Wednesday, July 15, 2009

MID-JULY GARDEN 'ALL STARS'~ FRESH LEMONADE/GRILLED CHICKEN SOUVLAKI with TZATZIKI SAUCE/ LEMON COUSCOUS / 'BIG FAT' BUTTERMILK COOKIES

"There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart."
~ Celia Thaxter


~ LILY
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FRESH LEMONADE
~ Nothing says summer more than the taste of icy fresh homeade lemonade. Original recipe from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook
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1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (6-8 large lemons)
5 cups cold water
Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh mint sprigs

Stir together sugar and 1/2 cup boiling water until sugar dissolves. Stir in lemon juice and 5 cups cold water. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint sprigs. (8 cups)

Note: Substitute fresh lime for lemon

~ HYDRANGEA, DAYLILIES, MONARDA
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GRILLED CHICKEN SOUVLAKI with TZATZIKI SAUCE
~ A family favorite for all seasons adapted from Cooking Light
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SOUVLAKI
6 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
pinch coarse salt
6 minced garlic cloves
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini (quartered lengthwise) cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 red, yellow, or orange pepper cut into 1/2-inch slices
non-stick spray
TZATZIKI SAUCE
1 cup peeled, seeded and shredded cucumber
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch coarse salt
2 minced cloves garlic
  • Souvlaki: In plastic sealable bag combine lemon juice, oregano, olive oil, salt and garlic. Seal bag and shake to combine. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate chicken in bag for at least 30 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from bag, discard marinade, and thread chicken, zucchini, and peppers alternately onto 8 (8-inch) skewers. Coat grill with cooking spray and grill over medium-high (about 8 minutes) or until chicken is done, turning once. Serve with tzatziki sauce and lemon couscous.
  • Tzatziki Sauce: Combine all ingredients and let rest at least 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
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LEMON COUSCOUS

2 (5.4 oz.) packages couscous mix
2 cups organic chicken broth
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup diced red pepper

Combine broth, lemon rind, lemon juice, seasoning packet from couscous mix, and butter. Bring to boil and stir in couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and bell pepper.

LIGULARIA 'The Rocket' ~ ASTILBE


MONARDA
(Bergamont, Bee Balm)



MONKSHOOD
(Aconitum)



DAYLILY
(Hemerocallis)


DAYLILY
(Hemerocallis)


FORMOSA LILY 'Easter Lily'
(L. formosanum)


LILIES
(Lilium)

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'BIG FAT' BUTTERMILK COOKIES
~ The best cookie with lemonade ... for many years this was sold by 'the kids' accompanied by lemonade in their summer 'Lemonade Stand'
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2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
2 large eggs
2 tsp. real vanilla
4 cups AP flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 cup buttermilk

Cinnamon & sugar mixture to taste

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cream shortening and sugar; add vanilla and eggs. Beat well.
  • Combine flour, salt, and soda.
  • Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 separate portions.
  • Drop dough from tablespoon on sprayed with Pam cookie sheet to make large cookies. (Do not try to make these small). Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar.
  • Bake for 10 minutes ... watch closely ... they should not brown (turn oven down to 375-400 degrees for 12 minutes if this seems too high). (4 dozen or so 4-inch cookies)
JULY JEWELS

27 comments:

  1. Very Fun Post!! Lots of color and variety. I love my Ligularia 'The Rocket!' It's blooming for the first time this year. (Pretty exciting). We had fresh lemonaid today - but it wasn't homemade. Your recipes look great! :-)

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  2. Joey, hi! Haven't heard from you in a while, but suspect the lake and company have been keeping you very busy.

    Your flowers are lovely-monks hood!!-as are the lilies.
    Have a tall glass of lemonade for me. :)

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  3. My mouth is watering over the delicious sounding recipes and the flowers...they are delicious, too. Hello my friend...how was the garden on your return? Waiting with open arms and beauty it seems! gail

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  4. Great post and pictures. You've reminded me to make lemonade! And I will have to try the cookie recipe to go with it. Not that it's hot over here. In fact quite the opposite! Val

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  5. Your photos are lovely as alway. The astilbe/ligularia combo looks great together.

    I just printed the couscous recipe. I've never eaten couscous (not very adventurous as a cook;).
    Marnie

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  6. Hi Shady ... can't beat a frosty glass of lemonade (love an ARNOLD PALMER ... 1/2 lemonade & 1/2 ice tea). Your garden tour was delightful!

    Give it a try, Jarlin, and let me know :)

    It's been a crazy but delightful summer, Beckie ... here & there ... Mr. Ho-Hum's computer 'crashed' at the lake so since it's critical for his work, we rushed home to purchase a new one (booting up again with all programs is NOT fun for him but plan on leaving again in a few hours to join family still there). It was fun catching up on your garden and GREAT photos!

    Hi dear Gail ... the garden was surprisingly delightful ... loud and lovely :) Am off again in a few hours, back to family and cottage living (the painter finally finished staining cabin and all decks ... driveway grated, new gravel, and ready for the next batch of guests :)

    Delightful to hear from you, Val (I'm still salivating over your pie)! My children still love these 'big fat' soft cookies that have also become a favorite of my grandboys.

