and brown. (8 appetizer servings or a main course for 2).

ORANGE BARBECUE SAUCE

1/2 cup honey

2/3 cup soy sauce

2/3 cup ketchup

1 tsp. Coleman's dry mustard

1 tsp. Hungarian paprika

1 cup wine vinegar

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 minced garlic clove

1 tsp. coarse salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup fresh orange juice

Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to use.

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LEMON COLESLAW

~ Pine Avenue Fish House recipe from Bon Appetit (July 1991)

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1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp celery seeds

1/2 tsp. pepper

8 cups shredded cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs)

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-sized pieces

1/2 green bell pepper, cut in to matchstick-sized pieces

1/4 red onion, cut into matchstick-sized pieces

1 shredded carrot

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. grated lemon peel

• Combine first 11 ingredients in bowl; whisk to blend. Refrigerate dressing until cold. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
• Combine cabbage, bell peppers, onion, carrot, parsley and lemon peep in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to season to taste and serve. (6 servings)

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'YANKEE DOODLE' SUNDAES

~ An old-fashioned refreshing treat

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2 pints hulled strawberries

1 pint blueberries

5 Tbsp. sugar

6 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or other orange liquer

1 tsp. grated orange peel

6 cups good vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

fresh mint sprigs for garnish

• Combine 1 pint of strawberries with sugar in medium bowl and crush with fork. Slice remaining pint of strawberries. Add to bowl with blueberries. Add liqueur and orange peel and blend well. Let stand 15 minutes. (Can prepare ahead and refrigerate.)
• Divide ice cream or yogurt in 6 dessert dishes or large goblets. Spoon strawberry/blueberry sauce over. Garnish sundaes with fresh mint and serve.

'JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE' ~ (PICNIC LUNCH) PINA COLADA / SEAFOOD SANDWICHES / LEMON SQUARES

Well, it's ok. It's so nice.

It's just another day in paradise.

Well, there's no place that

I'd rather be

Two hearts

And one dream

I wouldn't trade it for anything

And I ask the Lord every night

For just another day in paradise

~ Phil Vassar

~ July Evening

(Hubbard Lake ~ Mt Maria)

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PINA COLADA

(one serving)

3 oz. pineapple juice

1/3 oz. cream of coconut

1 1/2 oz. Puerto Rican gold rum

1/4 oz. Puerto Rican 151 proof rum

2 slices fresh pineapple

shaved ice

fresh pineapple spear garnish

Combine ingredients in blender. Pour through strainer in tall glasses. Serve with slice of fresh pineapple and a straw.

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SEAFOOD SANDWICHES

~ Perfect for a lazy day

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CRABMEAT:

6 large slices pumpernickel bread

room temperature unsalted butter

favorite lettuce like Romaine or Boston bibb

2 cups good flaked crabmeat

2 ripe peeled and sliced avocados

1 cup good mayonnaise

1/4 cup chili sauce

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. horseradish

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp. sea salt

Lemon slices

• Lightly spread bread with butter. Cover bread with lettuce; then crabmeat. Top with slices of avocado.
• Combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and salt. spoon over crabmeat. Garnish with lemon slices. (6 open face sandwiches)

SHRIMP:

6 large slices rye or French bread

room temperature unsalted butter

favorite greens like Romaine, spring greens, or spinach

2 cups small cooked shrimp

6 hard-cooked eggs

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. dill weed

grape or cherry tomatoes

• Lightly spread bread with butter. Cover with greens; then shrimp and sliced eggs.
• Combine sour cream, lemon juice, sea salt and dill. Spoon over shrimp. Garnish with cherry tomatoes. (6 open-faced sandwiches)

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LEMON SQUARES

~ Thirty year favorite and still going strong

(thanks Colby)

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1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

• Mix well. Pat into lightly buttered 9x13 pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350-degrees.

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

4 large organic eggs

• Mix well. Pour over hot crust. Return to oven for 25 minutes. Cool in pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.

WELCOME JULY ... GROW, CELEBRATE and EXPERIENCE / LEMON TORTE with RASPBERRY PUREE

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."

~ Ada Louise Huxtable

~ 'The remains of the day'

(Hubbard Lake)

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"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."

~ Wallace Stevens

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LEMON TORTE

~ A delightful end to a perfect summer evening

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Crust:

1 5 1/2 oz. package finely crushed lemon crunch cookies

6 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter

Lemon Filling:

4 egg whites

1 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 Tbsp finely grated lemon peel

1 1/2 cup whipped whipping cream

1 10-oz. package thawed frozen raspberries

• For crust: Combine crushed cookies and butter in medium bowl and blend well. Pat into bottom and sides of 8 1/2-inch springform pan. Refrigerate.
• For filling: Beat egg whites on medium speed of electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly until stiff peaks form. Beat egg yolks in another bowl until thick and lemon colored. Stir in lemon juice and peel. Gently fold egg whites into yolks, blending well. Gently fold in cream.
• Pour mixture on crust and freeze.
• Puree raspberries in food processor or blender. Press through strainer into serving bowl.
• Let torte stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving. Remove springform. Transfer torte to platter and serve immediately with pureed raspberries. (8-10 servings)

This delightful recipe has been passed around for over 25 years!