    It's so easy, Marnie, give it a try! Your daylily collection is most impressive ... you have a great eye both in the garden and behind the camera!

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  7. Hi, Joey; I've missed your lovely collages of flowers! Your lilies are just beautiful. And I might try this chicken recipe. Sadly, the only Greek restaurant in town closed several months ago, just when I was getting more adventurous about trying some new dishes.

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  8. Hi Joey, your summer sounds perfectly delightful, the lake, flowers, family and friends and good food. Enjoy yourself!
    Frances

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  9. Just returned from a tour of your lovely garden, Rose. You are blessed. As I mentioned on my comment, I beleive flowers are especially lovely this year due to lots of rain and low evening temps that intensify their pigment. If you like this recipe, since its the mainstay of our diet, I have many other Greek/Mediterranean goodies here to tempt you. Enjoy!

    Thanks Frances ~ it has been delightful, especially the 10 days spent here that beats a short weekend. Hopefully, we'll be able to do that again before summer ends. Right now, it's here last night and home on Sunday ... but we extract the most of each precious moment. Enjoy the remains of summer in your stunning gardens.

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  10. Hi Joey...so true about fresh lemonade! Nothing like that refreshing taste in summer! You always have great recipes and blooms! Interesting mosaics with all that colour. I don't think I've bee-balm before. One always learns!

    Have a lovely weekend!

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  11. Himself makes wonderful lemonade, but neither of us can take photos quite like you do!
    Enjoy the rest of your summer break ....we're off to France tomorrow :)

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  12. Goodness, girl, I'm wantin' some of that. The chicken, the lemonade, the cookies and the collages. The one of the daylilies made me smile, along with the blue. Isn't blue just the most refreshing color ever? I love that the kids have a lemonade stand and serve cookies too.~~Dee

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  13. Love how you paired that yellow lily with the lemonade recipe. All your flowers look gorgeous!
    That chicken recipe sounds really interesting. I need to try something new, as I am in a cooking rut at the moment.

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  14. Nothing better than fresh lemonade! Great collages.

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  15. Your recipes always make my mouth water, and your flowers...well, they do too! :)
    You have some very beautiful blooms in your summer garden, Joey.
    I hope your getting more warmth and sunshine than we are. More here would be much appreciated! At least it's not raining this morning..yet! The day is looking promising :)
    Have a beautiful weekend!

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  16. mmmmm, cookies! As always, all your photos are stunning. Don't you just love Ligularia? Might you happen to have a recipe for pretzels? :)

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  17. Wishing you a lovely weekend also, Kanak. Monarda is a wonderful garden guest ... and why I so enjoy visiting you, viewing and learning about the many interesting plants highlighted in your lovely land.

    Lucky you Nutty (and himself)! How fun to visit Rob on his charming estate! Don't forget your camera!!!

    Hi Dee ~ I can imagine how thirst quenching an icy glass of lemonade would taste with the heat you've been experiencing this summer. And ... oh ... these 'big fat' soft cookies taste good with a swig of 'anything'!

    I think you might like these recipes, Connie. All are easy, perfect for a lazy summer day.

    Thanks Iowa! I enjoy your eye behind the lens also :)

    Thanks Kerri. We're at the lake and the day, though not very promising weather wise (61 certainly does not feel like July), is nontheless, beautiful :)

    I do love ligularia, Monica, but besides 'The Rocket', wish I had 'Desdemona' (handsome leaves and showier)! Perhaps next year *sigh* Sorry, I have never made pretzels :(

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  18. Bee-yoo-tee-ful photos and you always have the best recipes. Wish I was more into cooking, but if I were, then I'd likely have a garden that suffers! Still, you manage to do both.

    Must try that lemonade and those big fat cookies! I'm a cookie-aholic. :-)

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  19. Thanks dear Kylee ~ your 'manual dexterous' hands are 'top notch' also ... please know these 'big fat' cookies are worth the effort (remembering to brush well after eating :)

    Sunday, July 19, 2009

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  20. Recipes sound great! Your flowers look sensational. Love the collages.

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  21. Thanks Teresa ... hope they look as 'spiffy' when I get back home :)

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  22. Joey, your July Jewels are lovely - your collages are such an inspiration! I hope you're having a great summer!
    Katarina

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  23. Always a joy to connect, Katarina. You've been a dear friend and hope your summer, garden, and life fills your heart with joy.

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  24. Dear Joey, this is just the balm my disconcerted heart needed this morning; the thought of lemonade, the sunny photos, and the sunlight outside my own windows have all made me much happier. And now I have this huge urge for lemonade....

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  25. beebalm looks wonderful. cous cous sounds refreshing

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  26. Joey, you love lemons and buttermilk too! Just one of many reasons why I love ya.

    And all the collages are breathtaking, particularly the monks hood. What amazingly brilliant colors!

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